| Venue: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal Dates: 16-18 June |
| Coverage: Live textual content commentary and radio commentary of all classes on the BBC Sport web site & app, with dwell commentary of the race on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds app from 19:00 on Sunday. Full details |
Lewis Hamilton led George Russell to a Mercedes one-two in Friday practice on the Canadian Grand Prix.
The Mercedes drivers took benefit of setting their quickest occasions 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 Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, 0.424secs slower than Hamilton.
The day was disrupted by three separate red-flag stoppages over two classes, and the primary session was wrecked by a technical problem with the track closed-circuit television 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 monitor time.
The revised schedule meant groups ran programmes that differed from one another greater than can be common in second practice.
Mercedes selected to do their race-simulation runs early in the session and their qualifying-style laps later, an unconventional method.
Red Bull appeared to do their quick laps at first of the session, when the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve was at its slowest, whereas Ferrari ran medium-compound tyres at first of the session earlier than working mushy tyres subsequent.
That led to an sudden order, with Verstappen slower than his common tempo and Mercedes sooner.
Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas was seventh quickest, with the second Red Bull of Sergio Perez, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly finishing the highest 10.
The greatest comparability of tempo was offered by the Ferrari and Red Bull drivers, who did their race runs on the identical time on the medium tyres.
They offered 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 mentioned: “It was OK. Probably the bumpiest circuit now we have been on for a very long time. But little bit of a wierd day. Missed the primary session, felt actually unhealthy for all of the followers.
“I really like driving this monitor. It’s mega. The automotive did not really feel unhealthy however I feel we positively have some work to do. Not the best however not the worst.
“It is feeling fairly first rate however it’s simply bumpy. I feel everyone seems to be having struggles with the bumps. We simply have to enhance our trip management and a little bit of steadiness by the nook and I feel we’ll be all proper.
“The automotive is massively higher than final yr. The rear finish isn’t however total it’s a step ahead and I’m positively feeling the enhancements we introduced in Monaco.
Russell mentioned: “I do not assume we are able to learn an excessive amount of into the timings. We did our low-fuel qualifying prep in direction of the top of the session when the monitor was faster. It is bloomin’ bumpy.
“I feel we’re nonetheless on the tail finish (of the groups behind Red Bull), particularly on qualifying tempo in comparison with Ferrari and Aston Martin.
“Valtteri regarded fast and possibly an Alpine. But we all know it involves us on a Sunday. It appears to be moist tomorrow. We had been robust right here in qualifying (in the moist) final yr. Let’s see what it brings.”
Verstappen mentioned he “did not have an excellent day” and felt the circuit was exposing what few points Red Bull have with a automotive that has gained each race thus far this yr.
“We know our limitations with the automotive,” the world champion mentioned, “and doubtless with the monitor like it’s now with the bumps and kerbs it’s positively not suiting our package deal for now however we’ll attempt to discover a couple of enhancements.”
It was a troublesome day for Alpine. Gasly initiated the purple flag in the primary session when he stopped on monitor with an absence of drive. The officers then observed the issue with the CCTV.
And in the second session, his team-mate Esteban Ocon pulled over with a lack of water stress in his engine.
The different purple flag was attributable to Nico Hulkenberg’s Haas, which suffered an engine failure on the pit straight.
Rain that had been anticipated for each classes held off for many of the day earlier than lastly a torrential downpour hit, initially on the hairpin in direction of the top of the lap, with 5 minutes to go.
It is anticipated to be a harbinger of occasions on Saturday, when the forecast is for heavy rain.
