Hamilton takes over in F1 practice at Canada.
Lewis Hamilton, Formula One World Champion, stole the show in the third free practice session before the Canadian Grand Prix, clocking the fastest lap time with a considerable difference. The Mercedes driver completed the lap in 1:12.549 minutes, leaving his Red Bull rival Max Verstappen trailing by approximately 0.4 seconds. George Russell, Hamilton's British Mercedes teammate, placed third in a strong performance by Mercedes.
The third free practice session was the first since Friday's training that took place without any interruptions on a dry track. The previous session faced challenges due to rain and hail, leaving teams with minimal track time to gather data. The normal pace of switching between fast lap attempts and race simulations was disrupted, and teams were forced to complete this process quickly.
Mercedes put up an impressive showing, while Ferrari had a difficult day. Charles Leclerc from Monaco settled for tenth spot, and Carlos Sainz from Spain finished twelfth. Noting their slow progress, Leclerc communicated over the team radio, "We are really slow." McLaren teams performed exceedingly well, placing Oscar Piastri from Australia in fifth and Lando Norris from Britain in seventh.
Aston Martin surprised with their commendable performance, boasting local favorite Lance Stroll and experienced driver Fernando Alonso from Spain. Stroll came fourth, while Alonso took eighth place. Nico Hülkenberg from Germany ended up 17th, slower than his Haas teammate Kevin Magnussen, who secured 11th place.
The forthcoming qualifying session is scheduled for the evening, around 10 p.m. CEST, and rain is expected. The ninth rally of the Formula 1 season will kick off on Sunday evening at 8 p.m. CEST, broadcast on Sky.
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In the qualifying session later in the evening, Lewis Hamilton aims to secure a pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix, continuing his strong form. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing will be looking to close the gap and challenge Hamilton's dominance. Despite facing expected rain, Mercedes AMG and Red Bull Racing are expected to lead the charge, with George Russell and Hamilton likely to fight for top spots, while Verstappen and Sergio Perez will push from behind.
