All the Drama Unfolded in Canadian GP Practice Session

Kimi Antonelli leads a Mercedes 1-2 in a disrupted sole practice at the Canadian Grand Prix, run in Montreal under the FIA practice trial during a sprint weekend.

Mercedes’ upgrade delivers immediate pace. Antonelli sets 1m13.402s, 0.142s faster than George Russell, as the pair regularly trade fastest laps through the extended session.

Their margin is emphatic, more than seven tenths clear of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton in third, aligning with Ferrari’s intricate approach highlighted this weekend.

Three red flags fragment running. Liam Lawson stops near the Turn 3/4 chicane after reporting power steering issues, with officials suspecting a broader hydraulic fault.

The technical delegate also notes a non-functioning clutch release button on Lawson’s car, a technical regulations breach that curtails his day to just five laps.

Alex Albon triggers the second stoppage after striking a groundhog exiting Turns 6/7, spearing the Williams into the left-side wall. The session extends by 15 minutes to recover.

In the final minutes, Esteban Ocon damages his Haas front wing at Turns 8/9, then is noted for leaving the pit lane under red light, a matter likely to be reviewed.

Alpine’s Franco Colapinto completes no meaningful running after a power unit issue on his out-lap. The team targets a recovery before sprint qualifying.

Behind the Mercedes pair, Charles Leclerc is fourth. Max Verstappen struggles with “weird snaps” in the RB22 and finishes over nine tenths slower than Antonelli.

McLaren’s second-phase Montreal upgrade yields P6 and P7 for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Piastri’s lock-up at the final chicane underlines a still-peaky balance, reflecting the McLaren Canadian GP upgrade.

Rookie Arvid Lindblad impresses with eighth for Racing Bulls, ahead of Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, who shows steady pace despite interruptions.

With data scarce from a single session, Mercedes’ step looks convincing, but conditions and configurations will evolve before sprint qualifying. Deeper detail sits in the 2026 F1 Canadian practice report.

Visual Summary

Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.