A three-way competition is forming for the Canada Grand Prix.

      "The tyre wear on the Mercedes was evidently worse."

      Dr. Helmut Marko is optimistic about Max Verstappen’s prospects in the Canadian Grand Prix this Sunday. After initially feeling pessimistic before the weekend, the Red Bull advisor's mood has improved throughout the practice and qualifying sessions, leading to a second-place position on the grid in Montreal. "When we examine the race simulations, the tyre wear on the Mercedes was noticeably worse," the Austrian stated. Championship leader Oscar Piastri, who is starting from P3 on the grid, concurred, telling Viaplay, "He (Verstappen) appears fast not only over one lap but also in the race simulation."

      Indeed, McLaren is having a difficult weekend in Canada, with Mercedes’ George Russell securing pole position. This sets the stage for potential on-track battles between Russell and Verstappen, just two weeks after their highly controversial encounter in Barcelona. However, Verstappen is completely fed up with discussions about the looming possibility of a race ban. If he successfully navigates the race in Austria in a fortnight, his super license will start to clear penalty points.

      A reporter inquired about the FIA’s Excel spreadsheets detailing the complicated scheme through which offending drivers can clear their records. "I don’t look at those," the four-time world champion responded. "That’s much simpler to comprehend. I'm not very good with Excel." After qualifying, he declined to answer further questions about whether another collision with Russell on Sunday would result in him being sidelined for the Austrian race. "I don’t need to hear it again," he retorted. "It’s really p*ssing me off. It’s such a waste of time. It’s very childish. That’s why I prefer not to say too much, because it’s really bothersome—this world we live in."

      Another reporter tried again a few minutes later but was met with complete silence. Even Russell had mentioned on Thursday that he held no grudges and laughed at Verstappen's prior suggestion in Barcelona that he would bring "tissues" for the British driver after their next incident. "That was quite funny, to be fair," admitted the pole-sitting Mercedes driver. "I did have a giggle about that."

      Despite being a co-director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, Russell stated that the incident was not addressed in the private WhatsApp group of the 20 drivers. "No, we don’t discuss things like that," he said. "These situations occur in motorsport, and there’s no need to talk about them." However, Russell did imply that he could afford to be a bit more aggressive in turn 1 on Sunday, saying, "I’ve got a few more points on my license to work with." He added, "Neither of us are truly in a championship battle, and I haven’t secured a win this year, so I want to get one." Time will tell.