Lando Norris was the standout performer in a rain-impacted first practice session for the Canadian Grand Prix, navigating the tricky conditions to set the fastest lap.
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve faced an intense hailstorm an hour before the opening practice session, leaving the track waterlogged. Despite the rain subsiding before the scheduled start at 13:30 local time, the pitlane remained closed as workers struggled to clear the standing water. This delay brought back memories of last year’s disrupted session where fans only got to see five minutes of action due to technical issues.
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton was the first to venture onto the damp circuit, opting for intermediate tires. Valtteri Bottas from Sauber initially chose full wets before realizing intermediates were the way to go as the track began to dry out. However, the tricky conditions caught out Zhou Guanyu, Bottas’ teammate, who spun into the wall at Turn 5, briefly halting the session with a red flag.
As the track conditions improved, a number of drivers, including Yuki Tsunoda, Carlos Sainz, Hamilton, and Charles Leclerc, took turns topping the timesheets. The final six minutes saw a burst of activity as a dry line emerged, allowing most drivers to switch to soft slicks. McLaren’s Norris seized the opportunity to post a 1m24.435s, the best time of the session. Sainz managed to reclaim second place from his Ferrari teammate Leclerc, while Hamilton ended up fourth, just ahead of reigning world champion Max Verstappen in his Red Bull.
Oscar Piastri secured sixth place for McLaren, followed by Alpine’s Pierre Gasly. Bottas recovered from his earlier mishap to grab eighth, despite a late spin. Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Mercedes’ George Russell completed the top ten. Meanwhile, Esteban Ocon’s stand-in, Jack Doohan, experienced a frustrating session with only three laps completed and no time set. Zhou and Williams’ Alex Albon also finished without setting a lap time.
The anticipation builds as more rain is predicted for the second practice session, set to start at 5 pm local time.
Lando Norris’s performance in challenging conditions sets the stage for an exciting Canadian Grand Prix weekend. With more rain on the horizon, the upcoming sessions promise to deliver even more thrills.
Source: Motorsport
