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Hamilton preparing to produce a shock? The Brit goes fastest in FP3
Lewis Hamilton has finished the third free practice session as the fastest driver. Mercedes raised the bar in Canada, creating question marks for qualifying. Ferrari were off the pace, and Charles Leclerc expressed his concerns. Max Verstappen finished second, and George Russell rounded out the top three.
Mercedes were patting themselves on the back on Friday. Both Hamilton and Russell reported positive feelings despite the conditions, and they have backed that up with another impressive result in FP3. Verstappen was uncomfortable with his RB20, with some radio messages about bouncing. Still, the Dutchman finished faster than both McLaren and both Ferraris.
Charles Leclerc put a message on the radio expressing his concerns for qualifying: "We are extremely slow". Leclerc finished 10th and Sainz could only manage 12th. Piastri and Norris finished 5th and sixth, respectively. Lance Stroll, the home favourite this weekend, finished fourth.
What happened during FP3 in Canada?
Teams and drivers were desperate for a dry session after rain disrupted FP1 and FP2 on Friday. They got their wish, and so a long queue formed at the pit exit in preparation for the green light. Red Bull and Verstappen made sure they were at the front of the queue after the Dutchman experienced an ERS issue on Friday. Verstappen looked quick but had several twitches on the opening lap, including missing the final chicane.
Zhou Guanyu spun at the first corner and hit the barrier. He was unable to continue, so he caused a red flag for the second time this weekend. The Chinese driver was keen to inspect the rear of his car for damage. The opening 15 minutes didn't create a clear picture. There were big differences in lap times due to the fact teams were running different run plans. The situation caused Verstappen to top the timesheet, with Kevin Magnussen and Pierre Gasly in second and third with 45 minutes on the clock.
The session soon resumed and it was Alonso who raised the bar at the top of the timesheets. He was using hard tyres, whereas other drivers had set their quickest times on the medium compound. Logan Sargeant was the first to push on the soft tyres, and he went to the top of the timesheet. He was soon replaced by Russell. McLaren, Ferrari and Hamilton also upped the pace and moved towards the top of the list with 20 minutes left.
Alex Albon clipped the Wall of Champions but avoided a major crash. He had to back off and coast due to some damage picked up from the impact. With 10 minutes remaining, Hamilton really raised the bar. The driver, who has won eight times in Canada, went seven-tenths faster than his teammate. Verstappen improved his own time, but was still six-tenths shy of the Brit.