Alonso Leads as Rain Disrupts Canada EL2

Alonso sets pace in a rain-hit EL2 session in Montreal, while Verstappen’s pit troubles add to the chaos.

After a rain-disrupted EL1 session, drivers and teams hoped for a smoother continuation of the Canadian Grand Prix with dry weather. No rain fell between sessions, raising expectations for dry conditions in EL2.

However, as drivers lined up in the pit lane on slick tyres, rain began to fall on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve just before the green light. Those ready to head out were left with dry tyres on a wet track.

Drivers remarked that the track was already too wet to drive, but Lewis Hamilton stayed out to complete a few laps, as did Pierre Gasly. Ferrari fitted intermediate tyres to Charles Leclerc’s car before the track was declared wet, an incident noted by race control for post-session review.

Hamilton set a time of 1’34, while Gasly improved significantly to 1’29.007. The Frenchman continued to push, improving to 1’24.389, and reported over the radio that track conditions were getting better. He then clocked a 1’22.589.

Surprisingly, Guanyu Zhou ventured out on intermediates while several drivers stuck with slicks. Gasly continued to improve, recording a 1’20.789, though rain seemed to return in some parts of the circuit.

Piastri could not better his second position time, with Daniel Ricciardo placing third ahead of Fernando Alonso and Yuki Tsunoda. Hamilton eventually secured second as rain intensified in the third sector, with George Russell moving into second.

Ricciardo set the fastest time with 1’20.704, immediately surpassed by Alonso at 1’20.599. The Spaniard improved further to 1’20.451 before Lance Stroll took the lead with 1’19.841. Despite the rain in the final sector, drivers continued to improve.

Alonso significantly quickened to 1’18.662 to reclaim the top spot, with Logan Sargeant taking eighth. Like Alonso, Hamilton was hindered by a Ferrari in the final chicane. Alonso improved to 1’17.835. Leclerc took third, and Sargeant fourth, while Alex Albon narrowly avoided crashing his Williams into the Wall of Champions.

The Thai driver set the second fastest time, soon bettered by Stroll in second. Max Verstappen’s first timed lap placed him fourth, with Esteban Ocon fifth. Magnussen moved into third.

Alonso continued to improve, recording 1’16.668, beaten by Leclerc on mediums with 1’16.556. Hamilton secured third. Verstappen returned to the pits after his first lap, reporting his car smelled of smoke. Indeed, the car was smoking as it entered the pits, and the mechanics seemed unable to touch it.

With the rain gone, race control reactivated DRS, and Stroll moved into third. Hamilton set the two best sector times but faltered in the final chicane, hindered again by the Ferraris. Alonso reclaimed the top spot with 1’15.810. Stroll followed closely, with Russell slotting between the Aston Martins.

Rain returned to the circuit, expected to persist until after the session, ending dry running and solidifying the times set by the drivers, with Alonso and Aston Martin leading.

Esteban Ocon returned to the track on a soaked surface, needing laps after missing EL1. Meanwhile, Red Bull mechanics shielded their garage as colleagues worked to dismantle Verstappen’s RB20.

Red Bull confirmed Verstappen’s RB20 suffered an ERS issue, explaining the electrical problem preventing normal handling of the car. Norris was placed under investigation for not following instructions in the chicane escape road.

The session concluded quietly, with no time left to switch back to slicks, leaving Alonso at the top, followed by Russell and Stroll. The day’s big surprise was the reliability issue on Max Verstappen’s RB20.

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