Mercedes is showing surprising pace at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, potentially disrupting the expected McLaren-Verstappen battle. The team seems to excel in cooler conditions, effectively generating tire temperature, a feat many teams struggle with.
Russell and Antonelli Lead the Way
George Russell dominated both single-lap and long-run simulations during practice. His teammate, Kimi Antonelli, also impressed, clocking the third-fastest headline time and the fourth-best time in the race stint simulation. Both drivers achieved their best single-lap times using the medium C5 tire, which appears easier to balance and only slightly slower than the C6 tire used by most of their competitors.
Practice Session 2 (FP2) Long Run Averages:
- 1) Russell 1m 16.506s (13 laps)
- 2) Verstappen 1m 16.613s (7 laps)
- 3) Piastri 1m 16.615s (8 laps)
- 4) Antonelli 1m 16.705s (13 laps)
- 5) Norris 1m 16.764s (11 laps)
- 6) Albon 1m 16.869s (8 laps)
- 7) Sainz 1m 17.070s (10 laps)
- 8) Hamilton 1m 17.164s (10 laps)
Antonelli utilized the updated Imola-spec rear suspension in both practice sessions, while Russell transitioned to it for FP2. Although initial difficulties at Imola led the team to revert to the previous specification at Monaco and Spain, a re-evaluation suggests those problems were setup-related. The new layout appears to deliver the performance improvements promised by simulations.
Russell's Optimism
"A very positive day," Russell stated. "We had higher expectations coming to this weekend because of cooler conditions, the track's quite smooth so the tires naturally run quite cold and we know our weakness. When it's hot, we struggle and when it's cold the tires run cold, we're pretty competitive. There was definitely validation today."
He added, "The lap was really strong, probably optimized, nothing more in the tank. We had it all on the table full beans, power and everything, let's see what tomorrow brings." Russell also noted the potential for several teams to consider the medium tire during qualifying.