Welcome to the Canadian Grand Prix weekend. The forecast predicts that rain will affect every session for the first time since the Italian Grand Prix in 2008. A disrupted, wet, free practice, one saw Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz, and Charles Leclerc top the timesheets.
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Heading into Montréal, there is a lot to fight for. After his Monaco win, Charles Leclerc will be looking to continue his winning form. Elsewhere Max Verstappen will aim to increase the gap between himself, Leclerc, and Norris in a potential championship title fight.
Alpine’s Jack Doohan also is one to watch as he is replacing departing Esteban Ocon during FP1. He is a contender for the Frenchman’s seat along with Mick Schumacher and will be looking to impress his team today.
We Are Off… Almost
The first free practice of the weekend began with a closed pit lane. Workers were still clearing water off the track, so a safety car and medical car went around the circuit to check the surface and ensure the safety of the drivers.
What nobody wanted to see was a downpour again. However, drivers were not in luck as the rain began again and the track began to get wetter. Without the options of a delayed start, the timer continued to count down.
At 13:51 local time, the pit lane opened. Lewis Hamilton was first on track on intermediates. He has proven to be a master of wet weather track conditions in the past and may use this to his advantage. The Mercedes driver is after his second podium of the season following his P2 in the Chinese Sprint Race.
Red Flag
We had our first red flag of the weekend early on. Zhou Guanyu had clear damage to the right rear side of his Stake car after brushing the barrier at turn 5.
Red flag 🔴
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 7, 2024
Zhou has made contact with the wall at T5 and has to park up with damage.
Three lap times on the board – Bottas leads HAM and VER. #F1 #CanadianGP pic.twitter.com/MtAPABiAKE
Green Flag
We soon went racing again and despite a wet racing line, lap times quickly improved. Carlos Sainz set a 1:27.485 and was the driver to beat in a weekend where he is in the spotlight. The Ferrari driver is yet to announce his seat for next year, and reports suggest he could publicise this announcement soon. His options are rumoured to be between Stake and Williams.
With 10 minutes remaining, every driver entered the pits. In what has been a mild FP1, your top ten at this point was: Sainz, Leclerc, Bottas, Perez, Ricciardo, Tsunoda, Magnussen, Hamilton, Russell, and Gasly.
Soft Compound Time
In a move that surprised commentators, Leclerc soon left the pits on the soft compound. The Monegasque is looking for his second race win in a row this weekend and has nothing to lose.
Four minutes remained on the clock when all the drivers followed Leclerc and began exploring the soft compound. Each aimed for a last lap to give them some hint of what was to come for this weekend alongside what they can improve on between now and Qualifying.
It was a disappointing FP1 for Jack Doohan, who exited the pits with a single minute remaining. He only had the chance for one installation lap and a practice start. We can safely say that the young driver did not want to make this impression, but he could not predict a wet, free practice one.
At 14:31 local time, the chequered flag appeared, with many drivers completing their lap times. In a session that meant very little because of the wet weather, Lando Norris finished in P1 with a lap time of 1:24.435. Carlos Sainz followed in P2 with a lap time of 1:24.763 and Charles Leclerc in P3 with 1:25.306.
Here's the full rundown from a rain-affected FP1 🌧️#F1 #CanadianGP pic.twitter.com/7JgM1ttIme
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 7, 2024
If this weather persists as forecasted, drivers may struggle to find their pace this weekend. Attention turns to FP2 tomorrow. Here’s hoping for a more eventful, consistent running.
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