Mercedes’ George Russell led the way in Friday’s second practice session for the Canadian Grand Prix, setting the fastest time ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris in a result that could trigger strategic headaches ahead of Saturday’s qualifying.
In a session where tyre choice emerged as the key variable, Russell’s best time came not on the soft compound, but on the Pirelli medium. The Brit clocked a 1m12.123s lap midway through the session, a benchmark that went unbeaten – even by Norris, who ran the softer rubber and came just 0.028s shy.
That gap raised questions about which tyre will offer optimal performance over one lap, echoing the strategic uncertainty seen at Imola earlier this season.
Only minutes into FP2, local favourite Lance Stroll brought out a brief yellow flag after clipping the wall at Turn 7. The impact damaged the front-left of his Aston Martin and forced him to retire from the session. It was another tough blow for the Canadian after missing the Spanish Grand Prix due to injury.
However, his team-mate Fernando Alonso salvaged the session for Aston Martin, going fifth-fastest and earning applause from the garage for his spirited effort.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli continued to impress in his Mercedes debut, concluding FP2 third on soft tyres, 0.288s behind his teammate.
Williams also enjoyed a strong showing, with Alex Albon taking fourth and Carlos Sainz placing seventh.
Oscar Piastri, currently leading the championship, could only manage sixth, four tenths off the pace. His McLaren looked slightly unsettled in the low-grip conditions that challenged much of the field.
Lewis Hamilton was eighth in the sole Ferrari running after Charles Leclerc’s FP1 crash sidelined him with a chassis change. The absence limited Ferrari’s data collection, putting additional pressure on the Scuderia and their drivers for the rest of the weekend.
Max Verstappen, fastest in FP1, endured a scruffy session. Complaining of cold brakes and a “more nervous” car, the reigning world champion frequently overshot corners, including the final chicane.
A late push on mediums salvaged ninth place, but left questions hanging over Red Bull’s setup in Montreal.
Racing Bulls rookie Liam Lawson rounded out the top 10, narrowly beating team-mate Isack Hadjar after both suffered from traffic-related frustrations throughout the session.
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