Lance Stroll and Charles Leclerc Face Setbacks in Canadian GP Friday

Lance Stroll’s second free practice session at the Canadian Grand Prix ended early after contact with the wall at Turn 9. The session at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve was less than 10 minutes old when Stroll, driving for Aston Martin, clipped the wall and damaged the front left corner of his AMR25.

Stroll had just returned to his home race after wrist pain caused him to withdraw from the previous round in Spain, a flare-up of an injury first suffered in a cycling accident before the 2023 F1 season. After recently undergoing a procedure to help manage the pain, Stroll was cleared to participate in the Montreal weekend.

Despite the brief outing in FP2, Stroll managed to finish 15th in the first free practice session.

The incident in the second session meant he was unable to set a proper lap time.

Stroll radioed his team, hoping to bring the car back to the pits, but damage from the impact was too much. The Aston Martin crew advised him to stop and park in a safe location.

This setback put him at the bottom of the timing sheets for FP2, joining Charles Leclerc, who also missed the session as Ferrari replaced his SF-25 chassis.

Leclerc, driving for Ferrari, could not run at all during FP2. His team worked to change the chassis on his car, dealing with their own technical issues ahead of qualifying.

Stroll and Leclerc were the only drivers unable to register timed laps in the session. Meanwhile, the rest of the grid continued to prepare for Sunday’s race.

Elsewhere in Montreal, Lewis Hamilton made headlines for his critical comments about Ferrari during media day. On track, Max Verstappen was involved in a tense exchange with a journalist during a television interview.

The focus for most teams remains on preparations for the race and adapting to conditions on the Gilles Villeneuve circuit. The Canadian Grand Prix is the latest round in a season that has seen several dramatic moments and shifts in the championship battle.

In the 2025 driver standings after recent events, Oscar Piastri leads with 186 points for McLaren. Lando Norris, also with McLaren, follows with 176 points.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen sits third at 137 points, just ahead of George Russell for Mercedes with 111 points. Charles Leclerc has 94, and Lewis Hamilton, in his first season with Ferrari, has 71.

In the teams’ competition, McLaren is in front with 362 points, Ferrari is second with 165, Mercedes third at 159, with Red Bull on 144.

Several key races approach, as the Canadian GP is held on June 15. The Austrian Grand Prix takes place at the Red Bull Ring on June 29, followed by the British GP at Silverstone on July 6.

Later in July, drivers head to Spa-Francorchamps for the Belgian Grand Prix. These events are expected to have an impact on the drivers’ and teams’ championship battles and could alter the momentum for leaders and hopefuls alike.

After his Friday trouble, Lance Stroll will be looking to recover during qualifying, while Charles Leclerc’s team aims to complete repairs on his Ferrari in time for further practice.

Both drivers will try to move up the order and score points at their respective teams’ home races or in front of home crowds as the action at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve continues.

Lewis Hamilton’s ongoing adaptation to Ferrari has been widely discussed, reflecting his current season challenges and ambitions. More on Lewis Hamilton’s season with Ferrari.

Charles Leclerc’s mechanical issues follow a difficult period for Ferrari on multiple fronts, including recent worries about race performance.

Stroll’s withdrawal from the previous round in Spain was just one of the incidents this season affected by strict technical and safety rules, which have been extensively covered in reports about the Spanish GP regulations.