Canada – Free Practice 3: Nico Rosberg the fastest between the red flags

The track at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve was still very treacherous for the drivers during this final practice session. Felipe Nasr was the main victim.

After 40 minutes of the session, the Brazilian lost control of his Sauber, DRS open. While trying to warm up his tires, he hit the wall on the start/finish straight with force, severely damaging the front of his car. The mechanics of his single-seater are busy repairing the damage before the Qualifying sessions.

The second red flag, on the other hand, was not due to a driving error but a mechanical problem. Jenson Button stopped on the side of the track with less than 5 minutes remaining in the session, forcing the marshals to wave a new red flag, marking the premature end of the session.

These two interruptions prevented most drivers from completing a good series of flying laps ahead of the Qualifications. Lewis Hamilton is a prime example: with only nine laps completed, he finished this session in last place, without any real reference on either soft or super-soft tires. Additionally, the Englishman squandered his main chance by missing his braking point at the first corner, prematurely aborting his attempt. He was also forced to return to the pits due to the stoppage of Jenson Button’s McLaren. The reigning World Champion thus lost valuable track time ahead of the Qualifications, which will take place at 1 p.m. local time (7 p.m. in France).

Opposite the standings, his teammate was able to complete a much more interesting series of laps. With a time of 1:15.660, Nico Rosberg is at the top of the timesheet, with nearly 6 tenths of a second ahead of the first pursuer, Kimi Räikkönen in his Ferrari, who clocked in at 1:16.233.

Just behind this duo is Romain Grosjean with his Lotus-Mercedes. After a very interesting Friday, the Frenchman clocked a time of 1:16.772. The Lotus team will certainly be battling with the Williams team for good positions on the starting grid of this Canadian Grand Prix. The Mercedes engines are still in good shape on this circuit: Sergio Pérez with his Force India can also aim for a new entry in Q3 with his 5th position.

Behind the teams powered by Mercedes, the situation looks challenging for Renault: the first representative is Daniil Kyvat, who ranks 6th with his Red Bull. However, other drivers may come between him and the front during Qualifying, such as Felipe Massa, who made a mistake in the final chicane during his fast lap. Eighth-place Sebastian Vettel also expects to improve his position.

These red flags also hindered the development of Fernando Alonso’s McLaren-Honda, already held in the pits for a long time for an engine change. The Spaniard is already using his fourth and final engine available for the season. Engine integration remains the critical part for the team, and Jenson Button’s forced stop at the end of the session is also due to a block issue. He hopes, like his teammate, to simply be able to participate in the qualifying session.

2015 Canadian Grand Prix – Free Practice 3 – Classification