In a gripping FP2 session at the Canadian Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso took the spotlight by being the fastest on the track before the rain set in.
The session started with a light drizzle, but that didn’t stop the drivers from trying to set quick laps early on. Pierre Gasly initially led with a time in the 1m20s range, but it was clear everyone was keeping a close eye on the weather forecasts.
Fernando Alonso quickly set the pace in his Aston Martin, clocking a 1m17.835s and then improving to 1m16.668s. His teammate Lance Stroll briefly topped the leaderboard, but Alonso wasn’t done yet. He broke into the 1m15s range, settling with a 1m15.810s by the end of the first half-hour.
Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc had a bit of a hiccup. Ferrari sent him out on intermediate tires before the track was declared wet, forcing him to pit and switch to the correct tires. Despite this, Leclerc managed to set a respectable time of 1m16.556s, ending up fourth on the timings.
As the session went on, the rain began to fall more heavily, effectively putting a stop to any further improvements. This left George Russell in second place, trailing Alonso by 0.463s, and Stroll in third. Daniel Ricciardo and Kevin Magnussen showed impressive performances too, securing fifth and sixth places respectively.
Max Verstappen faced a challenging session, ending up 18th. He reported a smoky smell in his car, which was later diagnosed as an energy recovery system issue. Lando Norris also had a rough day, finishing at the bottom and awaiting a stewards’ investigation for not following race director instructions at Turn 14.
With the rain refusing to let up, there was no opportunity for anyone to challenge Alonso’s time. The final top 10 saw Alex Albon and Sergio Perez completing the list, while Lewis Hamilton and Yuki Tsunoda took seventh and eighth spots.
Fernando Alonso’s exceptional performance in FP2 at the Canadian Grand Prix, under varying weather conditions, has set an exciting tone for the weekend. With unpredictable weather and some drama already unfolding, fans can expect an eventful race ahead.
Source: Motorsport
