Image: from PitWall Pixels X @PitWallPixels
By Open Chronicle with agencies
Mercedes emerged as the team to beat during the only practice session of the 2026 Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix weekend, with young Italian driver Kimi Antonelli setting the fastest time ahead of teammate George Russell at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.
Antonelli delivered a strong and composed performance around the Gilles Villeneuve Circuit, clocking a best lap of 1min13s402 to top the timesheets in the session that served as the only preparation before Sprint qualifying later in the day.
Russell finished just 0.142 seconds behind his teammate, securing a Mercedes one-two and confirming the team’s competitive pace on the fast and technical Canadian circuit. Lewis Hamilton placed third for Ferrari, followed by teammate Charles Leclerc and reigning world champion Max Verstappen in fifth.
The session began under dry conditions, prompting nearly every driver to head out immediately to maximize track time during the Sprint weekend format. Verstappen initially led the timing screens on hard tyres, while Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar impressed early on.
Several interruptions disrupted the session. Liam Lawson suffered a steering issue that triggered an early Virtual Safety Car before his Racing Bulls car stopped on track, forcing a red flag.
Later, Alexander Albon crashed heavily exiting Turn 7 after reportedly hitting a marmot near the circuit. The impact caused significant damage to his Williams and brought out another red flag.
Ferrari and McLaren also showed flashes of speed throughout the session. Hamilton and Leclerc remained consistently near the top, while Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris hovered inside the top ten despite tire and balance issues.
Verstappen briefly lost control at Turn 8 during a flying lap but avoided major damage after sliding onto the grass.
A third interruption came near the end of the session when Esteban Ocon spun over the curb and clipped the wall, damaging the front wing of his Haas.
Brazilian rookie Gabriel Bortoleto finished 11th for Audi, narrowly missing out on a top ten result in an encouraging performance during his first Sprint weekend appearance in Canada.
Meanwhile, Franco Colapinto endured a difficult session after suffering clutch problems almost immediately after leaving the garage and failed to set a representative lap time.
With Sprint qualifying scheduled later Friday, teams now face limited opportunities to fine-tune setups before competitive running resumes.
Top 10 Results, Canadian GP Sole Practice Session
- Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, 1:13.402
- George Russell, Mercedes, +0.142
- Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, +0.774
- Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, +0.953
- Max Verstappen, Red Bull, +0.964
- Lando Norris, McLaren, +1.397
- Oscar Piastri, McLaren, +1.561
- Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls, +2.050
- Nico Hülkenberg, Audi, +2.296
- Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin, +2.461