Lando Norris set the pace in FP1 of F1 Canadian GP after rain delay, as Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc rounded the Top 3.
The FP1 was delayed in terms of pitlane open to start the F1 Canadian GP after hailstorm in Montreal just before the session. The timing started on time and only after 20 minutes of stoppage, the race control finally had the pitlane open for the drivers to hit the track.
There was slipping and sliding to start with, as the session was red-flagged eventually for an incident involving Stake F1 Team’s Zhou Guanyu, who ran over standing water and lost control to hit the barrier. He managed to hold it well to not damage the car hugely.
After the intermediate running, the track dried just enough for the slick compound. McLaren’s Lando Norris ended up on top with a 1m24.435s lap ahead of the Ferrari pair of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, where traffic did play a role towards the end.
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton did a good chunk of running to end up fourth from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who had an off-track excursion on the wet grass much like a spin for Stake F1 Team’s Valtteri Bottas at the same corner in the closing stages.
That corner also caught out Visa Cash App RB’s Daniel Ricciardo, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Williams’ Logan Sargeant, but none of them did any heavy damage to the car. While Norris set the pace, teammate Oscar Piastri was sixth.
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly ended up seventh ahead of Bottas and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, where both had their time set on the intermediate tyre. The likes of Ricciardo, teammate Yuki Tsunoda and Haas’ Kevin Magnussen also set their time on the intermediate compound.
They were 11th, 12th and 13th behind Mercedes’ George Russell who rounded out the Top 10. The other Haas of Nico Hulkenberg was 14th from Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, Sargeant and Stroll, where only 17 drivers set a lap time.
Guanyu didn’t get to set a lap time along with Williams’ Alexander Albon and Alpine’s Jack Doohan, where the Australian had his first FP1 chance in place of Esteban Ocon but got only three laps under his belt – which were mostly out laps.
There was host of new PU elements taken up by several of the drivers ahead of F1 Canadian GP. The Red Bull pair along with Alpine and Visa Cash App RB duos took their third ICE, as did Albon and Hamilton to make it eight drivers taking it.
The same drivers took their third TC, MGU-K and MGU-H. The Ferrari pair took their second ES along with Piastri and Bottas, while the Ferrari pair and Bottas took their third CE. Here’s the list: https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/decision-document/2024%20Canadian%20Grand%20Prix%20-%20New%20PU%20elements%20for%20this%20Competition.pdf
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