Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel beat Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes to pole position at the Canadian Grand Prix.
It was only the second time in seven races Mercedes have been beaten to pole – the other by Vettel’s team-mate Charles Leclerc in Bahrain in March.
Vettel was 0.206 seconds quicker than Hamilton, with Leclerc 0.680secs off.
Daniel Ricciardo was a surprise fourth for Renault after Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was caught out by a crash by Kevin Magnussen in the second session.
Hamilton had been quickest on the first runs in the top 10 shoot-out, by nearly 0.2secs from Vettel, but the German four-time champion pulled out a special lap on his final run.
Vettel whooped with delight over the radio as he took his first pole position since last year’s German Grand Prix in July.
Leclerc, who had been swapping fastest times with Vettel for much of the weekend and in the first two parts of qualifying, said he struggled with the car when it mattered and did not have an explanation.
Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas will start sixth after a spin on his first lap and then a scrappy lap on his second attempt.
How are Ferrari suddenly quick again?
Mercedes had said before the weekend that they expected a strong challenge from Ferrari on Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
It was a claim met with scepticism in some quarters but it was founded in an understanding that Ferrari have had a straight-line speed advantage all year – and this track layout rewards that like few others.
Hamilton explained that Ferrari were gaining 0.5secs on the straights on overall lap time; the Mercedes has different characteristics as a car. Their car’s strengths are in cornering speed, while the Ferrari has less drag and downforce in addition to the most powerful engine.
The race, though, might be a different matter. Ferrari’s straight-line speed advantage is not as pronounced in race trim and a close battle is expected.
However, Mercedes go into the race with concerns after one of their new specification engines, which are fitted to the factory team’s cars and those of both customers, failed in Lance Stroll’s Racing Point in final practice.
Media playback is not supported on this device
What a day for Renault
The story of the day was arguably Ricciardo’s brilliant fourth place, and the fact he pipped Red Bull’s Pierre Gasly for the position will be especially sweet, after so many questioned the Australian’s decision to leave Red Bull for Renault this season.
Ricciardo was 0.008secs ahead of Gasly, as Red Bull were left to rue a strategic error in second qualifying.
Attempting to complete that session on the more durable medium tyre so they could start the race on it – as Ferrari and Mercedes did – Verstappen was not quick enough.
At Renault, Nico Hulkenberg also made it into the top 10 in seventh place, 0.253secs slower than Ricciardo.
He headed the McLarens of Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz – another impressive showing by the 19-year-old British rookie – and Magnussen.
Elsewhere, Anglo-Thai novice Alexander Albon was 14th in his Toro Rosso, two places behind team-mate Daniil Kvyat, and British rookie George Russell made it 7-0 in qualifying against his team-mate Robert Kubica in 19th place in the private Williams battle, Russell 0.776secs ahead.
