Formula 1 returned to action in Montreal with a chaotic FP1 where Kimi Antonelli topped the timesheets to mark the start of the 2026 F1 Canadian GP.
Several teams, including McLaren and current championship leaders Mercedes, introduced both minor and major upgrades heading into the weekend. With Sprint Qualifying taking place in the afternoon, FP1 proved crucial for teams to gather data on their new packages around the low-downforce Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
A rocky start for Colapinto and Lindblad in FP1 at the 2026 F1 Canadian GP
Fernando Alonso led the pack onto the track as the one-hour session began. Most drivers began their session with hard tires, with the exception of Checo Perez on softs, and Arvid Lindblad, Liam Lawson, and Valtteri Bottas on mediums. As drivers began their first laps, an early technical issue appeared on Franco Colapinto’s Alpine as he slowly made his way back to the garage.
While Max Verstappen took the top spot with a benchmark time of 1:15.895, Lawson brought out a Virtual Safety Car after stopping on track as his Racing Bull car suffered a hydraulic issue. Race Control was quick to red flag the session, with the remainder of the field returning to the pits as Lawson’s car was recovered.
FP1 extended
FP1 resumed at 12:46 local time as Race Control extended the session by 4 minutes. As drivers returned to the track with 46 minutes remaining, Oscar Piastri and George Russell took turns topping the timesheets until Piastri took P1 with 1:14.963. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton jumped up to P2, just 0.442s off Piastri’s time.
However, not long after, FP1 saw its second red flag after Alex Albon hit a groundhog, causing him to spin and brush the wall at Turns 6 and 7, heavily damaging his Williams car. Albon walked away from the incident with no injury.
Although the session’s red flag soon turned into a yellow flag, drivers remained in the pits. Race Control soon shared that the session would resume at 13:13 local time, with an additional 15 minutes.
35 minutes remain
Drivers resumed the 2026 F1 Canadian GP FP1 session, with track temperatures increasing. Notably, the upgraded Mercedes package proved promising with Kimi Antonelli and Russell constantly swapping the fastest times. With 20 minutes left, Antonelli led the timesheets with a 1:14.392, followed by Russell, the McLaren duo, and the Ferraris.
Sitting in P5, Lewis Hamilton locked up and ran wide, picking up a significant flat spot, though he still managed to climb up to P3. Meanwhile, Alpine announced that Colapinto’s PU will be changed, and he will not return to the track.
Ocon brings out the third red flag
Heading into the final 10 minutes, driver mistakes increased. While Piastri locked up and ran wide, Russell spun on track, lightly touching the barrier. Esteban Ocon soon brought out another FP1 red flag after making contact with the wall and losing his front wing.
With less than two minutes remaining, drivers slowly made their way back on track for their final laps around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Kimi Antonelli ultimately finished on top, followed by Russell and Hamilton in P2 and P3, respectively.
