Lewis Hamilton led George Russell to a Mercedes one-two finish in Friday’s practice at the Canadian Grand Prix. The Mercedes drivers capitalized on setting their fastest times later in the session, overtaking early frontrunner Carlos Sainz of Ferrari. Hamilton edged out Russell by a mere 0.027 seconds in Montreal.
Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin claimed fourth place, followed by Charles Leclerc of Ferrari and Max Verstappen of Red Bull, who trailed Hamilton by 0.424 seconds. The day witnessed multiple red-flag stoppages, with the first session disrupted by technical issues with the track’s closed-circuit television system. Despite the challenges, the teams adjusted their programs, with Mercedes opting for an unconventional approach of conducting race-simulation runs early on and qualifying-style laps later. The upcoming race is anticipated to be wet, potentially adding a new dynamic to the competition.
