Max Verstappen set the fastest time during the First Free Practice (FP1) session of the Canadian Grand Prix. The Red Bull Racing driver led Lewis Hamilton, and his fellow Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo at the top of the timesheets.
Canadian GP – Free Practice 1 Results
Max Verstappen tops his first session of 2018 ?#F1 ?? #CanadianGP pic.twitter.com/eiXV3VO1jN
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 8, 2018
Williams‘ Sergey Sirotkin set the first timed lap. Whilst Red Bull drivers, Ricciardo and Verstappen, were the first of the “big boys” to hit the track.
First full lap, first on the timing screens
Sergey Sirotkin posts a 1:23.556 to get things underway ⏱#F1 ?? #CanadianGP pic.twitter.com/kLtNk0Xsx9
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 8, 2018
With a track temperature of 31°C, the Canadian Grand Prix weekend got off to a dry start. The hypersoft tires were the tyre of choice in the early stages of the practice, along with the ultra and supersoft Pirelli tires.
Renault runs into trouble
Nico Hulkenberg‘s Renault stopped on track after a gearbox issue. With an hour left in the session, the Virtual Safety Car was deployed briefly, until the session was red-flagged. The German couldn’t set an official lap time.
? RED FLAG ?
HUL ? : “I’m stuck in neutral… I’m shifting but it’s not doing anything” ?#F1 ?? #CanadianGP pic.twitter.com/8dFIeN1bHm
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 8, 2018
The hypersoft tyres were fast over one lap. Fernando Alonso managed to be briefly fastest in his McLaren-Renault until the drivers of the top 3 teams leap-frogged him.
Verstappen had his first flying lap with less than 40 minutes to go in the session, but was on top of the time sheets in the next few laps.
Stroll’s homecoming
Williams’ Canadian driver Lance Stroll was the first to hit the infamous “wall of champions”. The young Canadian touched the barriers which caused a right-rear tire puncture and some damage to his car.
Williams’ struggles continued at the end of the session when Sirotkin spun off the track and touch the wall at turn 7.
The Wall of Champions claims its latest victim
Lance Stroll tags the wall out of the final corner ?
He limps back with a damaged right-rear wheel#F1 ?? #CanadianGP pic.twitter.com/pDWrHyhyMn
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 8, 2018
Scuderia Ferrari performed like it normally does in the Friday sessions. Sebastian Vettel finished the session in fourth place, whilst Kimi Räikkönen ended up sixth.
FP1 Results:
| Pos | Driver | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1:13.302 | 26 | ||
| 2 | 1:13.390 | +0.088s | 29 | |
| 3 | 1:13.518 | +0.216s | 24 | |
| 4 | 1:13.574 | +0.272s | 19 | |
| 5 | 1:13.617 | +0.315s | 31 | |
| 6 | 1:13.727 | +0.425s | 28 | |
| 7 | 1:13.900 | +0.598s | 27 | |
| 8 | 1:14.116 | +0.814s | 24 | |
| 9 | 1:14.311 | +1.009s | 19 | |
| 10 | 1:15.004 | +1.702s | 31 | |
| 11 | 1:15.071 | +1.769s | 29 | |
| 12 | 1:15.119 | +1.817s | 21 | |
| 13 | 1:15.386 | +2.084s | 30 | |
| 14 | 1:15.439 | +2.137s | 30 | |
| 15 | 1:15.579 | +2.277s | 21 | |
| 16 | 1:15.756 | +2.454s | 38 | |
| 17 | 1:15.768 | +2.466s | 30 | |
| 18 | 1:16.259 | +2.957s | 16 | |
| 19 | 1:17.145 | +3.843s | 28 | |
| 20 | 3 |
MAIN PHOTO:
Embed from Getty Images
