Hülkenberg Loses Front Row Start as Multiple Grid Penalties Given Out Ahead of Canadian GP

The grid for the Canadian Grand Prix will look quite different this afternoon, with multiple drivers being awarded grid penalties following an action-packed qualifying session in the rain.

Max Verstappen secured pole position yesterday for the fourth successive race and was set to start alongside Nico Hülkenberg in second place after the Haas F1 Team driver put in an incredible lap to beat the likes of Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.

Unfortunately, the German driver’s second-place finish was revoked due to a violation of the red flag regulations. The FIA stewards discovered that Hulkenberg failed to adhere to the minimum lap time during a red flag period that resulted from Oscar Piastri’s crash in Q3.

Impeding took centre stage following the session with seven drivers being summoned to the stewards, with three drivers given penalties for their offences.

Carlos Sainz Jr. qualified eighth during the session, but blocked both Lando Norris and Pierre Gasly in the final corner, resulting in the BWT Alpine F1 Team driver losing out on a spot in Q2 and being eliminated. Sainz will now start eleventh on the grid, behind his teammate, Charles Leclerc, who was also summoned to the steward’s room for impeding Yuki Tsunoda but the incident was dismissed with no further action.

Tsunoda found himself in trouble for impeding Hülkenberg and was handed a three-place penalty, meaning he will now start nineteenth. Home favourite Lance Stroll was also given the same penalty for impeding Esteban Ocon and will start sixteenth on the grid.

Both Williams Racing drivers were also summoned to the stewards for not handing back their tyres after Free Practice Three, resulting in a 10,000 euro fine.

Here is how the grid looks ahead of today’s Canadian Grand Prix:

POS	DRIVER	CAR	QUALIFYING TIME
1	Max Verstappen	RED BULL RACING HONDA RBPT	1:25.858
2	Fernando Alonso	ASTON MARTIN ARAMCO MERCEDES	1:27.286
3	Lewis Hamilton	MERCEDES	1:27.627
4	George Russell	MERCEDES	1:27.893
5	Nico Hulkenberg*	HAAS FERRARI	1:27.102
6	Esteban Ocon	ALPINE RENAULT	1:27.945
7	Lando Norris	MCLAREN MERCEDES	1:28.046
8	Oscar Piastri	MCLAREN MERCEDES	1:31.349
9	Alexander Albon	WILLIAMS MERCEDES
10	Charles Leclerc	FERRARI	1:20.615
11	Carlos Sainz*	FERRARI	1:29.294
12	Sergio Perez	RED BULL RACING HONDA RBPT	1:20.959
13	Kevin Magnussen	HAAS FERRARI	1:21.678
14	Valtteri Bottas	ALFA ROMEO FERRARI	1:21.821
15	Pierre Gasly	ALPINE RENAULT	1:22.886
16	Lance Stroll*	ASTON MARTIN ARAMCO MERCEDES	1:21.484
17	Nyck De Vries	ALPHATAURI HONDA RBPT	1:23.137
18	Logan Sargeant	WILLIAMS MERCEDES	1:23.337
19	Yuki Tsunoda*	ALPHATAURI HONDA RBPT	1:22.746
20	Zhou Guanyu	ALFA ROMEO FERRARI	1:23.342

*Hülkenberg, Sainz, Stroll and Tsuonda handed three-place penalties.