Fernando Alonso clocked the fastest lap in a rain-disrupted Free Practice 2 session at the Canadian Grand Prix. The Spaniard took advantage of drier conditions earlier in the session to set his quickest time. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen’s session was cut short due to a technical issue.
Under overcast skies and with the threat of rain looming, drivers hurried to get laps in when the session began at 1700 local time. Verstappen led a line of cars out of the pit lane, hoping to capitalize on the dry window before the weather turned.
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Charles Leclerc faced scrutiny from the stewards for using intermediate tyres on a track that hadn’t been declared wet, a potential infraction that would be reviewed after the session.
As most drivers initially opted for slick tyres, worsening rain led to tricky conditions. Notably, Lance Stroll and Kevin Magnussen had off-track excursions due to the increasing rain before the weather started to clear again.
As the session approached its midway point, Max Verstappen reported a concerning issue from his RB20, saying, “I smell a bit of smoke.” The Dutchman safely returned to the Red Bull garage, where mechanics began diagnosing the problem.
On the track, congestion became a significant issue, frustrating drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz. However, as the rain intensified, everyone returned to the pit lane, leading to a quiet period with Fernando Alonso still holding the fastest lap.
Red Bull confirmed that Verstappen would not be able to rejoin the session due to an ERS problem. As the session neared its end, the rain subsided, and many drivers switched to intermediate tyres for their final runs.
Despite the drying track, Alonso’s earlier lap time of 1m 15.810s in the Aston Martin remained unbeaten. George Russell secured the second-fastest time for Mercedes, with Lance Stroll taking P3. Charles Leclerc, who had a late spin, ended up in P4, and Daniel Ricciardo’s RB completed the top five.
Kevin Magnussen of Haas secured the sixth spot, just ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who placed seventh, and Yuki Tsunoda of RB in eighth. Alex Albon finished ninth for Williams, while Sergio Perez completed the top ten as the only Red Bull to finish the session.
Esteban Ocon, whose departure from Alpine was announced earlier in the Montreal weekend, recorded the 11th fastest time. Williams’ Logan Sargeant was 12th, followed by Carlos Sainz in 13th, and Kick Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas in 14th.
Nico Hulkenberg took 15th for Haas, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in 16th and Kick Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu in 17th. Max Verstappen, who exited the session early, ended up in 18th place. Pierre Gasly in the Alpine and McLaren’s Lando Norris rounded out the field in 19th and 20th, respectively.
Canadian GP FP2 Results
2024 Canadian Grand Prix FP2, 7 June 2024
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