Formula 1 rule that awarded pole to Russell over Verstappen after setting the same time

However, it was the Mercedes driver who took pole position, his second Formula 1 finish after his 2022 debut in Hungary.

This was the first time since 1997 that fans had witnessed such a situation.

What happens when two Formula 1 drivers set the same time in qualifying?

Paragraph 4 of Article 39.4 of the FIA ​​Formula 1 Sporting Regulations, i.e. (4), states: “If two or more drivers set identical times during Q1, Q2, Q3, SQ1, SQ2 or SQ3, priority will be given to the driver who placed first “.

In other words, the driver who set the time before the other driver is in front.

In Canada, Russell set the fastest time and was then equaled by Verstappen.

In fact, the Briton had another chance, but failed to improve, resulting in a strange situation for him and Verstappen with a time of 1:12.000 seconds.

Last time this happened

Michael Schumacher, Jacques Villeneuve and Heinz-Harald Frentzen recorded the exact same time in qualifying for the European Grand Prix in the 1997 season, 1:21.072.

First place went to Villeneuve, who was the first to cross the finish line, and the next day would go on to win the World Championship after the well-known controversy with Schumacher.

It was a time when qualifying for Formula 1 was very different, with the session lasting an hour, so Villeneuve set his time 15 minutes ahead of Schumacher, and Frentzen even later than the German.

Have two Formula 1 drivers ever tied in a race?

No, two drivers have never reached the finish line of a Formula 1 race tied.

The smallest gap at the end of a race was in the 2002 US Grand Prix, when Ferrari claimed one and two places and Rubens Barrichello took the checkered flag by just 0.011 seconds over teammate Schumacher.