WATCH: Esteban Ocon Fumes at ‘Mad Man’ Carlos Sainz Over Risky Move at Canadian GP

The Canadian Grand Prix is upon us as the qualifying session ends. With the Canadian GP, it is the uncertainty that breeds unpredictability. And Saturday’s session was no different. Max Verstappen took the pole, while Spaniards Alonso and Carlos Sainz finished behind him.

The focus now turns to Sainz and how he will cope with the pressure with Charles Leclerc starting form back of the grid. The 27-year-old had a solid free practice session and matched it during the qualifying as well. However, it was not a smooth sailing for Sainz on Saturday .

Towards the end of Q1, he lost grip and went off track, therefore forcing the yellow flags. However, there was no damage and as he came back to the track, he seemed to have blocked Alpine’s Esteban Ocon. The French team and their driver were clearly not happy with Sainz’s actions.

Ocon’s engineer said, “Did Sainz obstruct you there, Esteban?”, to which he replied, “Yeah, yeah, came back on the track like a madman.” The stewards noted this incident and summoned Sainz on the grounds of ‘driving unnecessarily slowly.’ Along with him, his teammate Leclerc was also noted by the stewards for the same reason. The last thing Ferrari needs is a penalty for the Spaniard.

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Meanwhile, Alpine continued their strong form as Ocon finished P7, while Alonso starts on the front row.

Carlos Sainz reflects on the qualifying

Sainz will start P3 and has a crucial role to play to keep Ferrari’s championship aspirations alive. The Spaniard is also struggling for momentum and is yet to win a race for in Formula 1. So, tomorrow could prove to be an opportunity.

Speaking after the qualifying, he said, “Today, I was feeling quite okay with the car in the full wet. As the track was drying I felt the others did a step. Just trying to go for it, but for the rest, I think we’re in a good position for tomorrow. Let’s see what we can do with Fernando as he’s been very quick all weekend.”

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He was on course to a pole before losing grip in the last sector in Q3. Now the onus is on him to perform as he looks to win his maiden Grand Prix. Can Sainz win the Canadian GP? Leave your predictions in the comments.