GP Canada 2024: Qualifying | Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team

Daniel Ricciardo #3
Third Free Practice Session – Best Lap: 1:13.279, 6th pos., 34 laps
Qualifying – Best Lap: (Q1) 1:13.240, (Q2) 1:12.572, (Q3) 1:12.178, 5th pos.

“I’m very happy with how today went. It was an excellent and very fun weekend, one of those where everything seems to go well. We are less than two tenths from pole position and, even if we didn’t get there today, sometimes this gap can allow you to start from the front row. So, it’s rewarding to be so competitive and feel comfortable with the car. In Q3, it was crucial to do a quick warm-up lap, which I highlighted to the team. I did that and then gained the confidence for the timed lap. It was great to complete a good lap, but I’m not surprised because I know I’m capable of these performances when I feel fit. I’m happy to have succeeded on my own, but it’s also thanks to the team, who got both cars into Q3 and achieved a great result. Coming here to Montreal is always special for me and I have good memories: ten years ago I won my first race here and my life has changed since then. The team is also feeling good energy this weekend, so I’m excited to turn that into a solid performance. Tomorrow we will start from a good position inside the top 5, with some strong riders ahead of me, so I will give my all in the race.”

Yuki Tsunoda #22
Third Free Practice Session – Best Lap: 1:13.716, 15th pos., 31 laps
Qualifying – Best Lap: (Q1) 1:12.748, (Q2) 1:12.303, (Q3) 1:12.414, 8th pos.

“As demonstrated by the results, the team did an exceptional job and it was a great day for us. Personally, after struggling a bit in free practice, it was satisfying to be able to turn the situation around in qualifying. During my fastest lap, a gust of wind in Turn 2 made me lose a lot of time, but reaching Q3 again is still a positive result. So far, the race weekend has been a series of ups and downs that have tested me, but managing to overcome these challenges is always rewarding and all the credit goes to the team. We are waiting to see what the weather will be like tomorrow, but we have a competitive car and, of course, we are aiming to gain more points, hoping to get both cars into the top ten.”

Guillaume Dezoteux (Head of Vehicle Performance)

“Today we had a fantastic qualifying session, obtaining fifth place with Daniel and eighth with Yuki. It was a very intense session and the team did a fantastic job to adapt to the weather conditions and the evolution of the track. Like most of the cars around us, we ran two sets of softs in Q1. The track improvement was notable and both drivers managed to improve on the final lap, with Yuki securing second place, a excellent recovery after a difficult PL3. In Q2 we decided to go out early because the risk of rain was increasing and we saw some drops in the pit lane. In the second run on new tyres, both cars put in an excellent lap and secured a place in Q3. In the last part of qualifying, we started with a set of used tires and both drivers struggled more due to the intensity of the wind. On his final attempt, Daniel put in a fantastic lap, less than 0.2s from pole and secured P5! Yuki also had a great lap, but a gust of wind at Turn 2 pushed him slightly off line and he lost some time. However, he managed to qualify in eighth position. It’s another starting grid with our two cars in the top 10: we will review all the strategies for tomorrow to try to convert these competitive positions into good points.”