Vettel takes Canadian GP pole with lap record

“We had what looked like an electrical problem”.

However, when asked a similar question during the official FIA press conference on Thursday morning, he added: “I’m getting really exhausted of all the questions”. “Today was a lot more natural”.

Vettel’s sole Canadian GP victory came when he last qualified on pole in 2013 when he was still driving for Red Bull.

It is the Italian team’s first time on pole in Montreal since seven-time champion Michael Schumacher managed it in 2001.

“A situation like this for Vettel when he is coming up fast – in the end he still got pole, so no harm, no foul, which was good”, he said.

Looming large with the fourth fastest time was Mercedes’ championship leader Lewis Hamilton, the victor of the last three races in Montreal who is chasing a record seventh Canadian Grand Prix pole.

Mercedes’ championship leader Lewis Hamilton, chasing a record equalling seventh Canadian Grand Prix win, was fourth best ahead of his Ferrari championship rival Sebastian Vettel and team mate Valtteri Bottas.

Australian Daniel Ricciardo, victorious in Monaco two weeks ago, was sixth in the second Red Bull as his team-mate Verstappen, who had been fastest throughout practice, continued to deliver a flawless riposte to his critics.

Ferrari is running an engine update in Montreal. Force India would usually point to Mercedes power as giving them an advantage on the long straights in Canada, but with Renault bringing an update and the Mercedes new power unit delayed, the gap is smaller at this race.

“The numbers are just in theory, but there would have been gains”, Bottas said. I don’t think the hypersoft is a good race tire. “He was on a flying lap, so we all tried to get out of his way”.

Ricciardo and Verstappen clearly have a better relationship than most Formula 1 teammates, but it could well turn sour if the latter fails to clean up his act soon. “Either they weren’t told or they weren’t looking”. Obviously, Max showed some pace, so I think there’s a bit for us to learn.

“I felt I got nearly everything out of the vehicle on the first run”. We had some problems.

“We are not there yet and we need a little more time to get it all together, but I expect we will be there tomorrow (Saturday for qualifying). I kept it off the walls, which isn’t easy to do on this track”.

“Today I switched on”.

“When I heard whispers about a potential penalty here, I was like, ‘I’ll take it in Paul Ricard, but not here, ‘” Ricciardo said. He has a 14-point lead over Vettel and a 38-point edge on Ricciardo.