Canadian Grand Prix – A first practice session disrupted by rain

It is after a violent storm and on a soaked track that the single-seaters will evolve. The session starts under a yellow flag in the first two sectors due to the amount of water on the asphalt.

A session far from being productive

Some drivers, like Lewis Hamilton, wait for the green light inside their car with their helmets on. Others, such as Checo Perez and Oscar Piastri, haven’t even closed their racing suits yet. The safety car is on track to evaluate its condition. It’s slippery! Fifteen minutes after the start of the session, the yellow flag disappears but exiting the pits is still prohibited. Drivers should be able to leave their garage at 1:51 pm, twenty minutes after the start of the session.

Lewis Hamilton is the first to take off, followed by a few drivers. A few minutes later the session stops again because of a red flag caused by Guanyu Zhou, who went into aquaplaning.

Green flag! Most drivers rush onto the track to try to maximize these last twenty minutes. They only do a few laps before returning to the garage. The atmosphere is subdued. The fans who are present, and who endured the storm and rain, don’t have much to enjoy. It’s like a real skating rink. Valtteri Bottas, Charles Leclerc, and even Max Verstappen have a brief excursion onto the grass or gravel trap.

It is ultimately Lando Norris who sets the best time of these free practice 1 in 1.24:435. He is followed by the two Ferraris, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.

A first failure for Jack Doohan

The reserve Alpine driver didn’t have luck for his first time on the Gilles Villeneuve circuit. Due to the weather and difficult track conditions, the 21-year-old driver only completed three laps. He had already taken part in four test sessions with Alpine, but none this season. As a reminder, according to the regulations, each team must field a rookie in at least two sessions during a season.

The timetable