Author: Barkha Roy
In a hectic Friday practice session at the Canadian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell showed Mercedes’ continued improvement by securing a dominant second-place result. The Mercedes drivers strategically timed their fastest laps later than their rivals, which allowed them to overtake Ferrari leader Carlos Sainz.
Hamilton demonstrated his skill by topping the timesheets with a 1:13.718, just 0.027 seconds ahead of his teammate Russell. The duo’s exceptional performance reflected Mercedes’ good form after the recent double podium in Barcelona.
Carlos Sainz, who led a significant part of the 90 minutes of the second free practice session, took third place, trailing Hamilton by another tenth of a second. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc set the fifth fastest time, while Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso split the two Ferrari cars, finishing fourth.
Notably, championship leader Max Verstappen had a challenging day, securing only sixth in his Red Bull car. Verstappen acknowledged the limitations of his car, especially on the bumpy and challenging Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. He expressed his determination to find areas of improvement to regain his competitive edge.
Sergio Perez, Red Bull’s second driver, also faced his share of difficulties. Despite his efforts, Pérez finished in eighth place after crashing into the wall during his first flying lap attempt.
The practice sessions were hampered by three separate red flag stoppages, causing interruptions and reducing track time for the teams. The first session suffered from technical problems with the circuit’s closed circuit television system, an essential component of Formula 1’s safety apparatus. As a result, the session was stopped prematurely, forcing the authorities to extend the second session by half an hour to make up for the time lost on the track.
The teams employed different strategies due to the revised schedule, resulting in an unexpected order of performance. Mercedes opted to run race simulations at the start and qualifying laps later, deviating from the conventional approach. Red Bull, on the other hand, seemed to prioritize their fast laps at the start of the session, which was characterized by slower track conditions.
In the midst of the various approaches, Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas secured the seventh best time, with Sergio Perez, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly completing the top 10.
With an action-packed practice day laying the groundwork, the Canadian Grand Prix promises an exciting and unpredictable race weekend, where teams will face technical challenges and ever-changing weather conditions.