MONTREAL: George Russell edged Formula 1 points leader Max Verstappen on a tiebreaker for the pole position Saturday in the Canadian Grand Prix.
Russell and Verstappen had identical laps of 1 minute 12.000 seconds at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, with the Mercedes driver getting the top spot Sunday by setting the time first. It’s the second time F1 qualifying has ended in a tie since the start of three-decimal timing.
Now Russell faces the challenge of keeping Red Bull star Verstappen behind him in the race.
“Why not? Of course. Let’s go for it,” Russell said. “The car has been feeling amazing. Since we brought some upgrades to Monaco, we’ve sort of really been in that fight now. We’re going for it tomorrow.”
The 26-year-old Russell claimed his second career pole.
“Such a buzz. It’s been a while since we’ve experienced this feeling,” Russell said. “So much hard work going on behind the scenes … we’ve almost felt like all of that hard work hasn’t been paying off. But I think these last two race weekends has really shown that.”
Verstappen won the pole last year and led every lap of the race amid a historically dominant season. This year, he’s facing more challengers.
“When you look at the whole grid, there are quite a few surprises,” Verstappen said. “Just shows that everyone is closing up, and it’s really details that make the difference. It’s good for Formula 1.”
McLaren’s Lando Norris was third at 1:12.02.
Both Ferraris failed to reach the third qualifying session for the first time since 2021.
Charles Leclerc, the Monaco winner two weeks ago, will start 11th, with teammate Carlos Sainz 12th.
“We are just not fast enough,” Leclerc said. “I don’t have any explanations for now. “Very surprising, I did not expect that,“
Seven-time Canadian GP winner Lewis Hamilton qualified seventh for Mercedes. Montreal driver Lance Stroll was ninth for Aston Martin.
“The Q3 was very difficult, I didn’t feel good in the car,” Stroll said. “In the end we couldn’t improve enough.”
After a wild, stormy Friday in Montreal, a mix of sun and clouds made for more favorable conditions Saturday. The rain rolled in briefly before qualifying but subsided.
“It was really challenging, to be honest,” Russell said. “All weekend, every single session and every lap has been changing, the sun comes out, the track temperature warms up, then the clouds come in, it’s spitting, and it’s just really, really difficult to find that sweet spot.”
Russell takes Canadian Grand Prix pole, edging F1 points leader Verstappen on tiebreaker
https://arab.news/47emc
Russell takes Canadian Grand Prix pole, edging F1 points leader Verstappen on tiebreaker
- Russell and Verstappen had identical laps of 1 minute 12.000 seconds, with the Mercedes driver getting the top spot Sunday by setting the time first
- After a wild, stormy Friday in Montreal, a mix of sun and clouds made for more favorable conditions Saturday
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem nominates Malcolm Wilson for deputy role
- Federation members will vote in June on whether to endorse the former British Rally champion and founder of M-Sport
- Malcolm Wilson: There has never been a more exciting time to be in motor sport, and I know first-hand the benefits the sport brings to families and communities across the world
DUBAI: Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, has nominated Malcolm Wilson, a leading figure in British motor sport, for the position of deputy president for sport.
The FIA, the global governing body for motor sport and advocacy group for motoring organizations, said on Wednesday that members will vote on the nomination during the federation’s Extraordinary General Assemblies and Conference in Macau in June.
Wilson is the managing director of M-Sport, which has operated Ford’s World Rally program since 1997. Previously he was a highly successful rally driver, who won the British Rally in 1994. He is an honorary member of the British Racing Drivers Club, and in 2009 he was awarded an OBE for services to motor sport in the Queen’s Birthday Honors list.
Under his leadership, M-Sport won the FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers in 2006 and 2007 and 2017, and back-to-back driver and co-driver championships in 2017 and 2018. It also served as a technical partner with Bentley Motors, leading the design and development of the Continental GT3 race car, and in electric motor sport with Jaguar in the Ipace eTrophy event.
The deputy president for sport, one of the most senior elected roles within the FIA, serves on the World Motor Sport Council and has a wide range of responsibilities, including development of global motor sport policies in collaboration with FIA commissions and national sporting authorities, and the promotion of safety, sustainability and innovation in the sport.
Ben Sulayem said: “I am delighted to nominate Malcolm Wilson OBE for the role of FIA deputy president for sport. Malcolm has had a distinguished career in global motor sport.
“For over 40 years he has competed at the highest level, both as a driver and technical partner to teams. This experience will be invaluable to the FIA and our member clubs as we continue to grow grassroots and professional motor sport, driving innovation in the sport to benefit fans, drivers and teams.”
Wilson said: “Having started my career in motor sport in the 1970s as a driver and then technical partner to teams, it is a great honor to be nominated for the role of FIA deputy president for sport.
“The FIA has played a central role in my career and I very much look forward to supporting the president and all the FIA family in its important mission. There has never been a more exciting time to be in motor sport, and I know first-hand the benefits the sport brings to families and communities across the world.
“I look forward to working with the president for the duration of his current term of office, bringing our sport to new audiences and ensuring we deliver the very best championships for all our competitors.”
Rally Jameel gets underway, route expands beyond Saudi Arabia’s historic sites
- Event reveals region’s evolving landscape of opportunity for women
- Five-day rally takes a 1,600km route through two countries
PETRA: Starting in the ancient city of Petra, Rally Jameel, the first women-only navigational rally in the Middle East, got underway on Tuesday with the participation of 41 teams from 37 countries.
The official ceremony for the 4th edition of Rally Jameel was attended by prominent Jordanian figures, including Dr. Fares Braizat, chief commissioner of Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority.
Spanning five days and covering a 1,600-kilometer route through two countries, this year’s rally is a historic expansion beyond Saudi Arabia.
The route begins in Petra, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and winds through Tabuk, a city framed by striking mountain ranges and ancient trade routes; AlUla, renowned for its dramatic rock formations; Hail, long considered the heart of the Arabian Peninsula’s caravan trade; and concludes in Qassim, a region celebrated for its rich agricultural traditions — offering participants a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
Munir Khoja, managing director at Abdul Latif Jameel Motors, said: “The launch of Rally Jameel 2025 in Petra marks a pivotal step in our ambition to elevate women’s motorsport and expand Saudi Arabia’s presence on the global sporting stage.
“As we expand beyond borders, we remain committed to empowering women through world-class sporting opportunities that challenge and inspire, in line with Vision 2030. This year’s edition reflects the spirit of exploration, resilience, and cross-cultural connection that has always defined Rally Jameel, and we are extremely proud to support this journey and the incredible women driving it forward.”
Zaid Balqez, CEO of Jordan Motorsport said: “Hosting the launch of Rally Jameel here in Petra is a proud milestone for us, one that underscores the strength and potential of regional partnerships. Our collaboration with Jameel Motorsport reflects a shared vision to elevate the profile of motorsport across the region, not only as a competitive discipline, but as a platform for empowerment, cultural exchange, and adventure tourism. Together, we aim to create a more inclusive and globally connected motorsport ecosystem that positions the Middle East as a leading destination for world-class sporting experiences.”
The five-day event continues to set new benchmarks in global motorsport. With growing international participation and expanded geographic reach, the rally is carving out a lasting legacy. It reveals not only elite navigational talent, but also the region’s evolving landscape of opportunity, ambition and leadership for women.
Pact with Mercedes-AMG will make Qiddiya a top world racing destination
- Abdulaziz Alaqel, senior executive director of development at Qiddiya, spoke to Arab News about delivering the globe’s most dynamic and immersive motorsports entertainment location
RIYADH: With its fifth edition in 2025, the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is no longer the new kid on the block.
While the Jeddah Corniche Circuit has established the Saudi event on the racing calendar over the last five years, the future of motorsports is in Riyadh’s new city of Qiddiya.
Abdulaziz Alaqel, senior executive director of development at Qiddiya, says the vision for motorsports at the entertainment and tourism megaproject is based on three key pillars.
Firstly, to become the new home of global motorsports, setting the highest standards across the board including the track, facilities and fan experience.
Secondly, delivering offerings which will create the most dynamic and immersive motorsports entertainment destination in the world.
And finally to host national, regional and international events and championships, providing a sustainable platform for the future of Saudi motorsport.
“These three elements create a combined vision which is achieved across the large range of entertainment, sports, cultural and hospitality assets within the motorsport development at Qiddiya,” Alaqel said.
“It is also critical that the development allows for a multimodal motorsport offering, which supports the vast range of races which are to be hosted at Qiddiya.”
Several components will feature within the project, including the Qiddiya City Speed Park Track and the Mercedes-AMG World of Performance.
“Qiddiya City’s Speed Park Track is designed to take race day to the next level, delivering a high-octane, supercharged experience to those who love the sport and identify with the thrill of power and speed,” said Alaqel.
“The Speed Park Track redefines and elevates the motorsports experience, ensuring that it’s extraordinary and accessible to not only professionals and their fans but also to enthusiasts of all kinds.”
Some of the most unique features of the Speed Park Track is the combination of a permanent open section and street configuration, with 21 corners constituting a lap.
The 80 garages will have the capacity to host multiples racing series and championships, Alaqel said.
“On top of hosting high-visibility racing events, the Speed Park Track will also regularly host open track days for enthusiasts during the quieter off-season,” he added.
“Speed Park Track is capable to host the world’s largest and biggest motorsport events, including Formula 1, MotoGP, Formula E, and many more.
“The Speed Park Track will also serve as a home base for many of the country’s various motorsport clubs, where enthusiasts get to showcase their machines, network with people of similar interests, attend trade shows, and compete in tournaments.”
Meanwhile, the Mercedes-AMG World of Performance will be a combination of immersive rides, interactive experiences and exhibits. It will bring the world of Mercedes-AMG and its famed Petronas F1 team closer to its international army of fans.
Consisting of nine floors of Mercedes-AMG branded space, spanning 45,000 sq. meters, the center will be positioned adjacent to the Qiddiya City Speed Park Track.
“The Mercedes-AMG Driving experience will utilize this direct track access, placing guests behind the wheel of AMG’s latest models and alongside dedicated professional drivers, there to coach motorsport fans on how to achieve fast lap times and advanced driving techniques,” said Alaqel.
For fans of the modern history of the sport, the Mercedes-AMG World of Performance will showcase a collection of Mercedes-AMG’s finest, rarest, and boldest designs, from classic road cars to performance cars.
During a Mercedes-AMG World of Performance Play Panel ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Abdullah Aldawood, MD of Qiddiya Investment Co., spoke about the pact.
“I think the spirit of the partnership between Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes F1 and Qiddiya City is to take it beyond just a one-weekend Grand Prix through the Mercedes World of Performance, to take the next leap.”
Reema Juffali, the Saudi Arabia founder and racing driver of Theeba Motorsport, speaking on the same panel, said she was excited about the partnership.
“For me, hearing something like Qiddiya and Mercedes in Saudi investing in our people, investing in the future of sport, of motorsport in Saudi is extremely exciting.
“It’s something that I want to be part of, helping the next generation of Saudis, and I can’t wait to see it and be a part of it.”
Meanwhile Toto Wolf, team principal and CEO of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team, called the development “the most spectacular Mercedes AMG presence in the world.”
“You haven’t seen anything like this on the racetracks that exist,” added the man who has led his team to eight consecutive Formula One Constructors’ Championships (2014-2021) and seven consecutive Drivers’ Championships (2014-2020).
“We are talking about this vision, but what this track is going to look like, the layout of the corners, up in the air, I mean it’s going to be truly fascinating.”
Alaqel added: “The spectator facilities being developed are not typical to a racing circuit … whereby there are no permanent grandstands, and guests can move between a relaxed style of landscape terracing.
“The motorsport development is fully integrated with the adjacent entertainment, cultural and hospitality assets, whether this is through the Speed Park Track which cuts through the adjacent locations or the entertainment assets which border the Aquarabia park and East Village.”
Alaqel said Qiddiya would be “the world’s first city built for play, where thrilling entertainment and sports meet culture experiences,” enhanced by other developments.
Motorsport would add to the “world class sporting venues and events, immersive and authentic entertainment offerings as well as cultural assets, combining in a succinct development putting play and the customer first.
“The motorsport development within Qiddiya will help put Saudi Arabia motorsport on the map, bringing guests in from all around the world to experience and enjoy all that is on offer.”
He said the construction of the shell and core for the Mercedes-AMG World of Performance began last year. It was “progressing very well” with the completion of the soil investigation and substructure, and work was starting on the superstructure and facade.
Alaqel believes the partnership between Qiddiya and Mercedes-AMG will cement the city’s status as one of the world’s leading motorsport destinations, contributing to Saudi Vision 2030.
“The Mercedes-AMG World of Performance will contribute to the ambitions of Qiddiya city to become the capital of entertainment, sports, and culture, enhancing Saudi Arabia’s global position in sports, culture and entrainment,” he said.
It would further “positively contribute to the quality of life for Qiddiya City visitors and residents.”
Piastri wins Saudi Arabian Grand Prix from Verstappen to take F1 lead
JEDDAH: Oscar Piastri won the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Sunday to seize the lead in the Formula One world championship from McLaren teammate Lando Norris with his third win in five races.
Red Bull’s four-times champion Max Verstappen was runner-up, 2.843 seconds behind the Australian, after starting from pole at Jeddah’s Corniche circuit but collecting a five-second penalty for a first corner clash with Piastri.
Charles Leclerc was third for Ferrari’s first podium of the campaign and Norris clawed his way from 10th on the grid to fourth.
Victory made Piastri, triumphant in Bahrain last weekend and China last month, the first Australian to lead the championship since his manager Mark Webber in 2010 and also the first back-to-back winner this season.
He now leads Norris, whose race was heavily compromised by a crash in qualifying, by 10 points after starting the night three behind.
Piastri has 99 points to Norris’s 89 and Verstappen’s 87. Champions McLaren stretched their lead over Mercedes in the constructors’ standings to 77 points.
“It was a pretty tough race. I’m very, very happy to have won. Made the difference at the start. Made my case into Turn One, and that was enough,” said the happy winner.
“Definitely one of the toughest races I’ve had in my career,” he added after 50 laps in 30 degree temperatures around a super-fast track.
George Russell was fifth for Mercedes with Italian teammate Kimi Antonelli sixth and seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton seventh for Ferrari.
Williams had Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon eighth and ninth with Racing Bulls’ French rookie Isack Hadjar the final points scorer in 10th.
FIRST CORNER
There was immediate controversy at the start as Verstappen and Piastri went side-by-side into the first corner, with the Red Bull emerging ahead after cutting across the runoff.
“He needs to give that back, I was ahead,” Piastri told McLaren over the team radio. “He was never going to make that corner regardless of whether he was there or not.”
Verstappen gave his version in similar fashion to Red Bull: “He just forced me off, there was no intention of him to make that corner.”
Stewards decided the champion was at fault and handed him the penalty, with Verstappen reacting by saying sarcastically “Oh, that is lovely’.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner did not let it lie after the chequered flag either, complimenting Verstappen and adding: “That first corner we’ve all got our opinions on.”
The safety car continued a sequence of appearing at all five races in Saudi Arabia so far with an appearance at the end of the opening lap after Verstappen’s teammate Yuki Tsunoda and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly collided and crashed.
Both drivers retired, Tsunoda after getting his car back to the pits.
Verschoor storms to F2 victory as Weug claims historic win in F1 Academy in Jeddah
- The victory moves Verschoor into the lead of the F2 Drivers’ Championship
- With her victory, Weug also snatched a narrow lead at the top of the F1 Academy standings
JEDDAH: Richard Verschoor produced a masterclass in tire management and racecraft to win the Formula 2 feature race in Jeddah, fighting back from ninth on the grid to claim victory for MP Motorsport.
The Dutch driver rebounded impressively after heartbreak in Saturday’s Sprint Race, where he crossed the line first but was demoted to second by a five-second penalty for an earlier incident.
Determined to make amends, Verschoor ran the alternative strategy, starting on medium tires and extending his first stint deep into the race.
Despite his aging rubber, Verschoor consistently set fastest laps, showing blistering pace while others pitted early for fresher tires.
His strategy paid off, and after switching to supersofts, he rejoined the track just a few seconds behind leader Jak Crawford with four laps to go.
Once his tires were up to temperature, Verschoor rapidly hunted down the DAMS Lucas Oil driver, closing within DRS range and executing a clinical move into Turn 1 on the final lap to secure a stunning win.
The victory moves Verschoor into the lead of the Drivers’ Championship, with Josep Maria Marti — who finished fifth in the Feature Race — second overall and Leonardo Fornaroli third.
Earlier in the day, Maya Weug made history by becoming the first Ferrari driver to win an F1 Academy race in Jeddah, prevailing in a dramatic and incident-packed Race 2.
Starting from pole for the first time in the series, Chloe Chambers looked to have the race under control after a clean getaway, keeping ahead of a fierce scrap for second between Weug and Mercedes’ Doriane Pin. Amid soaring track temperatures, Weug showed relentless pace, reeling Chambers in and battling wheel-to-wheel for the lead by Lap 3.
Weug briefly seized the lead before being forced wide by Chambers, who was later handed a five-second penalty for the incident. That opened the door for an intense battle between Weug and Pin, with the two repeatedly exchanging P2 as Chambers tried to maintain her advantage.
Despite crossing the finish line first, Chambers’ time penalty demoted her to second, handing victory to Weug. Pin completed the podium for Mercedes.
The race saw further drama as Rafaela Ferreira was hit with a 10-second penalty for spinning Emma Felbermayr of Kick Sauber, dropping both out of the points contention.
Behind the front three, Alisha Palmowski secured fourth place, with Alba Larsen fifth and Aston Martin’s Tina Hausmann sixth. Alpine’s Nina Gademan finished seventh, while Ella Lloyd was promoted to eighth after Ferreira’s penalty. Joanne Ciconte and Chloe Chong rounded out the points-scoring positions.
With her victory, Weug also snatched a narrow lead at the top of the F1 Academy standings, setting up an intriguing battle for the rest of the season.
