Kimi Antonelli topped Friday’s sole practice for the Canadian Grand Prix, a session repeatedly halted by red flags. The Mercedes rookie set a swift 13.402s lap on soft tyres, edging teammate George Russell, who later spun at the opening corner. With sprint qualifying looming, teams faced limited track time to fine‑tune setups on Montreal’s street circuit.

Technical hiccups plagued the hour‑long run: Franco Colapinto limped back to the pits with a suspected electrical fault, Liam Lawson stopped at Turn 4, and Alex Albon collided with a groundhog, triggering a 15‑minute stoppage. The FIA also trialled a new rear‑light system to signal MGU‑K power derating, adding another layer of complexity for drivers.

When the session resumed, Russell briefly improved to 13.544s before shaving it to 13.402s, only for Antonelli to reclaim the top spot with 13.402s. Lewis Hamilton settled third, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen trailed. Verstappen complained of heavy steering during downshifts, and Esteban Ocon’s crash ended the final green‑flag run, leaving the grid set for today’s sprint qualifying.