Verstappen won the field for the first race of Formula 1 in Montreal in 2019, as he led all three segments of wet but dry qualifying sessions on the track Gilles Villeneuve, while his title rivals Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc ranked much better. down the line.
The first quarter was full of wet, but a few pilots headed straight for the intermediates in the second quarter – most remaining on green-walled tires until the end of the session, even when a clear dry line appeared with the rain stopped and cars cleared the water. especially towards the end of the track in Montreal.
Mercedes driver George Russell switched to soft pictures before the final rehearsals in Q3, while his other rivals in this segment took on new players.
This move had the opposite effect on the Briton when he took the second turn, where a large puddle of stagnant water at the slow-flowing peak meant he had to turn left on the still-wet stretch of track. Eventually, he spun around and slid back into the barriers.
“It was too wet in some places,” Verstappen said of Red Bull’s consideration of leaving. “Like, turn 1, turn 2, I think from turn 4 all the way to turn 5/6 – so for me it was never included.
“Of course, it was only 2.5 seconds [away from the predicted crossover lap time]but you can’t take that gamble in qualifying. So for me it was never included.
“But elsewhere on the track it was quite dry, so driving your interference in one lap was quite a handful.”
Pole Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, receives his Pirelli Pole Position award from Jacques Villeneuve
Photo: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Asked by Motorsport.com how he drove to keep his waypoints hot enough to ensure good traction through the still wet corners of the opening, but then not wear them around the dry section at the end of the final qualifying segment, Verstappen He replied: “It was mainly in Q3, just because the track was dry in some places and I had the feeling that in the first lap the tires were in the best condition.
“But, of course, the track is still drying up, so that’s why you’re improving on the second lap. The grip on the tires wasn’t perfect, so you just tried not to kill the front tires at the beginning of the lap and make sure you still have that little edge at the end of the lap, also make sure the car turns. “
Saturday’s FP3, where he started late, and qualifying sessions marked the first time Verstappen drove wet in Montreal, but the world champion said that just making wet tires work best is more important than finding the most the adhesion of different lines in such conditions.
“Always for the first time [driving a track in the wet] you try a few different things where you think the grip is, ”he explained. “And especially trying to get the tires working was the most important thing, not even the line.
“As soon as it started to dry, the tires finally started to work a little and it was fun to drive.”
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