Max Verstappen set the fastest time in the opening practice session of the Canadian Grand Prix at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, which proved difficult for many drivers due to low grip on a cool but sunny track. The session, held on Friday, featured multiple spins and incidents, including a major crash for Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who ended his run early after hitting the wall.
The first hour of running was marked by several drivers struggling to maintain control. Alpine’s Franco Colapinto spun into Turn 2 on his initial flying lap, signaling the tricky nature of the circuit conditions. Leclerc initially led on the timesheets but locked up his front-right tyre at Turn 3 just 15 minutes into the session, causing him to understeer into the wall and damage the front-left corner of his Ferrari. This accident triggered a brief red flag, interrupting the session.
Multiple Drivers Face Difficulties in Low-Grip Conditions
Leclerc’s crash was not an isolated mistake, as other drivers also experienced difficulties maintaining control. George Russell of Mercedes and McLaren’s Lando Norris both slid into the grass after brief twitches but avoided hitting barriers. Meanwhile, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton made a full spin through the Montreal hairpin. These incidents demonstrated the challenging grip levels on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve surface.
After the red flag, George Russell posted a quick time of 1m13.535s on Pirelli’s softest C6 tyre, improving on Verstappen’s earlier benchmark. Verstappen then reclaimed the top spot with a 1m13.193s lap, closely followed by Williams drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon, who split the Red Bull and Ferrari contenders near the front. While the Williams team appeared strong, their principal James Vowles told Sky Sports that their running program was different from others, explaining why their position was deceptively high.
Verstappen Edges Out Rivals Despite Nearing Wall of Champions
In the final ten minutes, Verstappen maintained his lead, finishing the session only 0.039 seconds ahead of Alex Albon, while Carlos Sainz held third position. Verstappen narrowly avoided a collision with the legendary Wall of Champions on the outside of the last chicane, a reminder of how close the session remained throughout.
Behind the top three, George Russell preserved fourth place. Lewis Hamilton was fifth despite his spin late in the session at the chicane. Other noteworthy performances included Isack Hadjar in sixth for Racing Bulls, followed by McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Liam Lawson, who posted competitive times in eighth and ninth respectively. Pierre Gasly rounded out the top ten, finishing ahead of a recovered Charles Leclerc, whose early time was no longer competitive after his crash.
Details and Times from FP1 at the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix
The top ten fastest lap times from FP1 were as follows:
- Max Verstappen – 1:13.193
- Alex Albon – +0.039 seconds
- Carlos Sainz – +0.082 seconds
- George Russell – +0.342 seconds
- Lewis Hamilton – +0.427 seconds
- Isack Hadjar – +0.438 seconds
- Lando Norris – +0.458 seconds
- Liam Lawson – +0.544 seconds
- Pierre Gasly – +0.624 seconds
- Charles Leclerc – +0.692 seconds
Other notable times extended beyond a full second off the pace, with various drivers working through setup and handling challenges during the session on Pirelli’s C6 compound, the softest option for this race weekend.
Outlook for Saturday and the Rest of the Canadian Grand Prix Weekend
The FP1 session underlined the unpredictable nature of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, where grip is at a premium and mistakes frequently occur. Verstappen’s strong pace provides Red Bull with early optimism heading into the remainder of the race weekend, but Ferrari and Mercedes will aim to rebound after costly errors and spins.
The second practice session scheduled for 5 p.m. local Montreal time will offer teams another chance to refine their setups and strategies under similar track conditions before qualifying. Given the level of incidents seen so far, maintaining control and consistency will be crucial for a successful Canadian Grand Prix.
“Leclerc apologised to the team for what he labelled a driver error.”
—Charles Leclerc
“James Vowles admitted to Sky that his team was running a different programme and was therefore further up than it deserved to be.”
—James Vowles