Vettel finishes 0.206s ahead of Hamilton; Leclerc third, Ricciardo a brilliant fourth, Bottas only sixth; Verstappen knocked out in Q2 after Magnussen crash; Watch Canadian GP on Sunday at 7.10pm
Sunday 9 June 2019 10:51, UK
Sebastian Vettel snatched pole position off Lewis Hamilton in a thrilling Canadian GP qualifying, delivering a much-needed result for Ferrari.
Vettel beat Hamilton by two tenths of a second with his final lap to smash his own track record and secure his first pole since last year's German GP.
"Outstanding lap," said Sky F1's Martin Brundle after Vettel delivered Ferrari's second pole of the season. "That's a stunner from Vettel."
Vettel said: "I wish I could do the lap again just for the fun of it. The car was shouting 'keep going, keep going'."
Hamilton was on provisional pole but rued making an error at the hairpin in the final sector.
"This is how racing should be," added the championship leader, embracing a battle with Ferrari and Vettel that Mercedes have often lacked this year.
Charles Leclerc was third but more than half a second off his Ferrari team-mate, while Valtteri Bottas could only manage sixth after making mistakes on both his laps in Q3.
Instead, Daniel Ricciardo grabbed a superb fourth for Renault, ahead of Red Bull's Pierre Gasly.
Max Verstappen, who is fourth in the championship, was the shock absentee from Q3 after failing to post a time on soft tyres in Q2 due to Kevin Magnussen's huge crash.
Verstappen initially went out on the mediums as Red Bull looked to follow Mercedes and Ferrari's race tyre strategy, but after only managing 11th place he had to emerge for another lap. He was on for a quick time and a safe Q3 progression before Magnussen clattered into the famous Wall of Champions at the last chicane, then smashing into the pit wall.
Nico Hulkenberg was seventh for Renault while both McLarens made it into Q3, though Carlos Sainz was dropped out of the top 10 by a three-place grid penalty for impeding Alex Albon.
Magnussen, who qualified 10th, may also drop down the grid due to the damage to his Haas.
Canadian GP qualifying result
1) Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
2) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
3) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
4) Daniel Ricciardo, Renault
5) Pierre Gasly, Red Bull
6) Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
7) Nico Hulkenberg, Renault
8) Lando Norris, McLaren
9) Carlos Sainz, McLaren (three-place grid drop)
10) Kevin Magnussen, Haas
Vettel delivers when Ferrari need him most
A lot of the talk heading into the Canadian GP weekend was about Vettel's form - with the four-time world champion without a pole in 17 grands prix, and a win in 15 - while there were also been rumours about him retiring.
Vettel denied that when he faced the media on Thursday, and then proved he's still got it on the track come Saturday.
"I really enjoyed it," said the German, who was full of adrenaline after his stonking lap.
Though Ferrari were expected to be stronger here thanks to their lightning-fast engine, even they did not expect to beat Mercedes. "I think it has been a surprise to us as well," said team boss Mattia Binotto. "A positive surprise."
Hamilton congratulated his championship rival from the past two seasons, and appears to be relishing a battle on Sunday.
"This is great for racing," he said. "This is what we and the fans want - to see us so close."
Vettel may have produced the lap of the day but Ricciardo certainly was not far off, delivering Renault's best qualifying result of the season and their best in Canada since Fernando Alonso's pole 14 years ago.
The Australian even beat the man who replaced him at Red Bull, with Gasly failing to carry his team into the top four in Verstappen's absence.
The Canadian GP often delivers a cracking race, and all the ingredients are there for Sunday. Watch it live on Sky Sports F1 at 7.10pm, with build-up from 5.30pm.
Sky Sports is the home of live and exclusive F1. Find out more here to watch the 2019 season live
