Lewis Hamilton Asserts Dominance in Final Practice for Canadian Grand Prix
Formula 1 fans were treated to a thrilling final practice session ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton showcasing his exceptional skills at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Following a rain-soaked Friday, the fully dry session allowed drivers to get acquainted with the resurfaced track, and Hamilton took full advantage.
The Mercedes driver, who claimed his maiden pole position and victory at the event 17 years ago, posted an impressive time of 1:12.549s during qualifying simulations on Soft tyres. Hamilton clocked his time early on, holding a significant advantage of seven-tenths of a second over his rivals. Although the gap was reduced, second-placed Max Verstappen still trailed Hamilton by 0.374s.
“Red Bull made the surprising decision to revert to Verstappen’s old engine for the remainder of the weekend after his fresh unit suffered an electrical issue during FP2. The team will be hoping this move pays off as they seek to challenge Mercedes’ dominance.”
George Russell secured a respectable third place for Mercedes, while local favorite Lance Stroll put in an encouraging performance, finishing fourth for Aston Martin. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris claimed fifth and seventh places, respectively, sandwiching Daniel Ricciardo’s Red Bull. Fernando Alonso finished eighth for Aston Martin, ahead of Sergio Perez, who was recently retained by Red Bull.
Ferrari struggled to find pace, with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz both facing difficulties. Leclerc expressed his frustration, describing the SF-24 as “s*** on the brakes” and stating that the team was “slow.” He finished 10th, a disappointing eight-tenths of a second behind Hamilton. Sainz fared no better, ending up 12th, with Haas’ Kevin Magnussen separating the Ferrari drivers.
The session was not without its drama, as Alex Albon and Zhou Guanyu both suffered early exits. Albon hit the Wall of Champions, breaking the right-rear of his Williams FW46, while Zhou lost control of his C44 through Turn 1, spinning backwards into the barriers at Turn 2. Zhou’s incident marked his second consecutive session crash, following an aquaplaning incident on Friday.
Qualifying is scheduled to take place at 16:00 local time, and fans are eagerly anticipating an intense battle for pole position. With Hamilton in dominant form, will his rivals be able to challenge him for the top spot? Formula 1 today is full of excitement and unpredictability, and the Canadian Grand Prix is shaping up to be an unforgettable event.
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