The qualification of the Canadian GP which will see starting from front row George Russell and Max Verstappen. The two McLarens are in third and fourth position. The impression is that the pole position it was not a utopia for the team of Woking who demonstrated, once again, that he has a solid machine that is adaptable to all conditions.
In the end, Lando Norris missed the pole start by just 21 thousandths. Oscar Piastri is a little further away, at a tenth. However there are some strong points of McLaren, especially regarding tire management, which could put it forward for a possible final victory.
The MCL38, in fact, is much stronger in medium-slow corners, specifically turn 2, turn 10 and the final chicane of the now famous "Wall of Champions".
Canadian GP 2024, McLaren: Norris' words
Lando Norris: “I don't think I missed pole, I did a good lap, maybe if I had done the perfect lap I could have achieved it, but it was impossible to do that here in Montreal. It's a difficult circuit and then there's the wind, the rain and the curbs. It's really very complicated to put everything together."
“It was difficult, but at the same time I'm happy with third place, and then there's Oscar fourth. As a team we did better than anyone today. We hope to reconfirm ourselves in the race too. The challenge will simply be the race and how long the tires last. I think I can win, but we need to check how the tires work.
“Then we have to try to overtake, which will be another challenge, as we haven't been the fastest on the straight all weekend, but we'll see. We have excellent chances, we are in a good position and with the strategies we can do it."
Canadian GP 2024, McLaren: Piastri's words
Oscar Piastri: “There were points where I gained time, but in these conditions it's the same for everyone. George was three tenths slower in Q2 and Q3, so you can understand that it was difficult to do a full lap. I'm happy with my position, but being so close (to the first three ed) it's frustrating. But, in a session like this, when you're fighting for the championship, you have to be there even when things aren't going in your direction."
“Ferrari is quite far away, Red Bull only has one car up front, which gives us a good opportunity to exploit. However, it is difficult to make predictions. The race could prove unpredictable. Mercedes were fast all weekend, Red Bull are good as are we. We are in the fight but there are some unknowns, especially regarding the behavior of the tires."
Crediti foto: McLaren