Lewis Hamilton's Dominant Performance Steals the Show at Canadian GP Practice
In what turned out to be an electrifying final practice session for Formula 1's Canadian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton firmly established his dominance. With bright skies replacing the previous day's intermittent showers at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, drivers finally had the opportunity to push their machines to the limit on a fully dry track. Hamilton, who first made headlines here 17 years ago with his maiden pole position and victory, delivered an astonishing lap time of 1:12.549s on Soft tyres.
The session demonstrated Hamilton's unwavering precision and speed, clocking his fastest lap earlier than his nearest rivals and maintaining a considerable lead. Despite some narrowing, Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing still found himself trailing by 0.374s. Notably, Verstappen faced mechanical hurdles as his team reverted to an older engine following an electrical issue on the new unit introduced for FP2.
Mercedes enjoyed a commendable overall performance, with George Russell securing third place. Meanwhile, local hero Lance Stroll put on a remarkable show for Aston Martin, clinching the fourth spot. McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris managed to secure fifth and seventh places respectively, sandwiching Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo. Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin finished eighth, while Red Bull's Sergio Perez, fresh off a contract renewal, took ninth.
Ferrari's woes continued as both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz struggled for pace. Leclerc's frustrations were palpable as he likened the SF-24 to “s*** on the brakes” and lambasted the team for being “slow,” ultimately ending at the bottom of the top 10. Sainz didn't fare much better, finishing 12th, with Haas' Kevin Magnussen coming between the two Ferrari drivers.
The session was not without its incidents. Alex Albon of Williams and Zhou Guanyu of Alfa Romeo both encountered early ends to their practice runs. Albon's brush with the notorious Wall of Champions caused damage to his right-rear but he managed to limp back to the pits. Zhou, on the other hand, spun out at Turn 1 and hit the barriers at Turn 2, unable to return his Alfa Romeo to the pits.
Zhou's crash marked his second consecutive session mishap, having also aquaplaned into a wall during Friday's practice. This constant struggle led Zhou to lament about his car's unpredictable handling, attributing the accidents to rear-wheel lockups.
With qualifying scheduled for 16:00 local time, all eyes are now on whether Hamilton's blazing form will carry through to secure another pole position. As the teams prepare for a showdown, it’s evident that the Canadian Grand Prix is ripe for high-octane drama and inevitable surprises.