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Venue: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal Dates: 16-18 June |
Protection: Reside textual content commentary and radio commentary of all periods on the BBC Sport web site & app, with reside commentary of the race on BBC Radio 5 Reside and BBC Sounds app from 19:00 on Sunday. Full particulars |
Lewis Hamilton led George Russell to a Mercedes one-two in Friday observe on the Canadian Grand Prix.
The Mercedes drivers took benefit of setting their quickest instances later than the opposite prime drivers to pip early pacesetter Carlos Sainz of Ferrari.
Hamilton was 0.027 seconds faster than Russell in Montreal.
Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso was fourth, forward of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Purple Bull’s Max Verstappen, 0.424secs slower than Hamilton.
The day was disrupted by three separate red-flag stoppages over two periods, and the primary session was wrecked by a technical downside with the observe closed-circuit tv system, which is a part of F1’s security equipment.
The CCTV downside meant the primary session was stopped after solely 12 drivers had set only one flying lap and officers determined to increase the second session by half an hour to 90 minutes so groups might make up a number of the misplaced observe time.
The revised schedule meant groups ran programmes that differed from one another greater than can be common in second observe.
Mercedes selected to do their race-simulation runs early within the session and their qualifying-style laps later, an unconventional method.
Purple Bull appeared to do their quick laps firstly of the session, when the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve was at its slowest, whereas Ferrari ran medium-compound tyres firstly of the session earlier than working delicate tyres subsequent.
That led to an surprising order, with Verstappen slower than his common tempo and Mercedes sooner.
Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas was seventh quickest, with the second Purple Bull of Sergio Perez, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly finishing the highest 10.
One of the best comparability of tempo was supplied by the Ferrari and Purple Bull drivers, who did their race runs on the identical time on the medium tyres.
They supplied encouraging numbers for Ferrari – Leclerc was about 0.1secs slower than Verstappen over a run of greater than 10 laps. Sainz and Perez weren’t a match for his or her team-mates.
Hamilton stated: “It was OK. In all probability the bumpiest circuit we now have been on for a very long time. However little bit of an odd day. Missed the primary session, felt actually unhealthy for all of the followers.
“I really like driving this observe. It is mega. The automobile did not really feel unhealthy however I feel we positively have some work to do. Not the best however not the worst.
“It’s feeling fairly respectable however it’s simply bumpy. I feel everyone seems to be having struggles with the bumps. We simply have to enhance our experience management and a little bit of steadiness by means of the nook and I feel we’ll be all proper.
“The automobile is massively higher than final 12 months. The rear finish will not be however general it’s a step ahead and I’m positively feeling the enhancements we introduced in Monaco.
Russell stated: “I do not suppose we will learn an excessive amount of into the timings. We did our low-fuel qualifying prep in the direction of the top of the session when the observe was faster. It’s bloomin’ bumpy.
“I feel we’re nonetheless on the tail finish (of the groups behind Purple Bull), particularly on qualifying tempo in comparison with Ferrari and Aston Martin.
“Valtteri regarded fast and perhaps an Alpine. However we all know it involves us on a Sunday. It seems to be to be moist tomorrow. We had been sturdy right here in qualifying (within the moist) final 12 months. Let’s examine what it brings.”
Verstappen stated he “did not have a great day” and felt the circuit was exposing what few points Purple Bull have with a automobile that has gained each race thus far this 12 months.
“We all know our limitations with the automobile,” the world champion stated, “and doubtless with the observe like it’s now with the bumps and kerbs it’s positively not suiting our bundle for now however we are going to attempt to discover a couple of enhancements.”
It was a tough day for Alpine. Gasly initiated the crimson flag within the first session when he stopped on observe with an absence of drive. The officers then seen the issue with the CCTV.
And within the second session, his team-mate Esteban Ocon pulled over with a lack of water strain in his engine.
The opposite crimson flag was attributable to Nico Hulkenberg’s Haas, which suffered an engine failure on the pit straight.
Rain that had been anticipated for each periods held off for many of the day earlier than lastly a torrential downpour hit, initially on the hairpin in the direction of the top of the lap, with 5 minutes to go.
It’s anticipated to be a harbinger of occasions on Saturday, when the forecast is for heavy rain.
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