The Spanish Fernando Alonso dominated with Aston Martin training this Friday for the Canadian Grand Prix, on an atypical day marked by rain and in which, as there was not much riding, not many conclusions could be drawn.
In the second session, in which the best times of the day were set, the Asturian double world champion covered the 4,361 meters of the Gilles Villeneuve circuit in Montreal in one minute, 15 seconds and 810 thousandths, 463 less than the Englishman George Russell (Mercedes) and with an advantage of 654 over his teammate at Aston Martin, the Canadian Lance Stroll.
The day was strange. In the first rehearsal, only the last twenty minutes were practically shot; while in the second –with problems for the Dutchman Max Verstappen (Red Bull)– The first half hour was barely useful. And English Lando Norris (McLaren), who three races ago had achieved his first victory in F1 in Miami, set the best time in the morning and was last on the time table in the afternoon.
In the best of the only eight laps he gave on a morning marked by rain, Norris had lapped in one minute, 24 seconds and 435 thousandths, 328 less than Carlos Sainz – who gave eleven -; and with an advantage of 871 over the other Ferrari, that of the Monegasque Charles Leclerc – winner two Sundays ago, in front of his fans, in the streets of Monte Carlo -, who set his time, like the previous ones, right at the end of the session : when the track was drying and with the soft compound tire.
Czech Perez, recently renewed with Red Bull until 2026, had repeated the layout of the circuit built on the artificial island of Notre Dame ten times and in its best attempt, right at the end, when those who had previously done it with intermediate tires installed the soft ones, He was three seconds and 623 thousandths behind Norris. But, ultimately, it was an inconsequential session and from which the teams were able to obtain little information.
In the afternoon, Alonso, who in the morning session had gone out on track with fifteen minutes remaining, performed the first of his only four laps with intermediates, without setting a time and keeping this compound in anticipation of new rainy sessions. Just before the end of the session he tested, without risking, the soft compound. And, almost nine seconds behind Norris, he registered fifteenth in the morning time table.
Nobody came out on the track until after the twenty-fifth minute of the first rehearsal.. The first to do so was the seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) -seventh at the end of the day-, which would end up marking the fourth time – a second and a half behind his compatriot – of a session that with 27 minutes to go was interrupted for a few moments, with a red flag.
The Chinese Guanyu Zhou lost control of the Stake Sauber after the fifth of the 14 corners of the Canadian track, hitting the left front part of it; Therefore, a red flag and interruption were declared to remove the car of the Asian driver, who did not suffer any physical damage.
Verstappen, who achieved two of his 59 F1 victories the past two seasons in Montreal and who leads the World Championship with 169 points -31 more than Leclerc and 56 more than Norris, who is third in the competition-, it did not exceed ten laps and set the fifth time in the first act, staying two seconds behind Lando’s time.
The Australian was scheduled to participate in the first session. Jack Doohan -son of the legendary Mick, five-time (in a row) 500 cc world champion. in motorcycling -, instead of French Esteban Ocon, which will not continue next year in Alpine. However, he barely had time for the oceanic to make a turn, in the end, without setting any time.
Ocon would end the day with the eleventh time, the one he scored in the second test, in which he ran a lot more but that didn’t serve much purpose either. Faced with the threat of rain, everyone rushed to ride on the slicks, which they used even when it was dripping. And the Thai Alex Albon (Williams) was the first to get a good scare, touching the famous ‘wall of champions’, just after the chicane prior to the finish line. On a newly paved track again this year.
After surpassing the first twenty minutes, Alonso led the time table with a time of 1m17s835, 240 thousandths less than Hamilton, who also set his time on the soft tires.
Shortly after, Leclerc, investigated for having started free practice with intermediates – when the session had not yet been declared wet – improved, with the medium tire, the Asturian, who would immediately be the first and the only one to drop below the sixteenth minute this Friday.
Verstappen had problems at the start of the second training session. Smoke came out of his RB20 – with a new engine, like Checo’s – because he had to return to the pits after four laps to be thoroughly checked by the mechanics for a possible electrical failure.
Although they probably expected to do even less, only half an hour was run with dry tires, so ‘Checo’ finished tenth in the end, one second and two tenths behind Alonso, who celebrated one of his 32 victories in F1 in Canada. It was in 2006, the year he revalidated his title.
After a Friday of little activity, it is expected that the third training session will be used for qualifying (this Saturday at 5 p.m.). On Sunday at 3pm, meanwhile, the ninth test of the season will be run, which Verstappen dominates, although without the overwhelming advantage of last year.
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