What the teams said – Qualifying in Canada

Mercedes

Fans of Mercedes were a little concerned with the warmer conditions on Saturday, wondering if the Silver Arrows would fall back as they often do in the heat. But they did not – Russell quick all the way through FP3 and Qualifying, with Antonelli keeping him honest. They opted for mediums for their final laps in Q3, and Russell managed a dream last lap to grab his first pole of the season. He nailed every single corner to beat Verstappen by a tenth and a half on a short track which is a mighty feat. Antonelli on used mediums did very well to bag a place on the second row.

READ MORE: Russell hails Canada pole lap as ‘one of the most exhilarating of my life’ as he looks ahead to fight with Verstappen

George Russell, 1st, 1:10.899

"That is the only time I’ve ever had goosebumps after a qualifying lap! I went around the first corner and was one tenth up and after that, the car just felt like it was on rails. I felt so confident pushing the limits and we ultimately went six tenths quicker than our first lap in Q3. It was pretty special and something that I will remember for a long time. Crossing the line, I felt that surely it was pole position and I’m very happy that it was!

"It's a short run to turn one so hopefully we can put ourselves in a good position and go from there. We will focus on ourselves and hopefully show similar pace as to what we had on the long run in FP2. It is rarely as simple as that though, so we will have to be at our best if we want to fight for victory tomorrow."

Kimi Antonelli, 4th, 1:11.391

"That was a better Qualifying session than recent races and I felt a lot more comfortable on the Soft C6 tyre. It took a little while for me to get into the rhythm and that meant I burnt through both of my new Medium tyres before Q3. Being on the used tyre in that final segment meant I was at a slight disadvantage for my final lap. The grip began to fade away in the final sector and lost quite a bit of time. My lap wasn’t particularly great but, even with that, I ended up P4. That is not a bad starting position and hopefully we can fight at the front.

"The other factor for us to consider is the weather. It has been slightly warmer than on Friday today and yet we still performed well. It may be hotter tomorrow and that will have an impact on how the tyres react. Our long run in FP2 looked competitive though and I felt good in the car. Hopefully we can show similar good pace and focus on the cars ahead."

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

"That was a very good Qualifying session for us as a team. George’s lap was superb; you could see the lap time coming throughout and he did well to put it all together. There were no mistakes and, even though it has been a bit warmer today, we were right there at the end to take pole position. That is a promising sign for us, but we need to make sure we build on that and race well tomorrow.

"For Kimi, he is slightly disappointed with P4 and that is a sign of just how high his standards are and the progress he has already made in his rookie season. Ultimately, he had to use his second new Medium tyre to get through to Q3 and that left him at a disadvantage for his final lap. Nevertheless, he still produced a solid effort and starting P4 tomorrow gives him every chance of fighting for the podium."

Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director

"George put together a great final lap to secure his sixth pole position. It was also a very impressive effort by Kimi to get P4 on the used Medium tyre. We knew it was going to be tight and, at different times during the weekend, Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull have all looked very quick on a single lap. To come away with pole position and the other car on the second row is a pleasing result therefore.

"We had expected the Medium to be the best tyre today; George was quickest on it yesterday in FP2 and it was working equally well today. Unfortunately for Kimi, we'd used both Mediums on the way through to Q3 so he didn't have the benefit of a new set. He was still able to secure a solid grid position for tomorrow thankfully.

"We've got a good opportunity to score big points tomorrow, but we're well aware that this can be an unpredictable race. It is also expected to be the hottest day of the weekend so far so we’re under no illusion that we're in for a tough fight. Our pace on Friday looked respectable though and we'll be doing everything we can to convert the good work from today into a great result tomorrow."

Red Bull

Tsunoda had a difficult day in Montreal, as he lost plenty of running in FP3 with a brake issue. He was also handed a 10-place grid drop for a red flag infringement in that session, which was announced midway through Qualifying. He made Q2 but could go no further and will start from the back of the field tomorrow. As for Verstappen, he was flying yet again despite a recurrence of the heavy steering wheel issue he first experienced in FP1. He was right in the mix for pole in Q3 after opting for the mediums for his last run, and was only denied by a very, very special lap by Russell.

READ MORE: Verstappen 'happy with what we achieved' despite missing out on pole in Canada

Max Verstappen, 2nd, 1:11.059

“Overall this weekend has been quite positive for us. As soon as I jumped in the car in FP1 the balance was there and I was fairly happy with our overall performance. FP2 was slightly trickier but in Qualifying we made the right call with the tyres as we felt better with the mediums. I feel like the balance of the car was there and we maximised our performance. We need to understand more about the degradation of our tyres and what was going on there as we were missing overall grip to fight for Pole. However, I don’t think there was much more we could have really done today and I’m happy with second. Hopefully tomorrow we can have a good start and look after our tyres. Our car can be trickier in the corners but there will be a long race ahead of us and hopefully it will be a strong race for us."

Yuki Tsunoda, 11th, 1:12.102

“Tough day overall for us. We had an issue during FP3 so unfortunately we missed a lot of valuable running time during the final practice session. We brought some upgrades from yesterday and it was definitely a positive switch, I could feel more speed in the car and I have identified where I can improve on certain corners. I still feel like I haven’t had the time to build full confidence in the car, especially as the car behaviour was different than in FP2. I only had a few push laps with the changes before we had Qualifying, but The Team did a good job with the balance of the car. Considering the changes, P11 was a decent result and we only narrowly missed out on Q3. Unfortunately, the penalty from FP3 dropped us to P20. It was an unfortunate circumstance but it is what it is. I will do what I can tomorrow to make up positions during the race, but we were hoping to be in a better starting position than we are."

Christian Horner, Team Principal

"It nearly came off for us today, well done to George and Mercedes on the pole and it should be a good race tomorrow. We had a good Friday morning and then tried a few things Friday afternoon with Max that he didn’t quite like as much, but it was all good learning. Now he has had a good solid qualifying and we are on the front row, the same front row as last year, but in warmer temperatures. That will be our 200th front row start and it was important to us to be starting on the front row. The tyre deg is going to be crucial here, in terms of graining and its warm here and getting warmer tomorrow, so strategy is going to be important and that could make it a really exciting race. I am sure the McLarens will be strong in the Grand Prix but we just have to focus on ourselves and our race and see what we can do tomorrow. Yuki has been unlucky today, the penalty is very harsh and 10 places for tomorrow is a huge shame for him, especially as he had a pretty solid qualifying and just missed out on Q3. But it is what it is, and he now has to fight back from there on race day."

McLaren

After a tough Friday, McLaren looked to have made some progress in final practice. But Piastri was still struggling, as he clipped the Wall of Champions and punctured his rear wheel. That left Norris as the lead McLaren in Qualifying, and he looked quick in the early stages. But roll on Q3, and it was Piastri who nailed his laps. Norris got out of shape in the final corner on his first run and then clipped the wall on his second which left him a disappointing P7. As for Piastri, he was pleased with third considering his car is not quite the class of the field here.

Oscar Piastri, 3rd, 1:11.120

"I’m pleased with third today, that’s not often been the case this year, but I'll definitely take it this weekend, especially after some challenging moments in practice. It's good to see the turnaround we’ve made this afternoon and now we'll work hard overnight to carry that momentum into tomorrow’s race with the aim of keeping things consistent as we challenge to gain positions at the front."

Lando Norris, 7th, 1:11.625

"A tough Qualifying and not the result I was after. We were lacking a little bit of pace to the quickest cars, and I've pushed a bit too much to try and find that. The attention is now on tomorrow and working hard with the team to recover positions and move forward to secure strong Championship points in the race."

Andrea Stella, Team Principal

"Not the Qualifying result we were hoping for today, but a reflection of the fact that this track has been difficult for the performance of the MCL39, which we have seen since FP1.

"The team did a good job to make several adaptations from a car setup point of view and the drivers from a driving point of view, which worked well, allowing us to be relatively competitive in Qualifying until the final session.

"Oscar was able to make some good progress but the potential in the car wasn't enough to beat George Russell and Max Verstappen today, who both used the Medium tyre in their final run. On Lando's side, Q1 and Q2 were competitive but in Q3 he wasn't able to improve performance and will start the race P7, which is not a reflection of his or the car's potential.

"It will be an interesting race with regards to tyres and strategy alongside the potential for Safety Cars. Therefore, we remain positive for the race, and we will now focus on maximising preparations for tomorrow as a team."

Ferrari

Leclerc bounced back from his tricky Friday in style, looking very quick in FP3 and right in the mix. Hamilton was not too far behind either, which left both Ferraris in the mix come Qualifying. But they started to fade slightly in Q3, seemingly a little unsure whether to run the softs or the mediums. They opted for the former, and while Hamilton grabbed P5, Leclerc made a mistake on his final flying run and aborted, having to settle with a disappointing P8.

Charles Leclerc, 8th, 1:11.682

"I felt at ease in the car in FP3 and in qualifying, and I believe the car was good enough for pole today. So naturally, I am disappointed with a P8.

"I was ready to put it all together on my last lap in Q3, but unfortunately I found Isack (Hadjar) ahead of me in Turn 6 and with the dirty air, you lose quite a lot of downforce on a track like this. I lost the rear and had to abort my lap.

"We need a good start tomorrow and will fight to work our way to the front, hoping to finish on the podium."

Lewis Hamilton, 5th, 1:11.526

"P5 is a solid result after some interesting practice and qualifying sessions. We’re up against cars that have brought upgrades, so the challenge is on, but I’ll be giving it everything to fight for a podium. With the right strategy and strong race pace, I think it’s possible. We’re staying hopeful for tomorrow, but we know it’s not going to be easy."

Fred Vasseur, Team Principal

"A frustrating qualifying session for the team as I believe the pace was there and we had the potential to do much better, but in the end we couldn’t capitalise on it.

"On his last attempt, Charles was on a very good lap, he was quicker than Russell by around a tenth up to turn 6, when he found a car in front of him and we aborted the lap. I’m not saying he would have taken pole, as there was still two thirds of the lap to go but it’s a shame as he recovered well after a very tough Friday.

"For Lewis, his pace was very consistent yesterday and I’m sure he can have a strong race from P5 on the grid.

"Here in Montreal, overtaking is possible and so far this weekend our long run pace has been encouraging and usually we go better in the race than in qualifying. It is what it is and so we will just have to grit our teeth and see what we can do in the race."

Aston Martin

Stroll was playing catch up on home soil following his FP2 crash, but he managed a good haul of laps in final practice. That was not enough to see him progress in Qualifying though, despite the Canadian using both tyre compounds. Alonso did well to make the top 10, and once there grabbed a very impressive P6 on the grid. He has been on top form since those upgrades went on the car in Imola, this his fourth straight Q3 showing.

Fernando Alonso, 6th, 1:11.586

"The job today has been done and I'm pleased with P6. I really enjoying driving around this circuit and it's always a fun challenge. The car felt good in Qualifying and I was able to push the car to the limit. Since Imola I have felt a bit more comfortable with understanding the car and I am happy for that. We have to be realistic that it will be tricky tomorrow with a lot of fast cars around us, but we will try to be in the top ten and score some more points."

Lance Stroll, 18th, 1:12.517

"It was a disappointing day for me. We looked strong on the Softs in the beginning of the session and then got unlucky with the red flag, there wasn't enough time to warm up the Medium tyre and get it in the right window. We lost a lot of time there so starting from P18 tomorrow. The car felt okay, we'll see what we can do in the race - making up positions and getting closer to the points isn't going to be easy but overtaking at this track is possible."

Andy Cowell, Team Principal

"Heading into Qualifying, we knew tyre strategy would be crucial to unlocking performance. With a well-executed plan and strong communication across the team, Fernando delivered a series of impressive laps to reach Q3 and secure a well-deserved P6 on the grid for tomorrow's race.

"Unfortunately for Lance, luck wasn't on his side today. He was showing good pace but only managed one push lap on the Medium tyre before the red flag disrupted the session. Ideally, we needed two laps to bring the tyres into the optimal window. Given the high chance of a Safety Car in tomorrow's race, we will aim to seize any opportunities that come our way."

Racing Bulls

It was a mixed bag for the Racing Bulls in Canada. Traffic was tricky to manage in Q1, with Lawson unable to get a fully clean lap in and dropping out at the first time of asking. Hadjar made it all the way to Q3 for the fourth race weekend in a row, but his joy was tempered by news that he was being investigated for impeding Sainz in Q1 when he thought the Spaniard was on a slow lap. The stewards subsequently handed him a three-place grip drop as a result of that moment.

Isack Hadjar, 9th, 1:11.867

"I didn’t feel happy with the car today, as the balance wasn’t really together, but despite this, I think we did a solid job to bring the car to Q3. I feel like the pure pace is still good, but overall, during this weekend, it has been much harder to put a lap together compared to previous tracks. In Q1, I was told Carlos had aborted his lap, whilst instead, he was still in a push lap. That was unfortunate and I’m really sorry for him. We’re going to be aggressive like always in the race tomorrow, but it will be important to keep an eye on the tyres situation as the graining is heavy here, even if the track is getting better day after day. I can expect overtaking to be difficult in the race, but I think it’s going to be an interesting race and hopefully, we’ll still be able to fight for points.”

Liam Lawson, 19th, 1:12.525

"We've been struggling to make the tyres work on the first lap all weekend. We committed to doing a build lap at the start of Q1 to keep them in the right window, however we didn't do a build lap for the last run. This meant we didn't have much grip through the lap, which is a shame as the car has been fast all weekend. I really enjoy the track and, as always, will be giving it my all tomorrow. We keep pushing.”

Guillaume Cattelani, Deputy Technical Director - Performance

“FP3 conditions were quite different from FP2, with hotter track temperature and more wind. However, after this morning’s session, Liam was quite confident with his car balance. On the other side of the garage, Isack was happy with the balance in FP3, with some understeer to dial out for Quali. Q1 is difficult to manage with traffic and the various tyre strategies, so finding a good slot is tricky, as well as managing around the cars on fast laps. Unfortunately for Liam, on his second run after the red flag he struggled with grip and did not improve his lap time enough to make it to Q2. As for Isack, he was able to put together a solid lap to secure a place in Q3. He finished the session in a very competitive P9. Unfortunately, we made a mistake in our team communication not informing him that Carlos was coming on a fast lap and he got impeded as a result. We received a three-place grid penalty and we apologise for what happened to both Isack and Carlos. The race is tomorrow, so let’s stay positive and ready to take any good opportunity to move up the grid.”

Williams

Williams had looked to have top 10 potential all weekend, but they endured a messy Qualifying session. First Albon’s engine cover flew off in Q1, leading to a red flag stoppage. While Albon made it back out for one last lap and did enough to make Q2, Sainz was impeded by Hadjar on his last flying run and dropped out. Albon made it all the way to Q3 on a combination of soft and medium tyres, but did not have the pace to fight with the others in the top 10 shootout.

Alex Albon, 10th, 1:11.907

"A frustrating Qualifying session. We should be top six or seven - that’s the pace we’ve been showing all weekend - so today has been a bit of a bogey session at the wrong time, unfortunately. The wind has changed 180 degrees from yesterday to today and that changes the balance of the car. We struggled as well with the tyres and the result was us falling back a lot from yesterday. With the bodywork issue we had in Q1, the team did a fantastic job to get the car ready and did a lot of work in a short amount of time. We’ve got some work to do tonight and ongoing work to understand the C6 tyre, as we need to get on top of that."

Carlos Sainz, 17th, 1:12.398

"There isn't much to say. I spent pretty much all of Sector 1 behind the VCARB, to the point we nearly collided. I was 20 milliseconds away from Q2, so that pretty much ruins the weekend. It’s incredibly disappointing."

James Vowles, Team Principal

"Really impressive effort from the team getting Alex's car repaired and turned round, allowing Alex to put in a fantastic lap, keeping our chances of Q3 alive. It was a tough day for Carlos. He had the pace today but was significantly blocked by Hadjar, which ultimately put an end to our Qualifying.

"I think the biggest reflection we have is we were very quick yesterday and we seem to have slowed down a little bit today relative to the field. There are a couple of changes that happened around us; it's definitely warmer and the wind has changed, so we need to understand for the long term how to get the most out of the car irrespective of the conditions around us. For now, we’re looking forward to the race tomorrow. I think there’s still very much an opportunity to get Carlos fighting back up into points, and for Alex to move forwards."

Alpine

Gasly said this track might not suit there car, but after some solid results in practice, even he would not have expected to drop out in P20 in Qualifying. The Frenchman could not a get a clean lap in when the track was at its busiest, and was left disappointed. He will at least move one place forward when Tsunoda’s penalty is applied. But that meant Colapinto managed to out-qualify Gasly for the first time, and not just that but grab a very decent P12. That should ease some of the pressure that had been growing after a few difficult races.

Pierre Gasly, 20th, 1:12.667

“It’s a painful one to take to be out in Q1, especially as the car had pace and potential for more today. We were on course for the top ten in Q1 before the red flag came out, so we had to abort our lap, which was looking quite strong and safely through. On the final set of Softs, we were just not in the right tyre temperature window and we struggled for grip and it was a messy lap with so much sliding. We need to review what happened as the jump between the tyre sets was frustrating and, clearly, we had much more lap time than we were able to show. The car was good and we should definitely have both cars further up the grid. We will see what we can do better and also look into our options on strategy tomorrow as it could be a long race with opportunities to take.”

Franco Colapinto, 12th, 1:12.142

“Looking at where we were with the car yesterday, and at previous races, you can say it has been a good result and a better day on my side of the garage. I was pushing hard and felt more comfortable and at ease with the car. Looking at how close it was, we had potential to make it into Q3. The tyre choices up and down the grid were mixed and for me with the Medium tyre we struggled in the first few corners but recovered time later in the lap. I touched the wall on my final run, losing a little bit of time, which was why I apologised to the team over the radio. Overall, I’m happy with the progression since yesterday. I’m still finding my feet in the team and understanding where I need to go with the set-up. We made some positive changes overnight and a good job with the engineers who have been supporting me a lot. Hopefully we can carry some momentum into tomorrow, especially given how the car felt on the long runs on Friday.”

Flavio Briatore, Executive Advisor

“The car had potential for a much stronger result today. Franco did a good job to execute the session in a good manner, getting up to speed quickly so maybe a better result was possible even if now it is tenth place on the grid for tomorrow with penalties for other cars. Pierre had potential for a good lap time in Q1 before the red flag, which would have put him comfortably into Q2. It gives us things to review as we must always target perfection across the board and today is a day where we have not done that. Tomorrow we must execute everything better and see if we can maximise the pace of the car to get ourselves into the points.”

Kick Sauber

Hulkenberg gave his team a scare when he spun in final practice, clipping the walls with both his front and rear wing. Fortunately, the damage was minimal, and he atoned by making Q2 in Qualifying. Bortoleto was left frustrated by traffic in Q1, and he found himself 0.007s short of making Q2 with his team mate. But both drivers will inherit a position when Tsunoda’s penalty is applied.

Nico Hulkenberg, 13th, 1:12.183

“It was a really tight field out there today in qualifying—just incredibly small margins separating the cars. We made it into Q2 and finished P13, which I’m happy with given how close everything was. With penalties ahead, I’ll be starting from P11 tomorrow, so that puts us in a decent position.

“Looking ahead to tomorrow's race, we’ve got a solid foundation to build on. The long-run pace in practice looked decent, and with a slight rise in temperatures expected, things could get a bit more interesting. It’s going to be a competitive race, no doubt, but from where we’re starting, we should be in the mix to fight for points.”

Gabriel Bortoleto, 16th, 1:12.385

"I’m obviously quite disappointed not to make it into Q2 today, especially by such an incredibly small margin. It was very tight out there — we missed it by just seven milliseconds, and on a track like this, that’s nothing. It’s a very short lap, so the gaps end up super close. I think the lap I did was okay, but not perfect: you can find this margin in any corner. In a field this tight, that perfect corner or that little detail can make all the difference.

“We knew coming into the weekend that this track probably wasn’t going to be as strong for us as Barcelona, just because of its characteristics. I did the best I could, and the pace felt like it was there, but in the end it just wasn’t enough. P16 is never where you want to be, but it is what it is — that’s what we could do today. I’m not going to sit here hitting myself over not making Q2. We don’t yet have the car to be comfortably in there every time, but we’re building on that, getting closer every weekend. Sometimes you get the lap right, sometimes you don’t, and today was one of those days where it just didn’t come together enough.

“Still, I think we’ve done a pretty decent job this weekend so far, and now we focus on tomorrow. I think the race pace should be okay. It’s hard to say, but anything can happen in Formula One. I’m happy that Nico made it into Q2 — now we’ll see what we can do from here and keep pushing."

Jonathan Wheatley, Team Principal

"We went into today’s qualifying with a build-push strategy across all runs, and while the red flag for Albon’s debris caused a brief disruption, the field was incredibly tight. At the end of Q1, Gabriel missed out on Q2 by just seven thousandths of a second — a tough result for him and one we all feel. The margins this year are simply extraordinary.

“Nico delivered a strong lap to make it through and ultimately qualified P13 with a 1:12.183. He was just 0.18s off Q3, which really highlights how compact the midfield is. With penalties for Tsunoda and Hadjar, Nico will start the race from P11 — putting us in a solid position for tomorrow.

“On behalf of the entire team, I’d also like to extend our congratulations to Emma for her F1 Academy race win. To bounce back from the disappointment of a disqualification in the previous race and return to the top of the podium is a testament to her resilience, focus, and determination. It was an outstanding performance, and one that truly reflects the spirit we aim to uphold throughout the team.”

Haas

Bearman was another to clip the Wall of Champions in FP3, luckily escaping with no damage. Haas never quite looked to have top 10 pace this weekend, but they did get both cars out of Q1 which was a solid result. Bearman wound up out-qualifying Ocon for the second race in a row, but the team will have their work cut out to try and score points at what will be their 200th Grand Prix on Sunday.

HIGHLIGHTS: Russell snatches Canada pole ahead of Verstappen and Piastri

Esteban Ocon, 15th, 1:12.634

“It was a bit of a tricky qualifying, for sure, especially on the used tyres at the end. I think it’s still all to play for. It’s a difficult one to get right because of the degradation of the tyres, it doesn’t warn you when it comes, so I hope we can get some opportunities through it all. We’ve done a good job this weekend with what we’ve got, but there’s still margin for us to do better.”

Oliver Bearman, 14th, 1:12.340

“It was a tough session, and I made my life a bit difficult in Q1 by missing the first lap, so I was a little bit on the backfoot but luckily managed to squeeze through on a good lap. In Q2, we only had used tyres so that made life harder, and the car was more edge on the used set. On the second lap, I tried to get a bit more out of it, but the tyres weren’t really there so we didn’t get to go through. I’m a bit disappointed with qualifying – the car really had a bit better performance than what showed on the timesheets – but I am still looking forward to the race tomorrow.”

Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal

“Overnight we made improvements with the car, so FP3 was better and our drivers were happier with the car. Then, going into quali we knew it was going to be tight, so our first focus was getting out of Q1, and we maximised our running time but due to the red flag, it meant we had to put on our third set of soft tyres to get out of Q1 – which we did with both cars. Previous data showed that the used soft tyre wasn’t too bad compared to new mediums, so we went for used softs in Q2 but after our first run, we should’ve changed. However, we didn’t want to do that because we needed them for the race but the difference between the two compounds was bigger than anticipated. Looking ahead to tomorrow though, we have one new set of medium and two new sets of hard tyres, so we have to take advantage of that. We’ll do everything possible to get both cars into points from where we are.”

Pirelli

Mario Isola, Motorsport Director

“An extremely exciting qualifying session, which is very much the norm at the moment in Formula 1: with 27 seconds remaining in Q3, there were four changes of pole-sitter! It is very rare to see a driver set the pole time on the Medium in a dry session – the last time dates back to the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix courtesy of Lewis Hamilton - but today we had four drivers set their best times in Q3 on the C5, and indeed, this scenario became every more likely as the weekend progressed. It explains why, this morning, many drivers worked exclusively with the Soft, either to understand how to extract the most from it or indeed to save new Mediums for the grid deciding session.

"Since it first appeared in Imola, we have seen that the difference in performance between the C6 and the C5 is quite small, let’s say of the order of a tenth to a tenth and a half, and that the C6 delivers peak performance in a narrower operating window. Here in Montreal, several drivers preferred to rely on the C5 that they know well, rather than venture into chasing that extra bit of performance the C6 might offer, feeling more comfortable with a compound that gave them more confidence when it comes to tackling a tricky track like this one with its kerbs and walls. The result was a Q3 order with four yellow circles in the tyre column alongside each driver’s best lap.

"The expansion of the 2025 compound range is also having the indirect effect of delivering a greater variety of approaches from the teams and drivers in terms of tyre usage over the weekend and that will be reflected in tomorrow’s race. As for strategy, we think a two-stop is still the most plausible option, favouring the use of the Medium and Hard. The one-stop is theoretically possible, but unlikely to pay off, especially as overtaking is possible here. The C6 could be a useful choice for the start, for example for those with two new sets of Hards available, who are planning a relatively short first stint or for anyone banking on an early appearance from the Safety Car.”