Aston Martin Alonso Tops Rainy Canadian GP Practice

Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso topped Friday practice at the Canadian Grand Prix, which was disrupted by intermittent rain. Alonso’s best time, achieved during the driest part of the second session was 0.463 seconds faster than Mercedes’ George Russell, who finished second, before more rain fell in Montreal. Rain affected the first session where Lando Norris was fastest, making the day’s headline lap times almost meaningless. However, championship leader Max Verstappen faced significant issues. The Red Bull driver pitted after four laps due to smoke from his car, finishing 18th in the second session. Red Bull identified the problem as an issue with the energy recovery system.

“It’s not ideal,” Verstappen said. “I would have liked to drive more laps. It’s definitely not how I wanted to perform in P2. But figuring out what happened and its implications for the weekend and the rest of the year is more important.” Wet weather dominated, leading organizers to temporarily close the Ile-Notre Dame due to a heavy storm before practice. The first session started on time, but cars couldn’t go out as the pit lane remained closed while marshals dried the track. When the session finally began, the track gradually dried, allowing drivers to run slick tyres in the last five minutes. Norris set the fastest time, 0.328 seconds ahead of Ferrari drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.

In the second session, Alonso (Aston Martin) consistently led as the track briefly dried for about 15 minutes before rain resumed. The two-time champion commented, “A tricky Friday for everyone. Not many laps in either session. No proper laps in dry or wet conditions, but it could be similar in qualifying and the race. We need to be sharp tomorrow.” Behind Alonso and Russell, Alonso’s teammate Lance Stroll was third fastest, followed by Leclerc, RB’s Daniel Ricciardo, Haas driver Kevin Magnussen, and Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes. Hamilton, who, along with Michael Schumacher, holds the record for most wins in Montreal with seven victories, said, “It felt great. I was eager to go every second.

This track is about building blocks, getting as much time in the car, and understanding both the conditions and the changes made to the surface and run-off areas. The car felt strong. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The circuit is amazing, one of the best. But today was odd, like a summer’s day in the UK. It was sunny and hot, then it rained with huge hailstones, then it was sunny and humid, and then it rained again. I feel really confident, but we won’t know until Saturday. However, I felt strong in both conditions today.”

Despite the conditions, only one driver crashed: Sauber’s Zhou Gunayu, who lost control in Turn Five and broke his front suspension. Leclerc entertained the crowd with a harmless 360-degree spin at the hairpin in the second session.