Mercedes could hardly have asked for a stronger start to the Canadian GP weekend as Kimi Antonelli topped the only practice session before Sprint Qualifying, leading teammate George Russell in a chaotic FP1 that gave the Silver Arrows early control in Montreal.
With Sprint format pressure leaving teams just one hour of running to understand setup, tyre behaviour, and circuit evolution, the importance of Canadian GP FP1 was far greater than a standard race weekend. Mercedes immediately looked comfortable on a tricky Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, and their substantial upgrade package appeared to deliver exactly the response they had been hoping for. From the early runs, both Antonelli and Russell looked planted through the high-speed sections and more stable than many of their direct rivals on a surface that remained dirty and unpredictable.
Antonelli set the fastest lap of the session with a 1:13.402, finishing 0.142 seconds clear of Russell to complete a commanding Mercedes one-two. The Italian continues to build momentum at the top of the championship, and this was another composed display from a driver who increasingly looks comfortable leading both the standings and Mercedes’ push. More importantly, the pace looked sustainable rather than a one-off lap, as both drivers repeatedly found time as the track improved.
Antonelli edges Russell in another internal Mercedes fight
The fight between Antonelli and Russell was one of the strongest themes of FP1, and it once again highlighted how close the Mercedes pairing could be throughout the weekend. Russell initially looked capable of setting the benchmark after switching onto soft tyres and becoming the first major front-runner to properly attack on the red-walled compound. He briefly moved fastest with a 1:13.850, despite losing time through the final sector where traction out of the hairpin remained tricky.
Antonelli responded almost immediately. Using stronger traction on corner exit and a cleaner final part of the lap, the championship leader produced a 1:13.402 to move nearly half a second clear at that stage. It was another calm and measured answer under pressure, reinforcing that Antonelli continues to grow in confidence when the pace matters.
Russell remained firmly in the fight, but his final runs became untidy as grip continued evolving. He locked up into Turn 1, later spun at Turn 2, and lightly brushed the wall before recovering without major damage. Even with those mistakes, Mercedes still looked comfortably ahead of the field, and Russell’s pace suggested the front-row battle may once again be an internal Silver Arrows fight.
Ferrari stay close as Hamilton leads the chase
Behind Mercedes, Ferrari looked like the most immediate challenger, although they never quite appeared capable of matching the same consistency over a full lap. Lewis Hamilton finished third and ended FP1 as the best non-Mercedes driver, finishing 0.774 seconds adrift of Antonelli. Charles Leclerc followed in fourth, ensuring both Ferraris remained inside the top four.
The Scuderia looked stable through much of the lap, but compared to Mercedes, they lacked that final edge in traction and confidence through corner exits. Hamilton and Leclerc both remained competitive enough to keep Ferrari in the conversation heading into Sprint Qualifying, though FP1 suggested they still had a small but clear deficit to close if they want to challenge at the front.
Verstappen and McLaren fight low grip in difficult conditions
Max Verstappen completed the top five, but Red Bull never looked fully settled throughout the session. The Dutchman repeatedly reported issues over the radio, mentioning strange downshift snaps before later complaining that the steering had suddenly become heavier. He also had an off-track moment at Turn 8, another sign that the RB package lacked stability on a surface still offering inconsistent grip.
McLaren also endured a difficult session. Lando Norris had several off-track moments, including a lock-up into Turn 13, another trip across the grass, and a messy final push lap while trying to extract more pace. Oscar Piastri looked stronger at points and even briefly topped the order earlier on hard tyres, but his soft-tyre run was interrupted by a major lock-up that ruined what had been a promising purple middle sector.
The dirty Canadian GP surface consistently caught drivers out, and with only one practice session available before Sprint Qualifying, the pressure to push while still learning grip levels created mistakes across the grid.
Albon’s groundhog incident becomes one of FP1’s biggest moments
One of the strangest moments of the session involved Alex Albon, whose weekend suffered an early setback after striking a groundhog near Turn 7. The impact caused significant damage to the Williams, particularly around the rear of the car, effectively ending his running and immediately putting the team under pressure ahead of Sprint Qualifying.
The incident triggered the second red flag of the session and became one of the defining moments of Canadian GP FP1. For Williams, who had brought updates of their own into Montreal, it was a frustrating interruption at the worst possible time.
Three red flags heavily disrupt the only practice session
The wider story of FP1 was how fragmented the entire session became. With teams only having one hour before competitive running, uninterrupted laps were crucial. Instead, repeated stoppages forced teams to constantly adapt setup plans, tyre preparation, and data collection.
The first red flag of the Canadian GP came after Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls machine suffered a mechanical issue and stopped on track. His session ended almost immediately, and the team later faced further scrutiny after Lawson was summoned to the stewards regarding the stranded car and clutch-reset issue.
The second stoppage followed Albon’s groundhog strike, while the third and heaviest red flag came after Esteban Ocon lost the rear exiting Turn 4, spun heavily, and hit the barriers nose-first. The Haas suffered major front-end damage, scattering debris across the circuit and ending another crucial run of uninterrupted track time. To make matters worse, Ocon was also noted for leaving the pit lane under a red light as the session neared its close.neared its close.
Midfield battle already looks tight
Away from the front, the midfield once again looked closely packed. Arvid Lindblad quietly delivered another impressive session by finishing eighth for Racing Bulls, continuing his strong rookie form. Nico Hulkenberg placed ninth for Audi, reinforcing the team’s encouraging pace, while Fernando Alonso completed the top ten for Aston Martin.
Gabriel Bortoleto remained just outside the leading group, while Pierre Gasly struggled to put together a cleaner lap than Alpine would have hoped. Franco Colapinto suffered one of the most frustrating sessions of anyone on the grid after reporting throttle issues, later confirmed as a power unit problem, which prevented him from setting a representative lap.
Mercedes head into Sprint Qualifying as favourites
If Canadian GP Practice delivered one clear message, it is that Mercedes have arrived in Montreal in strong shape. Their upgrades appear to be working immediately, Antonelli continues to look increasingly complete under pressure, and Russell remains close enough to ensure the internal battle remains a key storyline.
With Ferrari still chasing, Red Bull trying to solve balance concerns, McLaren fighting grip, and multiple teams losing valuable running time, the Silver Arrows head into Sprint Qualifying with clear momentum. After a chaotic and heavily disrupted opening hour in Montreal, Mercedes leave Canadian GP FP1 looking like the team to beat.
