George Russell mocks Max Verstappen's penalty as he takes pole for Canadian GP
The feud between George Russell and four-time reigning Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen could continue at the Canadian Grand Prix after the two locked up the front row in Saturday qualifying.
Russell of Mercedes won the pole for the sixth time in his F1 career with a lap of 1 minute, 10.899 seconds to best Verstappen of Red Bull, who was .160 seconds behind.
Russell also won the pole in Montreal last year but finished third as Verstappen won the race.
The two have sparred on-track frequently over the last few seasons and it happened again last weekend at the Spanish Grand Prix, where Verstappen made contact with Russell that shoved Russell off course. The maneuver earned Verstappen three penalty points and put him just one point away from a one-race suspension.
Verstappen ultimately said his actions were inappropriate, an admission that shocked Russell, who believes the champion is a dirty driver. Verstappen in Montreal vowed not to change his aggressive driving style despite staring down a possible race suspension.
'We're mates, it's all good,' Russell joked. 'I've got a few more points on my license to play with.'
Russell's comments were clearly playing to the crowd at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, where they roared with laughter as he mocked Verstappen's penalty situation.
The qualifying results were a bit of a surprise considering the season-long domination of McLaren, including driver championship leader Oscar Piastri. But he qualified third, while teammate Lando Norris was seventh.
The duo has combined to win seven of nine races this season and are 1-2 in the championship standings. Verstappen, who has indicated he believes his hopes for a fifth consecutive title are fading, has won twice.
Piastri said he was satisfied with third.
'After how practice went I'm pretty happy at the moment,' he said. 'It was a nice turnaround. I'm pretty happy with third, which is a bit different this year.'
Kimi Antonelli, Russell's teammate at Mercedes, qualified fourth and was followed by Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari and Fernando Alonso in his best qualifying effort of the season for Aston Martin.
After Norris in seventh was Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, Isack Hadjar of Racing Bulls, and Alex Albon of Williams.
Albon was involved in a bizarre incident in the first qualifying group when his engine cover inexplicably blew off his Williams and littered the track with debris. It brought out a red flag but didn't prevent him from advancing to the next round.
His teammate, Carlos Sainz Jr., wasn't as fortunate and was eliminated in the first round.
Yuki Tsunoda, meanwhile, qualified 11th but received a 10-place grid infraction and two penalty points for passing Piastri under the red flag in Saturday's earlier practice session.
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
So much free hockey
Florida takes a 3-2 lead in the series and can clinch their second straight title at home on Tuesday Imagn Images Getty Images We've played four games in this series and already had three go to overtime, which is tied for the second-most OT games in Stanley Cup Final history. This series is one of five in history to feature three OT games within the first four contests, along with: 1951, Maple Leafs-Canadiens in all five games of the series 2013, Blackhawks-Bruins in Games 1, 2 and 4 1993, Canadiens-Kings in Games 2, 3 and 4 1946, Canadiens-Bruins in Games 1, 2 and 4 Getty Images With 32 total goals so far, this is the fourth-highest-scoring Stanley Cup Final through four games in league history, and the highest-scoring in 44 years. The three series that have had more goals at this stage: 36 goals in 1918, Toronto Arenas vs. Vancouver Millionaires 36 goals in 1981, Islanders vs. North Stars 33 goals in 1980, Islanders vs. Flyers Anytime you're mentioning the Vancouver Millionaires, you know you're looking at some pretty old history! Getty Images There are games in the history of the Stanley Cup Final that are not easily forgotten. If the Edmonton Oilers go on to win two more games and end Canada's 32-year Cup drought, everyone will remember where they were on June 12, 2025. What a freaking game. A 3-0 Florida Panthers lead after the first period. A timely Edmonton goalie switch. Four consecutive goals by the Oilers. Sam Reinhart ties it with 19.5 seconds left, throwing more adversity at Edmonton. And finally, in the magical moment, it was lead-by-example Leon Draisaitl winning it 11:18 into overtime. Bonkers. GO FURTHER Oilers' Game 4 comeback could be the stuff of legend on their path to Stanley Cup Getty Images Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell picked up a loose puck off a turnover in the high slot and barrelled towards the net with a chance to make a big lead surely insurmountable. A goal here and the game, and maybe even the Stanley Cup Final, might be over. This was Edmonton Oilers goalie Calvin Pickard's big moment, maybe the most important moment of his career. Having faced just two shots after replacing teammate Stuart Skinner, who was pulled after a disastrous first period by the Oilers, Pickard was being thrown into the deep end. He was up to the task. Pickard turned aside Lundell with his blocker at 11:24 of the second period to keep his team down two goals and within striking distance. Cue the season-saving comeback. The Oilers evened the Final with a 5-4 victory in Game 4 on Thursday, courtesy of Leon Draisaitl's fourth overtime winner – an NHL record – at 11:18 of the extra frame. They wouldn't even have had a chance to do so without Pickard's heroics, starting with that massive stop on Lundell. Read more on Pickard below. GO FURTHER Calvin Pickard, saving pucks and playoff runs alike, comes to Oilers' rescue yet again Getty Images Leon Draisaitl is the first player in NHL history to score four overtime goals in a single postseason: Game 4 of first round vs. Kings Game 2 of second round vs. Golden Knights Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final Game 4 of Stanley Cup Final Was Thursday the night that repeating as Stanley Cup champions got away from the Florida Panthers? That will be the big question the Panthers will have to answer over the next week after coughing up a three-goal lead in Game 4 and seeing what could have been a 3-1 series lead in this magnificent battle with the Edmonton Oilers become a best-of-three for all the marbles. Read more on the Panthers below. GO FURTHER Can the Panthers shake it off after blowing a 3-0 lead in Game 4? Getty Images Was it a pass? Was it a shot? The world may never know. One thing is for certain: it was a goal and an Edmonton Oilers win in Game 4. Getty Images Leon Draisaitl is just the third player in NHL history to score multiple overtime goals in a single Stanley Cup Final. Here's the full list: Don "Bones" Raleigh, 1950 (Games 4 and 5 for New York Rangers) John LeClair, 1993 (Games 3 and 4 for Montreal Canadiens) Leon Draisaitl, 2025 (Games 1 and 4 for Edmonton Oilers) In Game 4, Calvin Pickard became just the sixth goaltender in NHL history to win a Stanley Cup Final game in relief. He joined Andrei Vasilevskiy (2015, Lightning), Frank Pietrangelo (1991, Penguins), Roger Crozier (1975, Sabres), Gord Henry (1953, Bruins) and Lester Patrick (1928, Rangers). After their heroics in Game 4, the Oilers became the seventh team in Stanley Cup Final history to overcome a three-goal deficit to win a game. The previous teams to achieve this incredible feat: Hurricanes in 2006 (Game 1), Penguins in 1992 (Game 1), Flyers in 1987 (Game 3), Canadiens in 1944 (Game 4), Maple Leafs in 1936 (Game 3) and Canadiens in 1919 (Game 5). Getty Images The legend of Leon Draisaitl in Edmonton is getting bigger and bigger. His Game 1 heroics were well documented and he added to his playoff lore in Game 4, slotting in the game winner in overtime, not to mention a pair of assists to help power his team's comeback. Draisaitl now has 32 points this postseason, tied with Connor McDavid for the most in the league. Getty Images Similar to Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart was critical in a strong opening period for the Panthers. He assisted on Tkachuk's second goal of Game 4 and just over two minutes later, he created Anton Lundell's goal that made it a 3-0 game. Then, with 20 seconds left to play in regulation and the Panthers trailing 4-3, Reinhart found a window of space and wristed the game-tying goal into the back of the net to force overtime. Unfortunately for Reinhart and Florida, Leon Draisaitl struck again in OT. Getty Images Remember the first period of Game 4? Feels like forever ago now. Matthew Tkachuk scored two goals in a six-minute span late in the period, both coming on the power play. He also had the primary assist on Sam Reinhart's game-tying goal with 20 seconds remaining in regulation. Getty Images Stuart Skinner's stats in the fourth game of a series going into Game 4 weren't just good; they were incredible. The Oilers goalie had a 6-0 record in such contests with a 1.26 goals-against average, a .955 save percentage and two shutouts. He's been even better in the most recent four of those appearances with a 0.83 GAA and a .970 save percentage. That run of excellence came to an end. Skinner surrendered three goals on 17 shots in the first period while the Oilers were bombarded by the Panthers. Two of those tallies came off Tkachuk's stick while the Oilers were shorthanded. The last of the three goals, by Lundell with 42 seconds in the period remaining, effectively ended Skinner's night. Calvin Pickard replaced him to start the second period and made 23 saves in relief. He was a difference-maker. Pickard's most notable save of the night was a stop on Lundell on an abbreviated breakaway at 11:24 after a turnover by Jake Walman to pave the way for the comeback. There were question marks leading into this game about which goalie should get the start. There's little doubt who's getting the call for Game 5. Getty Images Two seemingly undeniable forces are wrestling for control of this series. The Panthers entered the Stanley Cup Final with a 31-0 record in the playoffs under head coach Paul Maurice in games where they held a lead after either the first or second period. They've seen that mark drop to 33-2 after holding a lead at an intermission in all four games played against the Oilers so far. Edmonton's three-goal comeback in Game 4 followed an overtime win in Game 1 where it overcame a 3-1 deficit during the second period. That was the same frame where the Oilers found life on Thursday to set up Draisaitl's heroics. It was the eighth comeback victory for the Oilers during this playoff run, matching the franchise records set in 1987 and 1991. Their resiliency has become a point of pride inside the dressing room – whether in-game or after a tough loss like the 6-1 waxing they took in Game 3. 'It's all experience, right?' said Draisaitl. 'Like you go through this run last year where we were under pressure for a lot of games, even in the Vancouver series, you go back to that, right? You just get comfortable in those situations knowing that you play one good game, you find a way to get a win on the road, and you go home and the series is tied. That's really all it is. 'We know it's going to be hard. They've got the same plan over there. But I think with experience, you just learn that in these moments, all you need is one game right now.' Getty Images Matthew Tkachuk, who was hurt in the 4 Nations Face-Off and missed the rest of the regular season, got off to a terrific start in his playoff debut with two goals and an assist in Game 1 in Tampa Bay. Production-wise, at least, he hadn't been as prolific since. But in Game 4, Tkachuk notched his fifth career two-goal game in the playoffs with Florida's first two goals in a three-goal first. Tkachuk missed a chance for a hat trick late in the second when Pickard was well out of his net, but Mattias Ekholm and Nugent-Hopkins saved what would have been a go-ahead goal by combining for the blocked shot. Tkachuk later had an assist on Reinhart's game-tying goal to force overtime. Getty Images Penalties were an issue for the Oilers in the first period of Game 3. That was the case again in Game 4. The Oilers gifted the Panthers three power plays in the opening frame, a game after giving them four in the first 20 minutes. The Panthers made them pay for their indiscretions. Evander Kane took his third first-period penalty in the last two games, this time for high-sticking A.J. Greer. Nurse followed that up by tripping Aleksander Barkov. Tkachuk scored on the two-man advantage. (Kane's penalty led to him getting benched for most of the rest of the period and then starting the second on the fourth line.) Later, Mattias Ekholm was sent off for high-sticking Brad Marchand, and Tkachuk scored again. The Oilers' penalty kill has been an issue for most of these playoffs and has now allowed seven goals against on 21 Panthers power plays in the series. They just can't keep taking penalties because they can't kill enough of them off. Getty Images The Edmonton Oilers won Game 4 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final 5-4 thanks to an overtime goal by Leon Draisaitl, tying the series at two games apiece. The Panthers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period, but a goalie change and some timely power plays helped the Oilers mount a stunning second-period rally to tie the game. Jake Walman gave Edmonton its first lead of the game with 6:24 remaining in the third, but Sam Reinhart forced overtime with 20 seconds left after Florida had pulled Sergei Bobrovsky. That set the stage for Draisaitl's heroics with a miracle one-handed shot that took a major deflection off Niko Mikkola to skip past Bobrovsky. Draisaitl, who also scored the overtime winner in Game 1, becomes just the third player in NHL history with multiple OT goals in a single Stanley Cup Final. The Athletic We here at The Athletic are committed to providing elite, award-winning coverage across all sports but with the Stanley Cup Final underway, this is the perfect time to highlight our excellent NHL coverage. In addition to our live coverage, our team of hockey reporters are on the ground providing color, in-depth analysis and revealing stories throughout the series. Whether it be analytical breakdowns, postgame takeaways or features on your favorite players, our NHL staff constantly produces compelling work that you do not want to miss. Throughout the Stanley Cup Final, reporters Daniel Nugent-Bowman, Michael Russo, Chris Johnston and Pierre LeBrun are on the ground in Sunrise and Edmonton. Given all that, there's never been a better time to sign up! You can subscribe to The Athletic on an exclusive offer here. Page 2
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Creating Father's Day memories at the Stanley Cup Final
Fathers create lasting memories bonding with their sons at Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final in Edmonton.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Caitlin Clark's boyfriend reacts to Fever star's message after Liberty takedown
The post Caitlin Clark's boyfriend reacts to Fever star's message after Liberty takedown appeared first on ClutchPoints. Caitlin Clark delivered a dominant performance in her return from injury as the Indiana Fever stunned the New York Liberty 102-88 on Saturday. Her display earned many reactions, especially one from her boyfriend Connor McCaffrey. Advertisement In 31 minutes of action, Clark showed out with an excellent game. She finished with a stat line of 32 points, nine assists, eight rebounds, two blocks, and a steal. She shot 11-of-20 from the field, including 7-of-14 from beyond the arc, and 3-of-5 from the free-throw line. It was an impressive show from the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year with her return to the court. She suffered a quad injury that sidelined her for five games, as Indiana went 2-3 in that stretch. After the game, Clark posted a photo gallery on Instagram as she expressed a clear message about her first game back since the injury. 'Good to be back🫶🏻💫,' Clark said. Advertisement McCaffrey caught wind of his girlfriend's post, having a short comment to express his excitement for her return to the court. 'BELLA!!!!!' McCaffrey exclaimed. What's next for Caitlin Clark, Fever Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images It's a huge message of support for Connor McCaffrey to have for Caitlin Clark. Her recovery from the injury and dominating in her first game back was surely something to be proud about. Both teams traded blows throughout most of the game. However, Clark and the Fever won the last three quarters to take the momentum away from the Liberty. In the last 20 minutes, Indiana outscored New York 49-38, showing that the Fever are capable of beating one of the best teams in the league. Advertisement Five players scored in double-digits on Indiana's behalf in the win, including Clark. Kelsey Mitchell was effective with 22 points and two rebounds on 9-of-21 shooting overall, including 3-of-10 from downtown. Lexie Hull came next with 14 points and four rebounds, Aliyah Boston had 10 points and 11 rebounds, while Sydney Colson provided 10 points and six assists. Indiana improved to a 5-5 record on the season, holding the third spot in the Eastern Conference standings. They are two games behind the Atlanta Dream and four games behind the Liberty. The Fever will prepare for their next matchup, being at home. They host the Connecticut Sun on June 17 at 7 p.m. ET. Related: Kelsey Mitchell credits 'resilience' for Fever's takedown of Liberty Related: Caitlin Clark shares 4-word post after explosive return from injury
