Its an early start on Saturday for the teams with Pit Stop Practice followed by the final free practice of the weekend and Qualifying. Qualifying determines the starting order / grid for the race on Sunday. Alfa Romeo had a tough Friday. Did their fortunes improve on Saturday? Were Ferrari able to capitalize on their pace advantage and come out on top on Saturday?

The organisers had built a new Paddock Club facility for the circuit ( spending around 20 million Dollars! ), so it was nice to be a part of this inaugural weekend.

Lets have a quick recap of how the day unfolded.

Enroute to the Circuit :

The Boat Ride to the Paddock Club :

The Boat drops the guests right outside the entrance of the Paddock and sure enough you meet a lot of famous faces in F1.

Nicholas Latifi, Rokit Williams Racing F1 Team Reserve Driver 

Brendan Hartley, Reserve Driver for Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :

Lance Stroll, Driver for Racing Point F1 Team :

Coffee & Croissants anyone?

Shots from FP3 ;

Alfa Romeo Racing during FP3 :

The Pitwalls of all teams hard at work :

Cars returning to the Pits after FP3 ( Video Link ) :

Sebastian Vettel was fastest from Charles LeClerc and Lewis Hamilton in FP3. Antonio Giovinazzi and Kimi Raikkonen were P15 and P16 respectively.

Shortly after FP3 it was time for Lunch and the Pit Lane walk of the day.

Lunch, truly a global affair!

The Pit Lane Walk before Qualifying :

Selfie time with the GoPro Hero 7 Black :

Alfa Romeo Racing F1 Team Pit Stop Practice ( Video Link ) :

After a quick visit to the Pit Lane, I rushed back upstairs to be in time for the Podium visit. F1 Experiences takes its guests behind the scenes for a quick visit to the Cool Down Room ( a place where the top 3 Drivers are weighed and unwind after a gruelling race before heading out onto the Podium ).

The winner on the Top Step of the Podium. Since the Paddock Club has been revamped in Montreal so no one else has stood here before. We were among the first.

The View from the Podium. The area would be packed by Photographers, team members and fans after the race on Sunday!

Time for Qualifying! Shots from Q1 :

Alfa Romeo Racing F1 Team during Q1 :

Chequered Flag :

Kimi Raikkonen was knocked out in Q1 :( a big big disappointment. The Alfa just wasn't quick enough. Giovinazzi scraped through in 15th. Sebastian Vettel was fastest in Q1 from Charles LeClerc and Valtteri Bottas.

Q2 underway :

Antonio Giovinazzi during Q2 :

Kevin Magnussen crashed on his final run in Q2. He did go through Q3 but would take no further part.

Giovinazzi finished in P13. Max Verstappen didn't make it to Q3 either and that was a big surprise. Lewis Hamilton was fastest in Q2 from Valtteri Bottas and Sebastian Vettel. 

Q3 underway :

And that is the end of Qualifying :

Sebastian Vettel grabbed pole from Lewis Hamilton and Charles LeClerc. Finally Ferrari had something to cheer about on Saturday.

Cars returning to Parc-ferme  for Post-Qualifying Interviews :

Sebastian Vettel in great mood at the Scuderia Ferrari F1 Suite :

Pierre Gasly, Aston Martin Red Bull Racing F1 Team :

Nice to see Memorabilia, Posters,Car displays and even Ice Hockey in the Paddock Club. Adds to the Ambience and brings a different kind of freshness and vibe.

Some Stills from the Porsche Cup :

It was time to say goodbye to the Paddock Club and hang around for a bit downstairs. The decision turned out to be quite fruitful, evident from the pictures that follow!

Sergio Perez, Sportpesa Racing Point F1 Team :

Matia Binotto, Team Principal for Scuderia Ferrari F1 Team :

Mr. Lawrence Stroll, Billionaire & Lance Stroll's Father :

Daniel Ricciardo, Renault Sport F1 Team :

Alexander Albon, Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 Team :

Cyril Abiteboul, Team Principal for Renault Sport F1 Team :

Christian Horner, Team Principal for Aston Martin Red Bull Racing F1 Team :

Adrian Newey, The Guru of Aerodynamics and Chief Technical Officer for Aston Martin Red Bull Racing F1 Team :

Otmar Szafnauer, Team Principal for Sportpesa Racing Point F1 Team :

Nico Hulkenberg, Renault Sport F1 Team :

Francois, a dear friend from Renault Sport F1 Team :

Paul Ripke, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team official photographer :

Robert Kubica from Rokit Williams Racing F1 Team :

Guenther Steiner, Team Principal, Haas F1 Team :

Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing F1 Team :

Back to the Hotel :

It was an enjoyable Saturday in the Paddock Club ( barring the Qualifying result for the Alfa Romeos ofcourse ). It would be a Long Sunday Afternoon for Kimi & Antonio but all hope wasn't lost for a good points finish. Once again thank you to Edge Global Events for organizing the passes. 

Sunday Experience up next!