Hamilton tops final practice session ahead of Canadian GP
Lewis Hamilton delivered an outstanding performance during the third and final practice session for the Canadian Grand Prix on Saturday, leading Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and his own Mercedes teammate George Russell in vastly improved conditions.
After a Friday plagued by rain-drenched practice sessions, Saturday brought a welcome change with bright and warm weather at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, allowing teams their first proper run on slick tires.
Yet, the threat of rain still looms as the forecast predicts potential showers before qualifying later in the day and the race on Sunday.
Max Verstappen, eager to make up for lost time after technical issues hampered his FP2, was one of the first drivers to set laps. However, the Dutchman faced a scare early on at the final chicane. Struggling under braking and corner entry, he navigated the run-off area and remarked over the radio, “The whole weekend already, this steering… super weird for me!”
Kick Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu faced more severe issues, spinning out at the first corner and hitting the barriers, which brought out a red flag. “I have no idea what’s happening with the car,” Zhou reported, echoing his struggles from Friday's sessions.
Once the red flag conditions cleared, drivers resumed on medium and hard Pirelli compounds. Verstappen and FP2 leader Fernando Alonso moved the benchmark times into the 1m 14s range. At the session’s halfway mark, soft tires were introduced, prompting a series of rapid laps.
Hamilton, along with Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc, posted mid-1m 13s times, though Leclerc experienced some “pulling” and brake issues.
In the final minutes, Hamilton clocked the fastest lap with a time of 1m 12.549s. Both Verstappen, who complained about his car “jumping around a lot” and slightly tapped the Wall of Champions, and Russell trailed close behind. Verstappen was four-tenths behind Hamilton, with Russell a few hundredths further back in third.
Read next ❯ Ferrari to reveal Hamilton's debut F1 car on February 19 at MaranelloHome favorite Lance Stroll led Aston Martin’s efforts with a fourth-place finish, followed by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Daniel Ricciardo in the RB separated the McLaren duo and Alonso.
Sergio Perez took ninth in the second Red Bull, while Ferrari’s pace from Friday vanished as Leclerc and Carlos Sainz ended up in 10th and 12th respectively, sandwiching the Haas of Kevin Magnussen. Leclerc questioned the team’s performance slump.
Valtteri Bottas finished 13th in his Kick Sauber, with Williams’ Logan Sargeant in 14th, expressing frustration over traffic issues. Yuki Tsunoda, Pierre Gasly in the lead Alpine, and Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg followed. Alex Albon was 18th post-incident, while Esteban Ocon and Zhou rounded out the order.
Heading into qualifying, drivers and teams are preparing for what promises to be a competitive and unpredictable session.
