The best thing about the third free practice session of the Canadian Grand Prix is that it leaves everything wide open for qualifying. It’s difficult, almost impossible, to find a clear favorite since the four top teams all have the chance to fight for pole, although some have slightly better chances than others.
McLaren finds balance but only with Norris
Starting with the championship leaders, the MCL39 seemed less nervous and easier to manage, but only in the hands of Lando Norris. The Woking car continues to show the highest amount of aerodynamic downforce compared to the competition, but with a setup that is less loaded than on the first day. The impression is that this allows Lando Norris to better manage the C6 tire, which is a puzzle for almost everyone, while Oscar Piastri struggles more to hit that needle’s eye ideal tire window. Compared to the first two sessions, the balance between front and rear has definitely improved, and McLaren leverages its excellent traction, even if it cannot fully exploit its aerodynamic strengths and the ability to run very low to the ground (in Montreal everyone has to raise the ride height to manage curbs), becoming more approachable and perhaps vulnerable at least in qualifying trim.
Mercedes strong at the rear, less so at the front
The other car in great form is clearly the Mercedes, which seems made for the Canadian track: restarts from low speeds where it can rely on a very strong rear end, slow corners, and not too high temperatures are all great aids to the W16, though with some limitations on the front axle that from the session data seem to cause issues under braking, especially in the first sector. The silver arrows’ top speed is very good, a big help in the third sector.
Red Bull light and fast but with braking problems
Who appears to have good potential but struggles to express it is Max Verstappen’s Red Bull. Yuki Tsunoda, last in the standings, seems to have entered the negative spiral that hit his predecessors, while Verstappen shows excellent top speed and traction as well as good cornering, but the braking phases bring significant time loss. It does not seem to be a pure balance issue but rather a brake usage problem, with some aspects related to brake bias, brake shape, and other parameters significantly hindering Max, preventing him from attacking braking zones as required on this track. If Verstappen can fix this issue before qualifying, he will certainly have the chance to fight for important positions like pole or front row.
Ferrari sharp, the only team with 2 cars in the fight
Finally, but only in narrative order, there is the Maranello team, with Charles Leclerc immediately in form and comfortable, and Lewis Hamilton fast and convincing as well. Ferrari is the only team with two cars in the top 5, an unmistakable sign of a strong qualifying approach. The car responds well in traction, with a downforce level slightly lower than McLaren’s and at the same time a good balance between braking and traction. Charles Leclerc’s error at the tight hairpin, where he had to overtake another car on entry losing the racing line entirely, cost the Monegasque about 120 thousandths, meaning the number 16 SF-25 potentially had the best time of the session. Just behind Charles Leclerc is a solid and quick Lewis Hamilton, confirming a great balance for the SF25. The impression is that the Maranello team can leverage, on one hand, a track without too many compromises, forcing everyone, once again as in Monaco, to raise the car and soften the suspension, especially at the rear. On the other hand, some “invisible” improvements under the bodywork, probably in the mechanical-suspension department, allow the car to work with more suitable and consistent ride heights. All this will need to be confirmed in qualifying. We will see who prevails among the five drivers fighting for the front row in what promises to be a less predictable and more exciting weekend than expected.
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