From Fernando Alonso back in the front row, to Charles Leclerc starting from behind; and from Sergio Pérez with work to do, to Haas who seeks to make the most of each classification, we have chosen some of the key aspects to watch out for when the lights go out at the Gilles Villeneuve Circuit …
1. Fernando in the front row
Surprisingly, it’s been almost ten years since Fernando Alonso last qualified in the front row for a Formula One race, with the 2012 German Grand Prix, when he was in pole position, the previous occasion. His wait for this starting position ended with an impressive qualifying performance in Canada, and he also has high hopes for the first lap of the race.
Alonso says his goal is to lead on lap 1, saying it would be “sweet” to overtake Max Verstappen from the start. This could also be crucial to the overall image of the race, as it would push Verstappen back into the clutches of Carlos Sainz, who is his biggest threat at the moment.
READ MORE: Verstappen faces wet conditions to claim Canadian GP pole ahead of sensational Alonso
While Alonso may have that dream in mind, what he does will be crucial. If Verstappen retains the lead, Sainz will have to quickly eliminate his Spanish compatriot to chase the Red Bull driver, who was supreme over the wet, but is unlikely to maintain the same advantage if the race is dry.
It’s easier said than done, though, with the Alpine fast in a straight line and Alonso always a tenacious rider regardless of position, let alone when he’s right at the end.
Qualifying for the 2022 Canadian GP: Fernando Alonso celebrates the impressive P2
2. Leclerc in charge
The aftermath of Charles Leclerc’s retirement in Baku continues, with the Ferrari driver losing the missing power unit and needing to pick up a number of new components. The team has decided that the best place to do it is here in Montreal, where it is possible to move forward.
LOOK: “I hope we can get past the field”: Leclerc was preparing to start the back row at the Canadian Grand Prix
Therefore, Leclerc has taken a completely new power unit, joining a start behind the net next to Yuki Tsunoda, who has the same penalty.
This is the first time this season that we will see how one of the two fastest teams, Ferrari or Red Bull, has to start a race from the bottom of the grid and make its way through the midfield teams with easier cars to follow and race. with.
Charles Leclerc will have to fight on the field after receiving an engine penalty in Canada
Leclerc’s season has changed rapidly as he comfortably led the championship after Australia, and now faces a race weekend where he has to try to limit the damage, as he is 34 points behind Max Verstappen. in the pilot classification.
But he certainly has a car fast enough to overtake, with a cool power unit in the back of a Ferrari that has been in pole position in six of the nine races this season and was obviously not in the mix for the pole. given the penalty this weekend. It’s time for the Monegasque to take a field trip …
3. Perez with work to do
Things did not go much better for Sergio Pérez in the standings, although his early departure was much more unexpected. In a wet second half of the session, the Mexican went straight to turn 3 and buried his Red Bull nose in the barrier.
Unable to reverse, Perez was eliminated in 13th place, saving another position on the grid due to a problem for Lando Norris that prevented the McLaren driver from setting the time.
READ MORE: Verstappen expects a tough battle with Ferrari at the Canadian GP after pole, as Perez admits “I was wrong”
Pérez took a long walk back into the pits after breaking down the barriers in the standings
The Red Bull is a very fast car and Pérez has relied on the steering wheel so far this season, but now he is facing a scenario similar to that of Leclerc, although from a slightly better starting position.
Perez will have to move fast, however, or he could find himself in a fight with Ferrari as the race unfolds.
4. Hamilton’s occasions from his best space on the grid of the year
It’s pretty remarkable to think about it, but Mercedes ’struggles have been such this season that Lewis Hamilton’s fourth place finish in the standings is his best performance of the year. That’s right, the driver with the most pole positions in the history of the sport has not even been in the second row so far in 2022.
And Hamilton was duly delighted with this result, having struggled a lot with the handling of his car on Friday. It also offers Mercedes drivers a very good chance of getting solid points, as Pérez and Leclerc face off in their field fights and a potentially slower car in terms of pace ahead of him in form. of the Alpine of Alonso.
LOOK: “I didn’t even know I was fighting for the top positions” in the Montreal standings, says Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton will start the race from the second row
Hamilton has already had a podium, but that was heard a long time ago in the season-opening race in Bahrain, so he will be looking to put himself in a position to chase for another place in the top three. And that could involve another classic battle between Alonso and Hamilton when a trophy is at stake.
Behind them, George Russell is also worth watching. The other Mercedes driver opted to bet on slick tires in Q3 and finished unimproved after slipping off the track, leaving him eighth on the grid. If his streak of finishing all races in the top five this season continues, he will have to make some moves.
HIGHLIGHTS: Watch the action of a wet qualifying session in Montreal as Verstappen dominates in the rain
Haas has two cars in the third row in Canada
5. Haas chasing double dots
The best results also continue to come, with Haas securing his best qualifying performance with the two cars in the top six in Montreal. Kevin Magnussen led the way with the fifth, but Mick Schumacher is celebrating his highest position on the grid by some distance, something that puts him within reach of his first point in his history.
Haas has had some very strong moments this year, but has not always been able to capitalize for one reason or another, and has dropped to eighth place in the constructors ’championship after four races without a point.
Both drivers are well aware that there are faster cars behind them, but in such a competitive midfield the starting position can be crucial and the goal must surely be to put an end to this lack of points results, and ideally with the two cars. for the first time from Germany in 2019.
READ MORE: “I love these conditions,” says Magnussen, after Haas blocked the third row in Montreal