George Russell set the fastest lap in Friday afternoon’s Formula 1 Canadian GP practice, narrowly edging out Lando Norris in a session that saw Mercedes-powered cars dominate as chaos struck several drivers.
The 2025 Canadian Grand Prix Free Practice 2 session at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve was defined by a blend of outright pace, technical mishaps, and a persistent tyre conundrum due to the ever changing track conditions.
From the moment the pit lane opened the anticipation was palpable. The field, reduced to 19 cars due to Charles Leclerc’s absence following his heavy crash in FP1 was eager to make the most of the hour-long session.
Leclerc’s Ferrari required a chassis change after sustaining significant tub damage and the Scuderia was left with no option but to sit out FP2, awaiting regulatory approval for the new survival cell before Saturday’s running.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was among the first to set a representative time but it was Lewis Hamilton who quickly surpassed him, only to be outdone by Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon as the times rapidly tumbled.
However, it was George Russell who soon stamped his authority on the session, setting a benchmark lap of 1:13.482 before further improving as the session unfolded.
F1 Canadian Grand Prix 2025 FP2 Results
F1 Canadian Grand Prix 2025 FP1 Results
The first major incident of FP2 came less than ten minutes in after local favorite Lance Stroll, recently returned from a hand injury, clipped the wall at the exit of Turn 7.
The impact broke the front-left suspension of his Aston Martin, forcing him to limp to a halt at the Turn 10 hairpin much to the disappointment of the home crowd. His session ended before he could set a competitive time, marking another setback in what has been a challenging season for the Canadian driver.
With Stroll and Leclerc sidelined, the focus shifted to the battle at the sharp end of the field.
Russell having initially set the pace on the soft compound switched to the medium Pirelli C5 tire and delivered a lap of 1:12.123 just 23 minutes in, with his time ultimately proving unbeatable throughout the second Canadian GP practice.
Meanwhile, Lando Norris fell just 0.028 seconds short of Russell’s time with a 1:12.151 after finding a clear lap on the softs with 26 minutes remaining.
Rookie sensation Kimi Antonelli continued to impress in the sister W16, clocking the third-fastest time of the session on soft tires. His lap of 1:12.411 was just under three-tenths off his teammate, consolidating Mercedes’ status as the team to beat in Montreal.
Williams enjoyed a standout session with Alex Albon delivering a lap good enough for fourth place while his teammate Carlos Sainz finished seventh, further highlighting the team’s resurgence and the effectiveness of their latest upgrades.
The Mercedes powered FW47 appeared well-suited to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve’s long straights and heavy braking zones.
Fernando Alonso rounded out the top five for Aston Martin despite a brief off-track excursion at Turn 4/5, while Oscar Piastri slotted into sixth place with a 1:12.562, just ahead of Sainz.
Lewis Hamilton finished eighth despite an early brush with the grass at Turn 4 – the same spot where Leclerc crashed during FP1 – but ultimately did not impact his running.
Max Verstappen found himself in ninth place, just 0.543 seconds off Russell’s benchmark while his former teammate Liam Lawson completed the top ten for Racing Bulls.
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Lawson’s teammate Isack Hadjar finished just behind in 11th ahead of Pierre Gasly and Kick Sauber duo of Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg who finished 13th and 14th, respectively. Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda was 15th while Haas duo Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon finished 16th and 17th.
Franco Colapinto spun at the same corner as in FP1 but avoided major damage, ultimately finishing eighteenth.
