F1: Rain man Verstappen takes pole position for Canadian Grand Prix

MONTREAL, Canada -- World champion and series leader Max Verstappen drove expertly in difficult wet conditions in his Red Bull on Saturday to secure pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix.

In an intriguing and entertaining qualifying session, the 24-year-old Dutchman clocked a best lap in one minute and 21.299 seconds, beating nearest rival two-time world champion Fernando Alonso of Alpine by seven-tenths of a second.

Verstappen will start his 150th race from the prime start place after claiming his 15th pole in pursuit of a 26th career victory. 

His pole ends a run of four in a row by title rival Charles Leclerc who starts Sunday's race from the back of the grid after taking a new power unit on his Ferrari.

"We stayed calm, we made no mistakes, so of course super happy with that, with pole position here - and also to be back here in Montreal," said Verstappen.

The 40-year-old Alonso put in a dazzling late lap to delight the crowd and outpace fellow-Spaniard Carlos Sainz of Ferrari who qualified third ahead of a reinvigorated Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes.

"It feels great. It was an unbelievable weekend so far for us, thanks to the wet conditions. The car was mega," said Alonso.

Kevin Magnussen wound up fifth ahead of his Haas team-mate Mick Schumacher, Esteban Ocon in the second Alpine and George Russell in the second Mercedes.

- Firsts for Schumacher, Zhou -

It was Schumacher's best qualifying performance since arriving in Formula One last year.

Daniel Ricciardo was ninth for McLaren ahead of Zhou Guanyu of Alfa Romeo, the Chinese driver reaching the top ten for the first time on a day of the unexpected.

After heavy rain overnight and through the morning, the temperature was only 11 degrees when Race Control declared the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve to be an official 'wet track' for the session.

Another big crowd turned out, bedecked in colourful plastic ponchos and anoraks to greet the return of F1 after a Covid-caused three-year absence.

All 20 drivers went out immediately to test the conditions in the opening qualifying session, the entire field running on full-wet tyres. 

The track appeared to be wetter than it had been in final practice when Alonso was quickest.

Russell set the early pace before Verstappen and Sainz took over only for the Mercedes man to respond again before Magnussen went quickest for Haas.

As a dry line began to emerge, Valtteri Bottas took over on top as the times tumbled with dramatic affect, Sainz again taking his Ferrari top before running on at Turn Three and reversing to re-join the fray.

Amid the chaos, Verstappen stayed calm to go quickest again ahead of Alonso while, unexpectedly after shining in third practice, both Aston Martin men, local star Lance Stroll and four-time champion Sebastian Vettel, were eliminated.

Out with them went AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly, Canada's second hope Nicholas Latifi of Williams and Yuki Tsunoda in the second Alpha Tauri.

The second session began with some drivers, including Sainz and Perez, trying intermediate tyres only for Alex Albon to go off at Turn Six in his Williams and then Perez to slide into the barriers, more heavily, at Turn three.

Perez's crash prompted a red flag to halt the action, wrecking his hopes of beating Verstappen in qualifying for a third consecutive weekend to boost his title bid.

The session resumed with nine minutes remaining, a wider dry line and everyone on intermediates except Leclerc who remained in the pits, knowing he will start Sunday's race from the back of the grid after taking a new power unit.

In a frantic finale, Verstappen pipped Alonso at the top while Bottas of Alfa Romeo, Albon, Perez, McLaren's Lando Norris and Leclerc missed the cut. 

Russell set an early marker in 1:24.006 before Verstappen flexed his might in 1:22.701. It was a statement lap.

On his second run, Russell gambled on taking slick tyres as the Dutchman trimmed his best time to 1:21.620 – a gamble that failed as he spun off at Turn Two. 

Agence France-Presse

F1: Verstappen wins chaotic German Grand Prix

HOCKENHEIM, Germany -- Max Verstappen took full advantage of his rivals' calamities on Sunday to win an epic, rain-lashed and wildly-spectacular German Grand Prix for Red Bull ahead of Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari.

The 21-year-old Dutchman secured his second win of the season and seventh of his career, finishing ahead of four-time world champion Vettel, who had started 20th and last on the grid.

New dad Daniil Kvyat of Toro Rosso was third as he secured only his third Formula One podium.

The race was a disaster for champions Mercedes who were celebrating their 200th Formula One start of the modern era and 125 years of motorsport, both defending five-time champion Lewis Hamilton and his team-mate Valtteri Bottas crashed and failed to score any points.

Hamilton eventually finished 11th after six pit stops but was then promoted to ninth following 30-second penalties for Alfa Romeo drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi.

Lance Stroll of Racing Point came home fourth to deliver his team's best finish ahead of Carlos Sainz of McLaren and Alex Albon of Toro Rosso.

"It was amazing, but really tricky out there," said Verstappen, who made four pit-stops and survived a complete 360-degrees spin. 

"To make the right calls, you had to be focussed. We put on the slick tyres and we had a 360! But it was alright."

Vettel, for whom the result brought redemption after he had crashed out while leading in heavy rain last year, said: "It was a long race and at some stages if felt like it was never-ending. I am just very happy."

Kvyat confirmed that he became a father on Saturday night when his partner Kelly gave birth to a daughter.

He said: "It is amazing to be back on the podium and incredible for Toro Rosso, after so many years."

After the record-breaking heat, the race began in steady rain with the field on full wet tyres behind a Safety Car through four formation laps before a standing start. 

The conditions did nothing to deter Hamilton who made a near-perfect start from his 87th pole position.

- Safety car interventions -

The race distance was reduced to 64 laps as the spray rose high in plumes throughout the pack, Vettel romping forward from 20th to pass six cars in the first five corners. Leclerc, in the other Ferrari, rose to sixth from 10th on the opening lap.

Hamilton led by two seconds from Bottas after lap one, Verstappen having made a poor start, as the field jostled for space and grip, Sergio Perez spinning backwards into the stadium entry wall and damaging his Racing Force.

That required a Safety Car intervention for three laps, during which the leaders pitted for intermediates, before racing resumed.

After 25, Verstappen pitted for medium compound slicks, a gamble by Red Bull. The Dutchman complained vigorously about his tyres before spinning at the final corner and recovering.

Another Virtual Safety Car was then deployed briefly, as Hamilton pitted for softs from the lead, before Leclerc went off at Sachs Curve. 

The Monegasque screamed aloud as Vettel pitted, returning to ‘inters’, before Hamilton went off, snapping his front wing.

The Englishman recovered, cutting across the circuit into the pit lane. He was repaired and fitted with 'inters' before re-joining fifth behind Verstappen, Hulkenberg, Bottas and Albon.

Hamilton was given a five-second penalty for missing a bollard at the pits entry, but he was soon back to third behind the Dutchman and Bottas.

Hulkenberg slid off at the final corner to instigate another Safety Car outing that heralded Verstappen, and Vettel, in 10th, pitting for fresh inters. 

Racing resumed on lap 46, Verstappen pulling clear before pitting for slicks, followed by Bottas, Sainz, Gasly and Albon.

Hamilton led before he pitted on lap 47, leaving Stroll, who pitted for slicks under the Safety Car, to lead before Verstappen passed him. Hamilton fell to 12th, having taken his penalty.

"How's this gone so bad?" asked Hamilton.

Mercedes' nightmare was not over and their anniversary weekend ended with Bottas spinning at Turn One. 

Out came the Safety Car for a fourth time as Hamilton pitted again -– leaving him to make a failed bid for a top ten finish.

source: news.abs-cbn.com