Formula 1 Mercedes humble after pole position: respect for Verstappen
World champion Max Verstappen (l) congratulates Mercedes driver George Russell on pole position. Photo
© Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press via AP/dpa
Can Mercedes achieve its first win of the season in Canada? The conditions seem good for George Russell. But Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen is lurking.
After the surprising pole position for George Russell, Mercedes is particularly afraid of world champion Max Verstappen in the Red Bull in the Formula 1 race in Canada this evening (8 p.m./Sky).
“We know we’re going in the right direction and we have the speed,” said team boss Toto Wolff in Montreal on Sky: “But Verstappen right next to him is a real statement.” Nevertheless, Sky expert Timo Glock has high hopes for the Silver Arrows: “Mercedes is at a level to win the race.”
Russell and Verstappen drove the exact same lap time in qualifying at 1:12.000 minutes. The first place on the grid only went to Russell because he had driven his best time a little earlier. “At the end of the day, it’s perfect,” said Wolff (52), but was not completely satisfied. “I’m incredibly happy for George. But we didn’t manage it with Lewis – and we don’t know why.”
Record world champion Lewis Hamilton had also been in the lead for a while, but was unable to improve on the last fast lap and only finished seventh. Nevertheless, the result was a step forward after things were almost completely out of sorts for the factory team at the start of the season. “We brought a lot of new parts over the last few races,” said Wolff. The track with new asphalt, which the team has often enjoyed in the past, was also important for the good performance in Canada.
“One swallow does not make a summer, but we are happy for today,” said Wolff, who expects changeable conditions in the Grand Prix. “The weather can still play tricks on us,” said Wolff. There was already a thunderstorm and hail on Friday, and according to weather forecasts, it could rain more heavily during the ninth race of the season.
dpa
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