2024 Canadian GP FP1: Norris Leads Disrupted Session

During a rain-soaked first free practice session for the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix, McLaren’s Lando Norris clocked the fastest time, outpacing Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, as well as Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.

The session began at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve under the looming threat of dark clouds. Despite expectations, the paddock was taken aback by the severe rain and hail that eventually drenched the track.

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The newly resurfaced track and inherently low-grip conditions made for a challenging start to the weekend, further complicated when Alpine reserve Jack Doohan took to the track in Esteban Ocon’s car for another FP1 run.

Despite additional rain at 13:51, drivers ventured out on the track, negotiating the slippery surface on Pirelli’s intermediate and wet tyres, and began familiarising themselves with the tricky conditions.

Lewis Hamilton reported “very low grip” over the radio, a fact underscored by slow-motion footage of his upgraded Mercedes skidding along the track. He finished his initial laps with a time of 1m 36.654s.

The session saw early drama when Zhou Guanyu of Kick Sauber lost control due to aquaplaning at Turn 5, crashing into a wall and causing suspension damage. The incident brought out the red flags and halted the session temporarily.

Once the session restarted, drivers eagerly returned to the track, posting quicker times as conditions improved with the rain subsiding and a mostly dry line forming.

Sainz set a fast lap of 1m 27.485s on intermediates before the session shifted gears with the first appearance of slick tyres. Leclerc switched to softs, setting a trend and lighting up the timesheets with competitive times.

The practice session began on schedule at 13:30 local time, although the pit lane remained closed for nearly 30 minutes as officials cleared standing water from the 4.361-kilometer track. As the session progressed, patches of blue sky appeared, marking an upturn in weather conditions.

In a dramatic final attempt, Norris navigated through lingering wet patches to seize the top spot with a lap time of 1m 24.435s. Sainz finished closely behind, three-tenths of a second slower in second place, followed by Leclerc who was nearly a second off the pace in third, and Hamilton trailing by 1.5 seconds.

Max Verstappen placed his Red Bull in fifth, ahead of Norris’s teammate Oscar Piastri, and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly. Valtteri Bottas from Kick Sauber, Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez, and George Russell of Mercedes completed the top ten.

Further down the order, the RB pair of Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda, along with the Haas duo of Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg, were ranked from eleventh to fourteenth. Aston Martin teammates Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll—separated by Williams’ Logan Sargeant—were the final drivers to record a time.

Home crowd favorite Stroll experienced a minor off-track excursion onto the grass during his late stint on soft tyres, fortunately without major incident, contrasting with the earlier mishap of the sidelined Zhou. FP1 participant Jack Doohan and Williams’ other driver, Alex Albon, rounded out the field.

Canadian GP FP1 Results

2024 Canadian Grand Prix FP1, 7 June 2024