Canadian Grand Prix qualifying: Sebastian Vettel smashes track record

A smoking start to qualifying as Romain Grosjean's Haas started off by spewing oil all over the place, resulting in a massive cloud all over the pit lane.

Not a great weekend for him after smacking into a groundhog on the track yesterday.

Marcus Ericsson gave his Sauber a bit of a battering as well, skidding along the wall out of Turn 9.

The Ferraris set the pace, with Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen exchanging P1, and the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas behind them, followed by the Red Bull pair of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen.

Fernando Alonso proved himself very sneaky, nipping in at the last to drag himself out of the drop zone and send Pierre Gasly out in Q1.

Vettel wasn't happy about the number of cars on track unaware of the drivers approaching them on a flying lap. It didn't make any difference to him ultimately, mind, going through P4.

The McLarens were slowest out there, with Ricciardo setting a new track record of 1:11.434 as the clock ticked down to zero.

A quick new track record for Bottas, the first man below 1:11 on the circuit with a 1:10.857.

And then a quick new track record for Vettel, knocking spots off the Mercedes with 1:10.776.

Red Bull continued to suffer from lack of speed down the straights as they tried to put the pressure on Ferrari, but Vettel finished the session by knocking 12 milliseconds off his own best time.

The crowds in Montreal saw the fastest ever laps on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, and the Mercedes garage were not happy to be outstripped for speed.

Bottas in P2 will need a perfect start tomorrow to challenge the Ferrari in front of him.

Renault and Force India share the fourth and fifth rows, mixing up their bright yellow and pink liveries respectively.

Not a great day for Alonso, looking to celebrate his 300th Grand Prix in style, but instead fading out unobtrusively in Q2.

The Renaults did very well, putting in some solid times behind the front three teams. Look out for Nico Hulkenberg and Carlos Sainz tomorrow.

Vettel - Raikkonen - Verstappen