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Alonso tops FP2 as major problem ends Verstappen's day early
Fernando Alonso tops another wet practice session in Canada. The Aston Martin set his fastest time when the track was at its best. A rain shower then forced drivers to use intermediate tyres. George Russell and Lance Stroll rounded out the top three, but much of the focus is on Red Bull Racing. Max Verstappen's day ended early with an ERS fault on his new powerunit.
Problems for Ferrari and Red Bull
Drivers rushed out of the garage due to the imminent threat of rain. Completely dry running was not possible in FP1, though a dry line and slick tyres were used in the closing stages. Verstappen was at the front of the FP2 queue and started rolling as soon as the green light came on. He and others completed one lap on the dry tyres before the FIA confirmed it was a wet track. The rain wasn't hard at the 10-minute mark, yet all drivers sat in the garage apart from Pierre Gasly.
Ferrari started the second free practice for the Canadian Grand Prix disastrously. Charles Leclerc was sent out on the wrong tyres. The FIA had not declared the circuit wet when he used intermediates. As a result, Ferrari and Leclerc were placed 'under investigation' by the stewards.
But Verstappen had bigger problems. He smelt smoke in the car and had to jump straight out when he got back to the garage, ending his session. Prior to FP1, the Dutchman was fitted with a new power unit, and Red Bull confirmed to GPblog that it was an ERS fault.
The rain intensified around the middle of the session, meaning only intermediate tyres could be used. This meant that the times from the early part of the session couldn't be beaten, and it ensured that question marks over set-up and performance will remain unanswered overnight.