George Russell took a brilliant pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix after he saw off rival Max Verstappen to clinch top spot in Montreal.
Russell delivered the goods with the final lap of a thrilling qualifying session to cross the line 0.160 seconds clear of Verstappen.
Championship leader Oscar Piastri had to settle for third but it was another bitterly-disappointing one-lap showing from Lando Norris which leaves him seventh on the grid.
Kimi Antonelli finished fourth, one place ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. Russell started on pole here last year and came from nowhere to secure first place again. Verstappen, who crashed into Russell at the previous round in Spain, will join him on the front row.
Follow live updates of the Canadian GP with The Independent
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F1 CANADIAN GRAND PRIX - LATEST UPDATES
- The Canadian GP starts at 7pm (BST)
- George Russell claims brilliant pole position; Verstappen 2nd; Piastri 3rd
- Click HERE for the top-10 in qualifying
- Russell goads Max Verstappen after Canada pole: ‘I’ve got more points to play with!’
- PREVIEW: Max Verstappen is on his final warning in Canada – but it won’t change a thing
What time does the race start tomorrow?
Saturday 14 June 2025 22:55
,
Kieran Jackson
It’s a 7pm (BST) start time for the race tomorrow!
You won’t want to miss it...
TOP-10 IN QUALIFYING
Saturday 14 June 2025 22:15
,
Kieran Jackson
1. George Russell
2. Max Verstappen
3. Oscar Piastri
4. Kimi Antonelli
5. Lewis Hamilton
6. Fernando Alonso
7. Lando Norris
8. Charles Leclerc
9. Isack Hadjar
10. Alex Albon
PREVIEW: Max Verstappen is on his final warning in Canada – but it won’t change a thing
16:00
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Kieran Jackson
As F1 makes its second trip across the Atlantic in the space of five weeks, Max Verstappen is the centre of attention once again. Before Miami in May, it was due to heartwarming reasons, as he became a father for the first time a few days earlier. Yet this weekend, ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, the Red Bull driver knows he is on his final warning on-track.
The three penalty points accumulated at the last meet in Spain – punishment for a deliberate ram into George Russell – means the enigmatic Dutchman is just one point away from a race suspension. A suspension which, surely, would put his faint 2025 title hopes in the dust.
As such, Verstappen must keep his nose clean this weekend, and in Austria in a fortnight’s time, before two of his 11 points are wiped from his licence. Twelve across a year trigger a ban; it is a fair system, designed to curtail erratic, dangerous manoeuvres such as the one seen in Barcelona.
Read full preview below:
How has Max Verstappen accumulated 11 penalty points?
15:00
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Kieran Jackson
- 3 points, 2025 Spanish GP – Causing a collision with George Russell (expires 1 June 2026)
- 2 points, 2024 Abu Dhabi GP – Causing a collision with Oscar Piastri (expires 8 December 2025)
- 1 point, 2024 Qatar GP – Driving unnecessarily slowly on a cooldown lap in qualifying (expires 1 December 2025)
- 1 point, 2024 Brazil GP sprint – Being under the minimum VSC delta time (expires 1 November 2025)
- 2 points, 2024 Mexico GP – Forcing Lando Norris off-track (expires 27 October 2025)
- 2 points, 2024 Austrian GP – Causing a collision with Lando Norris (expires 30 June 2025)
(12 points in a 12-month period trigger a race ban)
Driver Standings heading into Canada:
14:00
,
Kieran Jackson
1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 186 points
3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 137 points
4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 111 points
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 94 points
7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 48 points
8. Alex Albon (Williams) – 42 points
9. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 21 points
10. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 20 points
11. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) - 16 points
12. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 14 points
13. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 13 points
14. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 11 points
15. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – 10 points
16. Ollie Bearman (Haas) – 6 points
18. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 2 points
19. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) – 0 points
20. Jack Doohan (Alpine) – 0 points
21. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – 0 points
Morocco reveals ambitious £887m plan to host African F1 race
13:00
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Kieran Jackson
Morocco looks set to enter the competitive race to host an F1 race in Africa with a spectacular $1.2m (£887m) plan revealed near the coastal city of Tangier.
Both South Africa – at either the Kyalami track near Johannesburg or a Cape Town street circuit, and Rwanda have expressed strong interest in hosting a grand prix, perhaps as early as 2027.
Africa is the only habitable continent that F1 does not host a race in, amidst the congested 24-event calendar. The last grand prix in Africa was the 1993 South African GP.
But now, Morocco is aiming to build a mega-project 20km south of Tangier, which will include a Grade 1 circuit fit to host F1 and MotoGP, a theme park, a shopping mall and a marina.
Full story below:
Martin Brundle on Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur's future:
12:00
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Kieran Jackson
“It would be nuts to change Fred Vasseur, I don’t think he’s the problem. Who would you replace him with? A new person comes in, you start working in silos, it’s the last thing Ferrari need to do.
“Fred has a lot of experience, he can handle the pressure. This is not a Premier League club where you keep changing the managers until you eventually find one, it would be nuts.”
Red Bull boss Christian Horner:
10:00
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Kieran Jackson
On Verstappen-Russell incident: “He apologised in the debrief, a very frustrating race for him and the team. It was one of those things, with hindsight, I’m sure he wouldn’t have done what he did.
“He’s a driver who drives with a huge amount of emotion, that’s the brilliance he has. Occasionally, you make misjudgements - you see it with all the greats, Senna, Schumacher. He immediately apologised to the team.”
On Ferrari rumours: “I’m not going anywhere. It’s always flattering being associated with other teams, particularly Ferrari, but I’m not going anywhere. Been here 21 years, don’t have any intention on being anywhere else.”
Williams boss James Vowles on goals for the weekend:
09:00
“Two cars in the top-10 and scoring points with both cars, it’s a realistic proposition for us.
“We were competitive at all tracks this year, apart from Barcelona.
On fifth in championship: “It would be a great result, it doesn’t feel comfortable, our main goal is to fix some of the foundational things which should help us on our journey this year.”
F1 penalty points system explained – with Max Verstappen close to race ban
08:00
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Kieran Jackson
The FIA implemented the penalty points system to monitor the behaviour of drivers over the course of a season. They can be given for anything from crashes and racing incidents to safety car and yellow flag-related infringements.
The stewards decide on the number of points. The more points handed to a driver for a certain scenario, the more severe the incident.
Verstappen’s three-point penalty in Barcelona is the most severe punishment he’s received over the past year, which includes other incidents involving Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
Full explainer below:
FIA suspends race steward from Canadian Grand Prix after media comments surface
07:00
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Kieran Jackson
The FIA has suspended driver steward Derek Warwick from the Canadian Grand Prix after comments he made in the media.
The 70-year-old ex-Formula One driver’s suspension follows remarks circulated by a gambling platform following last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix about a variety of matters, including a 10-second penalty given to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
On Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari, Warwick said: “I think he deserves that eighth world title, but it’s not going to happen this year. I think if it carries on the way it is at the minute, I suspect he’s already thinking of stopping.”
The FIA confirmed that Enrique Bernoldi, who raced for the Arrows Formula One team, will replace Warwick in Montreal.
Isack Hadjar 'not ready' for Red Bull promotion:
07:00
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Kieran Jackson
“It’s a bit scary, but I wouldn’t feel ready,” Hadjar told Sky Sports in Canada.
“I’m just nine races in, and it looks to be complicated when I look at Yuki and Liam who are very quality drivers.
“So no, I’m not very ready.”
F1 constructor standings
06:00
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Kieran Jackson
1. McLaren - 362 points
2. Ferrari - 165 points
3. Mercedes - 159 points
4. Red Bull - 144 points
5. Williams - 54 points
6. Racing Bulls - 28 points
7. Haas - 26 points
8. Sauber - 16 points
9. Aston Martin - 16 points
10. Alpine - 11 points
Lando Norris on prospect of Max Verstappen being banned:
04:00
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Kieran Jackson
“I don’t think anything really changes,” Norris said. “You don’t know what he’s going to do. So at this point, I’m trying to think of what to do differently. It’s the same as normal.
“I think he’s still going to fight. He’s further behind in the points.
“If anything, he’s still going to fight more.”
Full starting grid in Canada:
03:00
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Kieran Jackson
1. George Russell
2. Max Verstappen
3. Oscar Piastri
4. Kimi Antonelli
5. Lewis Hamilton
6. Fernando Alonso
7. Lando Norris
8. Charles Leclerc
9. Isack Hadjar
10. Alex Albon
11. Franco Colapinto
12. Nico Hulkenberg
13. Ollie Bearman
14. Esteban Ocon
15. Gabriel Bortoleto
16. Carlos Sainz
17. Lance Stroll
18. Liam Lawson
19. Pierre Gasly
20. Yuki Tsunoda*
*Tsunoda has a 10-place grid penalty for overtaking Oscar Piastri in red flag conditions in FP3
Lando Norris makes concerning admission over McLaren’s Canadian Grand Prix hopes
02:00
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Kieran Jackson
Lando Norris made a concerning admission over McLaren’s hopes to succeed at the Canadian Grand Prix after languishing down in seventh in qualifying on Saturday.
The McLaren star was left to rue several mistakes, leaving him behind teammate Oscar Piastri in third, Max Verstappen in second and George Russell, who claimed pole with a stunning lap before aiming a jab at the Red Bull driver.
Full quotes below:
Carlos Sainz, after qualifying 17th:
01:00
On Hadjar impeding: “A massive penalty for Isack... and my weekend over.”
Ah dear...
Charles Leclerc after qualifying P8:
Saturday 14 June 2025 23:45
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Kieran Jackson
“I’m very disappointed, I don’t think yesterday had any impact. I was very at ease with the car, we were strong. Q3 last lap, I was putting everything together until turn 6-7 where I found myself, Isack 150m in front, not impeding, but dirty air you lose so much and I lost the rear.
“I believed in it today, we could have had pole today.
“I’m still very hopeful of having a good race but we are making our Sundays very difficult.”
Full starting grid in Canada:
Saturday 14 June 2025 23:42
,
Kieran Jackson
1. George Russell
2. Max Verstappen
3. Oscar Piastri
4. Kimi Antonelli
5. Lewis Hamilton
6. Fernando Alonso
7. Lando Norris
8. Charles Leclerc
9. Alex Albon
10. Franco Colapinto
11. Nico Hulkenberg
12. Isack Hadjar*
13. Ollie Bearman
14. Esteban Ocon
15. Gabriel Bortoleto
16. Carlos Sainz
17. Lance Stroll
18. Liam Lawson
19. Pierre Gasly
20. Yuki Tsunoda**
*Hadjar received a three-place grid drop for impeding Carlos Sainz in qualifying
**Tsunoda has a 10-place grid penalty for overtaking Oscar Piastri in red flag conditions in FP3
Lando Norris, after qualifying a disappointing 7th:
Saturday 14 June 2025 23:12
“Not ideal. Too many mistakes, yeah. I had good confidence, car felt good today, I just made too many mistakes.
“I don’t feel any difference, it’s something for us to go quicker.
On racepace: “It’s not been as good as Max, we’ve clearly not had our advantage around our track, you need very good ride. I think our pace is good enough, just too far back again.”
Oscar Piastri in P3:
Saturday 14 June 2025 22:23
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Kieran Jackson
“After how practice went, I’m pretty happy with the turnaround. We went with the soft, wanted to keep things consistent, I’m pretty happy with third, I’ll definitely take it here!”
George Russell after claiming pole:
Saturday 14 June 2025 22:17
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Kieran Jackson
“Today was awesome to get the pole. That last lap was one of the most exhilarating laps of my lap, every corner I was going one-tenth quicker. This lap’s mighty! P1 was a real surprise, so chuffed with it.
On turn one with Max on Sunday: “I’ve got a few more points on my licence to play with! Let’s see, let’s see!”
Max Verstappen in P2:
Saturday 14 June 2025 22:15
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Kieran Jackson
“I felt quite good all weekend, car was in a good window, this track is cool. You need to be efficient on the straights, overall I’m very happy with qualifying.
“I’d always pick P1, we’ll see what we can do tomorrow. Hopefully we can have a solid race.”
George Russell claims pole position!
Saturday 14 June 2025 22:10
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Kieran Jackson
Russell out of nowhere is on pole for the second year running in Canada!
“Come on, talk to me! What a f***** lap! Yes!”
Russell with a 1:10:899, gets it done by a few tenths!
Verstappen pipped by his arch rival! Piastri in third, with Antonelli in fourth! Norris only P7!
5-10: Hamilton, Alonso, Norris, Leclerc, Hadjar, Albon
Do or die in Q3!
Saturday 14 June 2025 22:06
Here we go then!
3:00 to go in Q3 as they all leave the pits..
George Russell goes P3!
Saturday 14 June 2025 22:03
Impressive from Russell! P3!
Antonelli P4 too.
Norris only fifth-fastest with his first lap.
1-10: Verstappen, Piastri, Russell, Antonelli, Norris, Leclerc, Alonso, Hamilton, Hadjar, Albon
They’ll all have another go though...
5:00 to go in Q3!
Max Verstappen on provisional pole!
Saturday 14 June 2025 22:01
,
Kieran Jackson
Stunning from the Dutchman!
A 1:11:248, less than a tenth quicker than Oscar Piastri!
Charles Leclerc in third, four-tenths further back, with Alonso in 4th and Hamilton in 5th.
Russell going around now for his first lap! 7:00 to go in Q3...
Lando Norris screws his lap up!
Saturday 14 June 2025 22:00
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Kieran Jackson
Nightmare for Lando!
He went into the last chicane too hot and had to go straight on!
Engineer: “Lando let’s reset and remember our braking references.”
Q3 underway!
Saturday 14 June 2025 21:56
Lewis Hamilton the first car out of the pit-lane for the top-10 shootout - can the Ferrari driver land his first pole here, perhaps?!
10 drivers involved: Norris, Piastri, Leclerc, Hamilton, Verstappen, Russell, Antonelli, Hadjar, Albon, Alonso
Yuki Tsunoda out in Q2!
Saturday 14 June 2025 21:50
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Kieran Jackson
Tsunoda only P11 - and he’ll start last due to that 10-place grid drop.
Bottom-five and out in Q2 (11-15): Tsunoda, Colapinto, Hulkenberg, Bearman, Ocon
Q3 coming right up!
Tsunoda now in bottom-five!
Saturday 14 June 2025 21:47
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Kieran Jackson
Do-or-die for Tsunoda, now P11!
2:00 to go in Q2...
Charles Leclerc goes P1!
Saturday 14 June 2025 21:44
,
Kieran Jackson
Leclerc goes top with a 1:11:626, 0.012 secs faster than Verstappen!
Tight at the top!
Current bottom-five (11-15): Bearman, Colapinto, Hadjar, Ocon, Hulkenberg
Tsunoda in danger in P10. 4:00 to go in Q2!
Max Verstappen goes P1!
Saturday 14 June 2025 21:38
,
Kieran Jackson
And a statement time from the Dutchman - a 1:11:638 on medium tyres!
Many laps still to be completed.... 11:00 to go in Q2...
Q2 underway!
Saturday 14 June 2025 21:37
Second stage of quali now - 15 minutes where again we will lose the slowest five drivers...
Carlos Sainz out in Q1!
Saturday 14 June 2025 21:28
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Kieran Jackson
Sainz was P20 until his run - and finishes P17.
Bit of a shock for the Spaniard! But it looks like he was impeded in the second sector by Hadjar! Oh dear...
Bottom-five (16-20) and out in Q1: Bortoleto, Sainz, Stroll, Lawson, Gasly
Five different teams in the bottom-five!
Top-3: Norris, Piastri, Hamilton
Green flag!
Saturday 14 June 2025 21:23
,
Kieran Jackson
Back in action then.
5:30 to go in Q1
Bottom-five (16-20): Sainz, Gasly, Albon, Bearman, Hulkenberg
VIDEO: Albon's car
Saturday 14 June 2025 21:19
,
Kieran Jackson
Debris now cleared, big queue at the end of the pit-lane...
RED FLAG
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) June 14, 2025
The engine cover flies off Albon's car! pic.twitter.com/P76rTBJS9U
RED FLAG!
Saturday 14 June 2025 21:14
A bizarre incident involving Alex Albon!
Driving down the back straight, his engine cover has randomly just flown off!
Lots of debris on track - his whole engine is showing!
RED FLAG with 5:30 left.
Fernando Alonso goes top!
Saturday 14 June 2025 21:12
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Kieran Jackson
Alonso loves it around here and he goes quickest on mediums for Aston!
Verstappen 2nd, Piastri 3rd, Hamilton 4th, Russell 5th.
More importantly, the bottom-five (16-20): Gasly, Albon, Hulkenberg, Ocon, Bearman
6:00 to go in Q1...
Yuki Tsunoda has a 10-place grid penalty!
Saturday 14 June 2025 21:11
,
Kieran Jackson
News from the stewards!
Tsunoda passed Piastri in red flag conditions in FP3 - and the Red Bull driver has been severely punished!
Nightmare for the Japanese driver!
Oscar Piastri P1 early on!
Saturday 14 June 2025 21:08
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Kieran Jackson
Piastri makes a mockery of the form-book after the first set of runs - he’s P1!
Stroll in second, Russell in third.
Around 2/3 of the pack have set a lap... still a fair few to go.
10:00 to go in Q1...
Ollie Bearman and Lewis Hamilton lock up!
Saturday 14 June 2025 21:06
,
Kieran Jackson
The rookie and the maestro both screw-up at turn 1, forced to go off-track, and they’ll have to abort those push laps!
Q1 underway!
Saturday 14 June 2025 21:01
Big queue at the end of the pit-lane as we get going with qualifying!
18 minutes this first session where we will lose the slowest five drivers from the rest of qualifying...
Weather!
Saturday 14 June 2025 20:58
,
Kieran Jackson
A windy but sunny afternoon in Montreal - no sign of any rain, which has been a regular feature in races of the past in Canada.
Temperature slightly dropping as we get towards 4pm local time...
Qualifying!
Saturday 14 June 2025 20:54
,
Kieran Jackson
So, who you got then?!
Lando Norris is perhaps the favourite in what has been the quickest car so far this season, with Oscar Piastri struggling so far this weekend.
Next in line? Perhaps Mercedes. Ferrari had a strong FP3, so they’re in contention. And you can never rule out Max Verstappen!
Should be a fascinating session in Montreal!
Nico Rosberg on Fred Vasseur's future:
Saturday 14 June 2025 20:53
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Kieran Jackson
“We need to give him more time, he is a great leader, he was my F2 boss.
“It just takes time and it’s not that easy to turn a whole culture around. It’s tough for him, Italian press, ‘Vasseur out’, it’s really horrible.”
Martin Brundle on qualifying:
Saturday 14 June 2025 20:46
,
Kieran Jackson
“It’s looking very exciting and fast. Drivers are right on the edge, they’re pushing.”
FP3 REPORT:
Saturday 14 June 2025 20:41
,
Kieran Jackson
Lando Norris landed a major boost ahead of qualifying for Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix by finishing fastest in final practice.
The British driver bemoaned McLaren’s worst day of the season so far here at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Friday after he trailed George Russell.
Full report below:
Nico Rosberg on qualifying:
Saturday 14 June 2025 20:37
“Qualifying is going to be thrilling,” Rosberg tells Sky Sports F1.
“Lando is really on form, it’s a drivers track, Lando doesn’t necessarily have the very best car but he’s driving brilliantly. Leclerc is right there, Ferrari are there.
“It’s wide open.”
F1 constructor standings heading into Canada:
Saturday 14 June 2025 19:52
,
Kieran Jackson
1. McLaren - 362 points
2. Ferrari - 165 points
3. Mercedes - 159 points
4. Red Bull - 144 points
5. Williams - 54 points
6. Racing Bulls - 28 points
7. Haas - 26 points
8. Sauber - 16 points
9. Aston Martin - 16 points
10. Alpine - 11 points
Ferrari criticism ‘disrespectful’ and harming team’s chances – Fred Vasseur
Saturday 14 June 2025 19:30
,
Kieran Jackson
When pressed on his own future, an animated Vasseur, in his third season in charge of the Italian giants, said: “I have to stay calm otherwise I will be reported to the stewards.
“It is not about me, because I can manage this, but it is about the people of the team and to throw their names like this is disrespectful for them and for their family.
“I don’t understand the target? Perhaps it is to give s*** to the team and in this case I don’t see the point. Maybe for them it is to exist? But it is clearly hurting the team.”