F1 Canadian GP: Verstappen Tops as Leclerc Crashes in FP1 Showdown

Max Verstappen was fastest in the opening practice for the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix, leading a lively session on a tricky Montreal circuit. He set a best time of 1:13.193, edging out Williams driver Alex Albon by just 0.039 seconds.

Carlos Sainz, also in a Williams, finished third with a lap only 0.082 seconds off the pace. The one-hour session began under cool, dry skies with several cars lining up early in the pit lane.

Esteban Ocon led the pack out, while Haas marked its 200th Grand Prix by running a retro livery. Teams arrived at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve with upgrades and adjustments after recent races.

McLaren brought new ‘mermaid tail’ features to the front wing and ran aero comparisons. Racing Bulls and Williams focused on tire data and setup.

Early in the run, Alpine rookie Franco Colapinto spun at Turn 2 on his very first lap. This foreshadowed a session with limited grip and several incidents.

Charles Leclerc, who started strong by going to the top of the charts, crashed at Turn 3 after locking his brakes. The accident damaged the front-left of his Ferrari and brought out a red flag just 15 minutes into the session.

Leclerc apologized to his team, calling it a driver error. Other incidents included George Russell and Lando Norris taking trips through the grass but avoiding major damage, while Lewis Hamilton spun at the hairpin.

When running resumed, competitive times quickly returned. Russell grabbed the top spot with a 1:13.535 on soft compound tires, briefly heading Verstappen’s earlier benchmark.

Sainz briefly topped the list for Williams before Verstappen reclaimed first with his quickest lap. Albon slotted into second, giving Williams both cars in the top three.

James Vowles, Williams’ team principal, cautioned that the team was on a different program and might appear higher up the order than expected. In the closing 10 minutes, Verstappen’s time held, and no one could better Albon or Sainz.

Russell placed fourth with his earlier run, and Hamilton finished fifth after a close moment at the chicane. Isack Hadjar impressed again, going sixth for Racing Bulls.

Norris had the fastest time in sector two late in the session, placing seventh overall, followed by teammate Liam Lawson in eighth. Pierre Gasly was ninth for Alpine, with Leclerc’s early lap leaving him tenth despite his crash.

Second practice is scheduled for 5 p.m. local time in Montreal. Teams now pore over data from the unpredictable first session and adjust their plans for the rest of the Grand Prix weekend.

The field looks competitive, with technical tweaks and driver errors making for an eventful start in Canada. Verstappen’s performance continues to draw strong attention, especially after recent controversies involving him and Russell.