Summary

  • Qualifying for Canadian Grand Prix sprint race coming up at 21:30 BST

  • Antonelli goes quickest in practice ahead of Mercedes team-mate Leclerc

  • Ferrari pair Hamilton and Leclerc in third and fourth

  • Session was red flagged after Albon hit groundhog and crashed

  • Mercedes' Antonelli leads drivers' championship, 20 points ahead of team-mate Russell

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Live Reporting

Lorraine McKenna

  1. Report: Antonelli quickest in practice as Albon collides with groundhog

    Andrew Benson
    BBC F1 correspondent in Montreal

    Kimi AntonelliGetty Images

    Kimi Antonelli led George Russell to a Mercedes one-two in a practice session at the Canadian Grand Prix interrupted after Alex Albon's Williams collided with a groundhog.

    Albon crashed heavily when he was unable to avoid the animal on the exit of Turn Seven. The British-born Thai slid down the barriers for some distance on the straight that follows the corner, causing heavy damage to his car.

    The red flag caused by the incident was one of three, the first when Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson stopped on track with a loss of steering, the final one when Esteban Ocon crashed his Haas after spinning on the exit of Turn Four.

    Antonelli, who leads Russell by 20 points after three wins in the first four races, was 0.142 seconds quicker than his team-mate.

    Russell needed two attempts to get that close to the Italian, before spinning and lightly tapping the wall - with no damage to his car - at the start of a third effort.

    Read the full report here

  2. Back for sprint qualifying from 21:15 BST

    It looks like it's going to take something special to stop Kimi Antonelli this weekend in the upgraded Mercedes. Team-mate George Russell was closest to the Italian teenager but Oscar Piastri was on for a quick lap before he locked up in the McLaren. First (and only) practice was a very stop-start session, so we might get a better feeling for how other teams are performing during sprint qualifying.

    Williams boss James Vowles tells Sky Sports the damage to Alex Albon's car is extensive after he hit a groundhog in first practice. As an animal lover, Albon might be asking his mum to adopt a family a groundhogs, he adds.

    So, go and grab yourselves a break and then come back and join us for sprint qualifying from 21:15 BST.

    SQ1 was green at 21:30.

  3. And the rest

    11. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)

    12. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)

    13. Esteban Ocon (Haas)

    14. Alex Albon (Williams)

    15. Carlos Sainz (Williams)

    16. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

    17. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

    18. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)

    19. Oliver Bearman (Haas)

    20. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac)

    21. Sergio Perez (Cadillac)

    22. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)

  4. Top 10

    1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 1:13.402

    2. George Russell (Mercedes) +0.142

    3. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +0.774

    4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.953

    5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.964

    6. Lando Norris (McLaren) +1.397

    7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +1.561

    8. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) +2.050

    9. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) +2.296

    10. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +2.461

  5. Lewis Hamilton finishes his time on track third on the timesheets, followed by Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

    Haas' Esteban Ocon is now being investigated by the stewards for leaving the pit exit on a red light.

  6. chequered flag

    Chequered flag

    Well, that was longer than expected, but we got there in the end.

    Mercedes, upgrades and all, secure a one-two in the only practice session of the weekend, with championship leader Kimi Antonelli 0.142 seconds quicker than team-mate George Russell.

  7. The front wing and nose of Esteban Ocon's Haas needs emergency surgery before sprint qualifying later on. It's certainly been an eventful session in Montreal.

    The red-flag period for Ocon's smash at Turn Four is short, so drivers are heading out to try and get some practice starts banked.

  8. red flag

    Red flag - Ocon in trouble

    The upgraded Mercedes has placed Kimi Antonelli and George Russell one and two on the timesheets but Briton Russell has just had a brush with the wall. His engineer says everything Ok, though, but over at Haas, Esteban Ocon is in trouble, with the Frenchman spinning and then colliding with the wall, causing big damage to the front of his car.

    It's another red flag.

  9. Oscar Piastri is seventh and suffering a few lock ups, like other drivers in this session. "Got pretty reasonable flatspots now," the Australian tells his pit wall, followed by his engineer responding with some technical instructions.

  10. Russell stays P2

    Charles Leclerc goes third quickest on the soft compound, with Ferrri team-mate Lewis Hamilton just behind in fourth.

    George Russell says takes two for a flyer, and while he does improve on his previous lap time, it's not good enough to challenge Kimi Antonelli. The gap has come down to 0.142 seconds.

  11. Antonelli quickest on softs

    Kimi Antonelli is showing his pace once again, stepping over Mercedes team-mate George Russell and to the top of the timesheets by 0.448 seconds. The Italian is 20 points clear of Russell in the drivers' championship and with more points on offer because of the sprint, it could be an interesting three days in Montreal.

  12. Abbie Eaton
    British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    This is where the drivers will start taking extra risks, going centimetres closing to the exit walls and exit curbs.

  13. Russell switches to softs

    Lewis Hamilton moves up the order to third place, just as former team-mate George Russell straps on the soft compound and heads out for a flying lap.

    Teenager Kimi Antonelli is quickest so far on the hard tyre, so what can Russell do? He's purple in the opening two sectors but the final part of the lap isn't as quick as his current team-mate's Antonelli.

    Russell does go top by more than half a second, but Antonelli is preparing for his own soft attempt now.

  14. Hamilton says he has no plans to reitre from F1

    Lewis HamiltonGetty Images

    Lewis Hamilton has seemed a lot perkier this season compared to last year's difficult campaign - he finally made the podium for Ferrari at the Chinese Grand Prix in March - but the questions surrounding the seven-time world champion's future in the sport still persist.

    At the age of 41, is Hamilton about to hang up his steering wheel for good? Of course not, and on Thursday, he confirmed he is contracted to the Italian team for next season.

    "Everything is 100% clear to me. I am still focused, still motivated, still love what I do with all my heart. I am going to be here for quite some time," said Hamilton.

    "There are a lot of people who are trying to retire me and that is not even in my thoughts. I'm already thinking about what will be next and planning for the next five years. I still plan to be here for quite some time."

  15. Lewis Hamilton is the next driver, after Max Verstappen, to suffer a lock-up on his latest run the seven-time world champion manages to stay away from the green stuff, but he can't improve on his P5 spot on the timehseets.

    Hamilton was chatting to the media yesterday in the press conference and he had good news for his fans...

  16. Max Verstappen is doing the staff a favour at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve by cutting the grass at Turn Eight. The Dutchman locks up and suddenly his Red Bull is off the road. Verstappen is eighth on the timesheets following his early stint at the top, more than a second away from Kimi Antonelli's best marker.

  17. Antonelli goes quickest

    George Russell is pushing hard at the top of the leaderboard - he's currently on a 1:14.444 on the hard compound - but the 'Wall of Champions' is lurking, and the Briton just narrowly misses coming to harm in his Mercedes.

    Team-mate Kimi Antonelli, meanwhile, also has a dicey moment, this one at Turn Nine, but with a little help from a tow, he crosses the line and beats Russell by 0.052 seconds to go quickest.

  18. Ferrari were stacked with upgrades in Miami but the Italian team are light on the updates for the round five in Montreal. Actually, they haven't brought any to Montreal.

    Charles Leclerc said he "threw his race in the bin" with his late spin last time out. The Mongasque driver looked good for third place on the podium but his clip with the wall caused all sorts of bother, and in the end he limped home to finish sixth, which then became eighth, after he was slapped with a time penalty.

    Leclerc was third on the timesheets but the likes of title leader Kimi Antonelli and world champion Lando Norris have now pushed him down to fifth, with team-mate Lewis Hamilton in sixth spot.

  19. Let's hope there are no more red flags, mainly for the spectacle in Canada but also because I need to put my tea in the oven before sprint qualifying.

    Over at Red Bull, Max Verstappen, who was in his element at the Nurburgring 24 Hours last weekend, despite his debut ending by a late issue, is on the radio to his pit wall. "Steering suddenly for a lot heavier," the four-time world champion tells Red Bull.

  20. Cars heading out again

    Alpine's Franco Colapinto, Racing Bulls' Liam LAwson and now Williams' Alex Albon are all watching on from the sidelines. Will we see the trio back up and running for sprint qualifying? There's another 15 minutes added to this session, so there is time.