Grand Prix of Canada – Qualifying

RIC managed to win the boring Grand Prix of Monaco, keeping VET and HAM from the top step of the podium. When you have world champions describe it as “probably the most boring race ever” you know there’s a problem. (HAM is now 14 points ahead of VET.)

FIA reports “Red Bull tech supremo Adrian Newey has since confirmed the defective part on Ricciardo’s car will definitely need replacing out of schedule, which will incur an automatic grid drop under F1 rules.” “The [MGU-K] is definitely a penalty. I rather doubt it [can be reused], considering it caught fire and was a burnt out, charred wreck,” he said. “I would be somewhat surprised at that one…”
However, Riccardo revealed on Thursday in Montreal that Red Bull can re-use an MGU-K component that was swapped out in China again, and therefore put off a penalty for now. [FIA]

In fact, both Ferraris, all six Renault-engined cars and the two Honda-powered cars have taken new power unit components and none have incurred any penalties as yet! [racefans.net]

Tyre compound choices for this weekend are: supersoft, ultrasoft and hypersoft.

Free Practice:

1. FP1: VER (1:13.302), HAM, RIC, VET, BOT
   Canadian STR was the first to hit the “wall of champions”video]
2. FP2: VER (1:12.198), RAI, RIC, HAM, VET
   GRO destroyed his front wing when he hit a marmot [autosport.com]
   SAI spun and clouted a wall with his rear wing [video]
3. FP3: VER (1:11.599), VET, RAI, HAM, RIC
   Yellow flags while VAN does an 11-point turn after getting it wrong in Turn 3
   Incidentally, yellow flags will no longer mean DRS is disabled around the whole circuit – now it’ll be just the sector with the incident [autosport]
   GRO complaining of strange engine issues
   STR says he “can’t get the car turned at Turn 2” – he’s P20 and struggling

It’s ALO’s 300th F1 race weekend so he’ll be hoping for something special from his McLaren.

Qualifying session 1 (Q1)
Green lights; GRO heads down the pit lane followed by a huge cloud – he’s not even made it to the track!
Pit lane reporter says there’s a strong smell of oil, so it may be a leak rather than a blown engine, although it did sound quite sick
LEC 1:14.543
MAG 1:14.237
SIR 1:14.203
VET 1:12.110
Lot of brake dust from STR’s front left
RAI 1:12.050
VET 1:11.824
RAI 1:11.725
ERI got extremely close to RIC – the Red Bull probably should have been further off the racing line on his cool down lap
Replay shows ERI tag the wall just as he was catching up to RIC
VET 1:11.710
5mins left of Q1; bottom 5 are STR, LEC, SIR, ERI, GRO
LEC P13, relegating ALO
STR locked up into the final chicane; didn’t keep left of the bollard, so should get a penalty
Chequered flag
ALO P14, bumping GAS
Back of the grid: GAS, STR, SIR, ERI, GRO*
*GRO didn’t set a time so he’ll need to appeal to the stewards to be allowed to race

Qualifying session 2
RAI 1:11.620
VET 1:11.524
HAM locks up and flat-spots his front right tyre
BOT 1:11.514
Red Bull have their pair on hypersofts, whereas Mercedes and Ferrari are all on ultrasofts
VER 1:11.472
5mins left; bottom 5 are MAG, HAR, VAN, ALO, LEC
LEC P13
Chequered flag
VET has to abandon his lap when he catches a few slow-moving backmarkers
RIC 1:11.434
Middle of the grid: MAG, HAR, LEC, ALO, VAN

Qualifying session 3
Top 10 shootout is between RIC, VER, BOT, VET, RAI, HAM, HUL, SAI, OCO & PER
HAM 1:11.227
BOT 1:10.857
RAI P3
HUL P4
VET 1:10.776
SAI P6
RIC P5
VER P4
5mins left; order is VET, BOT, RAI, VER, HAM, RIC, HUL, SAI; no time yet from OCO, PER
RAI runs wide out of Turn 2
OCO P8
PER P10
Chequered flag
HAM P3
VET 1:10.764
RIC P6
VER P3
Front of the grid: VET, BOT, VER, HAM, RAI, RIC, HUL, OCO, SAI, PER

Provisional grid: VET, BOT, VER, HAM, RAI, RIC, HUL, OCO, SAI, PER, MAG, HAR, LEC, ALO, VAN, GAS, STR, SIR, ERI, GRO*
*GRO didn’t set a time so he’ll need to appeal to the stewards to be allowed to race