FP1 report – Canadian GP: Charles Leclerc hits the wall, McLaren conducts aero testing. Charles Leclerc crashes early in FP1 at the Canadian GP as Max Verstappen tops the timesheets.

The Canadian GP weekend has officially begun. The teams completed the first free practice session. In FP1, Charles Leclerc crashed just 10 minutes into the session, marking a tough start for Ferrari, while McLaren appeared somewhat underwhelming.

Max Verstappen dominated the session, ahead of the two Williams cars of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz Jr.

Some details
McLaren brought updates to Canada and decided to mount rakes on Oscar Piastri’s car to assess the effectiveness of the new front wing. After two laps, the championship leader returned to the pits to change the wing and carry out comparison work. The Papaya team dedicated only the first 10 minutes to this test, then removed the rakes and sent Piastri back out to continue the session.

The opening minutes
FP1 began with a yellow flag caused by Franco Colapinto. However, the Argentine driver managed to resume immediately. Other drivers, including Lewis Hamilton, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, and Lando Norris, also made mistakes.

Grip on the track was very low, and only after several minutes did the drivers begin to find the right feeling.

Ferrari disaster
Charles Leclerc’s session ended early. Just 15 minutes in, the Monegasque locked up and hit the wall, triggering a red flag. Driver #16 admitted over the team radio that he had misjudged the corner, failing to take the escape road. Before the crash, the Monegasque had set the fastest time on soft tyres (1:13.885).

FP1 resumes in Canada
The track, made particularly slippery due to dust, caused several mistakes, including a spin by Lewis Hamilton. The drivers completed multiple runs on soft tyres. Tyre degradation was not excessive.

There were many on-track risks and instances of impeding. However, since these were free practice sessions, no drivers will be penalised. Williams looked very competitive over a single lap.

Compared to other teams, McLaren spent the entire FP1 session conducting tests to assess the efficiency of new components. Flow-vis paint was heavily applied to both cars, particularly on the rear wing and front area. The Papaya team, however, seemed to struggle, especially in Turn 10. Both drivers complained about the car’s balance.