The second session, FP2, of the 2025 Canadian GP maintained the excitement with the continued form of the unexpected challengers. George Russell posted the session’s fastest time with a 1:12.887. Leclerc sat out the session with Ferrari still rebuilding his car after the FP1 incident that brought out a red flag. FP2 showed that Montreal could deliver one of the most unpredictable grands prix of the season.
Early In the Session: Shuffling Order
It was Lewis Hamilton who opened the session, flying solo for Ferrari, as he got straight to work on the medium compound. After a scruffy moment at Turn 8, he backed out of his first flyer but eventually settled into the top spot. Early pace came from Alexander Albon, who briefly held P1 with a 1:13.135 on softs, before Russell stamped his authority on the session.
With 54 minutes left, hometown hero Lance Stroll brought out a yellow after kissing the wall at Turn 7. The damage was severe enough that Stroll was forced to find a safe spot to stop instead of driving back to the pits. Several other drivers, including Oscar Piastri and Franco Colapinto, struggled with grip throughout the session, a theme that seems to be defining this Canadian weekend.
Mid-Session: Midfield Mixups
Albon’s confidence behind the wheel of the Williams was evident with his early P2 claim despite a moment of confusion in missing his pit box. His teammate Carlos Sainz backed up the team’s pace by going P2 with 46 minutes remaining, temporarily giving Williams a stunning 2–3.
Rookie Isack Hadjar once again showed he’s no fluke, taking P4 at one point and keeping his Racing Bulls near the top. His teammate Liam Lawson didn’t hide his frustration with traffic, even joking over team radio that he might start “blocking people for fun.”
Further back, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso jumped up to P5, just 0.355s off the top time, while Ferrari’s only representative, Hamilton, was buried deeper in the top ten.
McLaren Struggles
It wasn’t all glory in FP2 of the 2025 Canadian GP. McLaren remained on the back foot, possibly still in test mode, with both Lando Norris and Piastri showing flashes of pace but nothing consistent. Norris eventually climbed to P2 late in the session, just 0.028s shy of Russell, while Piastri closed in on the top five.
Haas appeared focused on long-run data, with Bearman and Ocon running lower in the order but within a second of the leaders. Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg kept Sauber’s hope alive, claiming P13 and P14 respectively after a lackluster FP1 showing.
The Weekend Continues
With only one Ferrari on track, both McLarens seeming unsettled, and Williams, Racing Bulls, and one Aston Martin showing unexpected pace, the 2025 Canadian GP is on course to be a wildcard round. FP3 will see the teams bring their final setups into play. But for now, it’s advantage Russell and Mercedes, with plenty of questions still waiting to be answered.
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FP3 kicks off at 12:30 p.m. local time on Saturday, with Qualifying following at 4:00 p.m. local time.
Featured Image Credit: Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team.
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