Andrea Kimi Antonelli set the pace in the first practice session of the Canadian Grand Prix, a sprint-format session held at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The Mercedes driver edged out his teammate George Russell by a narrow margin, leaving the rest of the field half a second or more behind. The session was interrupted twice by red flags: first due to an electrical issue on Liam Lawson's Red Bull, and then following an accident involving Alexander Albon, who hit a marmot and then the wall.
The evolution of the W16: traction and efficiency in Montreal 🏎️
The performance of the Mercedes W16 on this mixed circuit suggests progress in traction management over the kerbs and through the slow corners of the Canadian track. Antonelli set his best time in the final sector, where braking stability and corner exit are key. The team has worked on the rear suspension setup to maximize mechanical grip, an area where the car showed weakness in previous races. The half-second gap to the rest indicates a balance between aerodynamic downforce and straight-line efficiency.
Marmots, sparks, and a driver who doesn't back down 🐿️
The session had more action than a Netflix series. Liam Lawson was left stranded by an electrical fault that even Red Bull's engineers couldn't explain in time, and Alexander Albon decided to do the local wildlife a favor by hitting a marmot before crashing into the wall. At least the animal came out unscathed, something that cannot be said for the Williams car. Meanwhile, Antonelli kept lapping as if nothing had happened, ignoring the chaos and making it clear that the hunger for victory doesn't fade with a sprint 🏁.