First Free Practice Results & Report 2025 Canadian F1 Grand Prix
Event: Canadian F1 Grand Prix
Track: Gilles Villeneuve circuit
Weather: Sunny & dry 17°C
Tarmac: dry 44°C
Humidity: 42%
Wind: 6.4 km/h South
Pressure: 1021 mb
Verstappen Edges Albon in FP1 Thriller as McLaren Play It Coy in Canada
Montreal, 13 June 2025 — Round 10 of the 2025 Formula 1 season kicked off in style under the moody skies of Montreal, as Max Verstappen reminded everyone that Red Bull is still very much in the fight. While McLaren hogged the headlines heading into the Canadian Grand Prix, it was Verstappen who topped the timesheets in Free Practice 1 — but the real story runs much deeper than a simple leaderboard.
❄️ Dust, Drama & Dented Carbon: A Wild Start in Montreal
The Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve wasted no time in biting back. Less than 15 minutes into the session, Charles Leclerc was the first victim, losing his front and rear wings in a hefty impact at Turn 4. The Ferrari man locked up on entry, skated onto the grass, and crunched the wall with a sickening thud. Red flags waved, marshals sprinted, and Leclerc trudged away from a shortened session.
Then came the yellow flags. First it was Franco Colapinto, who had a low-speed spin at Turn 2. Then Kimi Antonelli locked up his rear tyres and had a moment of his own. Both rookies escaped with nothing more than flat-spotted rubber and a few bruised egos.
But they weren’t alone.
🟡 Grass-Trimming & Wall-Kissing
George Russell bounced over the grass. Nico Hülkenberg flirted dangerously with the infamous Wall of Champions, brushing it but carrying on. Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton each had off-track excursions of their own — Norris at Turn 10 (twice!), and Hamilton with a low-speed spin that won’t make the highlight reel but certainly gave Ferrari’s garage another mini heart attack.
Meanwhile, Verstappen — despite some early complaints about steering feedback — kept his RB21 on track and on the limit.
🟢 Verstappen Strikes Late, Albon & Sainz Impress
With the track evolving and grip levels slowly rising, Verstappen fired in a 1:13.193 to go quickest, just 0.039s ahead of a very lively Alex Albon in the Williams — yes, really. Carlos Sainz slotted into P3, just 0.082s off the pace, as Williams’ bounce-back from a forgettable Spanish GP began in earnest.
The top five was rounded out by the Mercedes pair: George Russell in fourth and Lewis Hamilton, despite his earlier pirouette, in fifth.
🧪 McLaren Sandbags or Struggles?
After dominating headlines all week with bold upgrades — including a curious “mermaid tail” front wing and flow-vis paint on Norris’ suspension — McLaren kept their cards close to their papaya-covered chests.
Norris and Piastri ended FP1 in P13 and P14 respectively, with neither appearing to chase lap time. Norris, in particular, looked unsettled on the tricky C6 rubber, reporting grip issues and barely hanging onto the car through the hairpin. But don’t be fooled — this was likely a data-gathering session for Woking, not an all-out performance run.
As Norris wrangled with the McLaren’s balance, team boss Andrea Stella probably chuckled quietly to himself. If there's one thing McLaren have done well this year, it’s hiding their true pace when it counts least — and unleashing it when the lights go out.
🎙️Team Talk: Vowles Aims High, Red Bull Steady, Mercedes Conservative
Williams’ team principal James Vowles was optimistic: “We want both cars in the top 10 this weekend — that’s realistic.” With Albon flying and Bortoleto staying tidy (despite a hairy moment dodging Hamilton and Albon in traffic), that doesn’t sound like PR puff.
Red Bull, on the other hand, had Verstappen’s steering “under observation” but saw no reason to panic. No new parts here, just business as usual — and Max doing Max things.
Mercedes split their tyre strategies, with Hamilton throwing on a second set of softs midway through the session. A sign they’re saving mediums and hards for the race? Or a need to claw back consistency on a track that caught them out last year?
🏎️ Tyres & Tactics: The C6 Gamble
With Pirelli bringing the softest compounds — C4, C5, and C6 — to Montreal, tyre talk was everywhere. The ultra-sticky but ultra-sensitive C6 left several drivers red-faced (and possibly red-tyred), with its narrow working window exposing those pushing too early on a dusty surface.
James Vowles hinted that mediums may play a larger role in Qualifying than expected. With unpredictable weather always lurking in Canada, the tyre mystery might run until Saturday afternoon.
🔄 A Return, A Celebration & A Milestone
Let’s not forget Lance Stroll, who returns at his home Grand Prix after missing Spain due to lingering wrist issues. He clocked in 20 laps, looked reasonably comfortable, and avoided any major hiccups — exactly what Aston Martin needed.
Elsewhere, Haas is celebrating their 200th Grand Prix with a retro livery and throwback race suits. Nico Hülkenberg even kicked things off by channeling the spirit of '99 and brushing the Wall of Champions — on purpose, we assume.
🏁 The Verdict from FP1
Red Bull lead, Williams surprise, McLaren hide, Ferrari fumble, and the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve claims its first victim of the weekend.
While Verstappen’s P1 time may signal intent, don’t bet on that being the full story. With upgrades being assessed, tyre strategies held back, and a rapidly evolving track surface, the real pecking order will only emerge in FP2 or even later.
But for now, Max is back on top. And in this wild 2025 season, that’s enough to make Friday feel like a Sunday.
FP1 Times Table 2025 Canadian GP
| P | No | Driver | Team | Time | 1st Gap | Laps | Tyres |
| 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:13,193 | 28 | S | |
| 2 | 23 | Alex Albon | Williams | 1:13,232 | +0,039s | 28 | S |
| 3 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:13,275 | +0,082s | 30 | S |
| 4 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:13,535 | +0,342s | 29 | S |
| 5 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:13,620 | +0,427s | 30 | S |
| 6 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | 1:13,631 | +0,438s | 31 | S |
| 7 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:13,651 | +0,458s | 30 | S |
| 8 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:13,737 | +0,544s | 30 | S |
| 9 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:13,817 | +0,624s | 29 | S |
| 10 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:13,885 | +0,692s | 9 | S |
| 11 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull | 1:13,927 | +0,734s | 27 | S |
| 12 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:13,972 | +0,779s | 25 | S |
| 13 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:14,002 | +0,809s | 30 | S |
| 14 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:14,198 | +1,005s | 28 | S |
| 15 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:14,203 | +1,010s | 25 | S |
| 16 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber | 1:14,324 | +1,131s | 30 | S |
| 17 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 1:14,520 | +1,327s | 30 | S |
| 18 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 1:14,605 | +1,412s | 23 | S |
| 19 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:14,645 | +1,452s | 29 | S |
| 20 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Sauber | 1:14,821 | +1,628s | 28 | S |
Last time the quickest lap time of FP1 was a 1:18,7288 min, set by Lando Norris with the McLaren driven on a set of soft compound tyres.
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Quite a few lost the rear at the same corners, especially the hairpin, some more than once & what an error by Leclerc for not using the escape space but instead trying to turn right only to lose steering control over the grass & consequently hit the techpro.
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