Max Verstappen has started the Grand Prix weekend in Canada well. The Dutchman was the fastest in the first free practice on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Friday, ahead of the remarkably fast Williams drivers.
The McLaren drivers struggled on the still slippery track in Montréal. Lando Norris didn’t get further than seventh after some rides through the grass. World Cup leader Oscar Piastri also didn’t have a flawless training and finished fourteenth.
Alexander Albon and Carlos Sainz showed that Williams should be taken into account this weekend. They stayed within a tenth of Verstappen’s 1.13.193. Number four George Russell (Mercedes) and number five Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) conceded three to four tenths.
Isack Hadjar continued his excellent debut season. The young Frenchman of Racing Bulls drove to sixth place in his first kilometers in Canada.
For Charles Leclerc, the training did not go according to plan. The Ferrari driver crashed into the wall fairly early after he seemed to brake unnecessarily. The damage to the car was extensive. Leclerc had the fastest time at that moment.
