F1 Canada: Charles Leclerc vents radio frustration over Ferrari strategy and battery issues. Charles Leclerc frustrated in Canadian GP FP1 as Ferrari battles technical and communication setbacks.

Ferrari on the back foot in Montreal as Charles Leclerc voices frustration over SF-26 issues

The opening Free Practice session for the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix unfolded in unusual fashion, with multiple interruptions repeatedly disrupting the running at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Because of the stop-start nature of the session, race control opted to extend FP1 in an effort to give teams and drivers more meaningful track time before Sprint qualifying, which is scheduled to take place shortly after.

It was a complicated and fragmented session, ultimately topped by Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who delivered a fastest lap of 1:13.402 on the soft compound tyres. Mercedes locked out the top two positions, with George Russell securing second place to complete yet another impressive one-two finish for the Brackley-based team.

Mercedes leaves rivals behind

The Mercedes one-two appeared to be a direct result of the latest upgrade package introduced by the team this weekend, with the clear objective of stretching its advantage over the competition once again, starting with McLaren.

That target appeared to be achieved immediately, as Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell finished more than seven-tenths of a second clear of the chasing pack. Leading that group was Lewis Hamilton in third place, with the Ferrari driver among the most competitive performers despite the various challenges encountered by the Scuderia throughout the session.

Charles Leclerc placed fourth in the second Ferrari, but his deficit to the session leader was close to one full second. While the margin was significant, it was not entirely unexpected, given Ferrari arrived in Montreal prepared for a defensive weekend rather than expecting to fight at the front. The Maranello team has not introduced any major upgrades here, with its next significant development package expected to debut from the Spanish Grand Prix onward.

Charles Leclerc voices frustration

Ferrari had already anticipated some difficulties due to the SF-26’s limited compatibility with the characteristics of the Montreal circuit. However, those expected performance limitations were compounded by less-than-perfect session management from the pit wall, particularly in communication with the drivers, as well as technical concerns affecting Charles Leclerc’s car.

As a result, the Ferrari driver did not hide his frustration over team radio during the session.

Bryan Bozzi: “Switch back to race mode.”

Charles Leclerc: “Why? I need to get past the traffic. Hello????”

Bryan Bozzi: “Ok Charles, you can use mode 1.”

Later in the session, Charles Leclerc also reported a technical issue with his Ferrari, specifically linked to the energy recovery system and battery charging.

Charles Leclerc: “The battery is not charging…”