Mixed Emotions for the Team on Friday in Montreal
Montreal, 14 June 2025 — The first day of running at the Canadian Grand Prix presented a blend of progress and setbacks for the team, as both drivers faced very different challenges during Friday’s practice sessions.
Early Incident for Leclerc in FP1
Charles Leclerc’s day was cut short in the opening session after a mistake in the tricky chicane between Turns 3 and 4 led to a crash. A lock-up sent him onto the grass, and he subsequently made contact with the barriers. The damage to his SF-25 was significant enough to require a replacement of the survival cell, ruling him out of the afternoon session. However, under the current regulations, Leclerc will be permitted to take part in Saturday’s final practice.
Despite the setback, Leclerc remained positive:
“It was a small mistake with big consequences. I feel sorry for the team, as we missed valuable running time. Still, the car felt good before the incident, and I’m confident this won’t affect the rest of our weekend,” he said.
Solid Mileage for Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton had a more productive day, completing both sessions without issue. In FP1, he placed fifth while running on the Soft compound. In FP2, he split his run plan across Medium and Soft tyres, ultimately focusing on longer stints to gather data for Sunday’s race. He ended the session in P8 and noted some tyre graining on the Medium compound.
Hamilton offered a realistic assessment of the car’s current state:
“The car was enjoyable to drive, but we’re still chasing a bit more performance. The long runs revealed some graining, so there’s work to do overnight to optimize the setup,” he commented.
Track Evolution and Outlook
As is typical in Montreal, the circuit was dusty early on but improved considerably as rubber built up throughout the day. The team will now analyze data overnight to refine the setup for FP3 and qualifying.
Saturday promises more answers as both drivers look to maximize their potential ahead of Sunday’s race.
