Dutch driver Max Verstappen (Red Bull) today claimed first place on the starting grid of the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix, the eighth race of the season, which takes place on Sunday in Montreal.

The current world champion set his best time in 1.25.858 minutes, at the start of the third qualifying stage (Q3), marked by heavy rain, leaving the German Nico Hulkenberg (Haas) in second place, at 1.244 seconds, and the Spaniard Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) in third, at 1.428.

It was the 25th pole position of Verstappen’s career, the fifth of the current season in eight qualifications already contested.

The surprises of the session were the elimination of the Mexican Sérgio Pérez (Red Bull) and the Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) still in the second qualifying phase (Q2). Leclerc was 11th and Pérez 12th.

While the Ferrari driver failed to advance to Q3 for the second time in a row, making no secret of his discomfort with the team, it was the third time in a row that Pérez failed to reach the final phase of qualifying.

Spaniard Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) could also be in bad shape, who traveled at reduced speed on the track, twice disrupting the laps launched by other competitors, namely Frenchman Pierre Gasly (Alpine).

Briton Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) was fourth fastest, 1.769 seconds behind the Dutchman, with his compatriot George Russell (Mercedes) third, at 2.035.

Q3 was interrupted for a few minutes due to the fall of Australian Óscar Piastri (McLaren), 7.11 minutes from the end.

As the rain began to fall with more intensity after the work restarted, no one was able to improve on the already established weather.

For Sunday, 70 laps are scheduled at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, in Canada, stage of what would be the ninth race of the season but which will be the eighth, after the cancellation of the GP of Emilia-Romagna, due to the floods which affected this region of Italy during the Grand Prix weekend in May.