Max Verstappen delivered a scathing rebuke of his critics after being beaten to pole position by Mercedes driver George Russell for the Canadian Grand Prix. The Red Bull star, who qualified second behind Russell by just 0.160 seconds, expressed deep frustration over the ongoing scrutiny surrounding his recent on-track conduct, calling it “childish, annoying and really pissing me off.”
The rivalry between Russell and Verstappen has intensified following their clash at the Spanish Grand Prix two weeks earlier. Verstappen received a 10-second penalty and was docked three points on his Super Licence for his role in that incident, putting him just one point away from a potential race ban.
After clinching pole in Montreal for the second straight year, Russell playfully addressed the tension, saying, “We are mates so we are all good. I’ve got a few more points on my licence to play with, so let’s see.” However, Verstappen was clearly not amused by the jokes or the media attention. In the post-qualifying press conference, he dismissed the continued focus on the Barcelona incident as a waste of time and accused the media of perpetuating a toxic atmosphere.
Russell, speaking earlier in the week, had maintained that Verstappen’s aggressive driving tactics in Spain had not intimidated him and suggested that a race ban, should Verstappen accrue more points, would be fair. On Saturday, he reiterated that he expects Verstappen to continue racing hard and stated that he would remain cautious to avoid any repeat incidents. “I’m not sitting here thinking he’ll give me more room,” Russell said. “Probably the opposite, to prove a point.”
Elsewhere in qualifying, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri secured third, while teammate Lando Norris had a frustrating session, managing only seventh. Norris made two crucial mistakes aborting his first Q3 lap at the chicane and then grazing the wall on his second attempt leaving him significantly behind Piastri. Reflecting on the errors, Norris admitted to overdriving. “It’s an easy track to push a bit too much, and I paid the price,” he said. “We don’t have the pace of recent races, so a podium will be difficult.”
Mercedes’s teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli continued to impress by qualifying fourth, just ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. Charles Leclerc, also in a Ferrari, had a costly mistake on his final flying lap and will start eighth.
In a separate development, Derek Warwick was suspended from his role as driver steward in Montreal due to unauthorized public comments, including those regarding Verstappen’s penalty in Spain. Enrique Bernoldi stepped in as his replacement. The FIA confirmed Warwick had apologized and would return to stewarding duties at the next race in Austria.
