Canadian Grand Prix – Free Practice 3: Alonso at the top of the time sheet

For the first time over the weekend, rain invited itself onto the track. A relatively strong downpour that forced drivers like Kevin Magnussen, Mick Schumacher, and Charles Leclerc to switch to rain tires. These treacherous conditions discouraged many drivers from getting out on the track. Some preferred to talk with their engineers while others, like George Russell, focused by listening to music.

After 20 minutes of the session, less than 10 drivers had completed an attacking lap. Indeed, it was important to conserve wet or intermediate tires in case rain continued to be a factor during qualifying. And if rain wasn’t a factor during qualifying, it would be counterproductive to take risks to gather data that won’t be useful for the rest of the weekend.

It was Valtteri Bottas who was leading the dance with a time of 1’37’909. The Finnish driver had a very difficult previous free practice session. Indeed, the former Mercedes driver was unable to complete any laps due to an engine problem that kept him in his garage. His lap time was quickly beaten by Carlos Sainz, who was consistently setting good times behind the wheel of his Ferrari. The Spanish driver managed to go two seconds faster than the competition.

Synonymous with the improvement of conditions, the drivers were able to take to the track with intermediate tires with 15 minutes remaining. Fernando Alonso and his compatriot, Carlos Sainz, displayed a very good pace with these tires. With 10 minutes remaining, the double world champion was the fastest driver. His best time was a 1’34’229. He was eventually beaten by his former rival, Sebastian Vettel. The Aston Martin driver showed a lot of confidence on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve with a lap time of 1’33’891. Seeing these two drivers at the top of the timesheet demonstrated the importance of experience under these conditions.

It was only towards the end of the session that the drivers started making small mistakes. Kevin Magnussen was locking his brakes approaching the first corner, cut the second one, and ended up in the grass. The Danish driver struggled to get back on track and seemed surprised by his car’s behavior over the radio. A few minutes later, Max Verstappen replicated the Haas’ off-track excursion in a similar manner.

The two Alpine cars shone in the rain, with Fernando Alonso finishing this third free practice session at the top of the timing sheet, while Esteban Ocon is only just over a tenth of a second behind his garage neighbor in 4th position. There was also a great performance from Pierre Gasly, who took second place right at the end of the session.

FP3 Table