Russell, the best

George Russell was the fastest in free practice for the Canadian Grand Prix, the tenth of the Formula One World Championship, at the Gilles Villeneuve circuit. McLaren's Lando Norris finished second, and Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli finished third.

Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz posted the fifth and seventh times, respectively, surpassing championship leader Óscar Piastri (sixth) in the standings.

Russell clocked 1'12"123 on his best lap on medium tires. Norris was 28 thousandths off the pace and Antonelli 288, both on soft tires. Alonso, on soft tires, was 335 thousandths off the best time, and Sainz was 508.

Max Verstappen, who received a 10-second penalty in Barcelona after colliding with Russell, led the first practice session with a time of 1'13"193.

The Dutchman beat Alexander Albon, who was fourth on mediums, by 39 thousandths of a second and Sainz by 82.

Alonso finished that session in 12th place, 779 thousandths behind. Franco Colapinto of Argentina finished in 19th place, almost a second and a half behind.

The session was halted for about 10 minutes due to an accident involving Charles Leclerc, who damaged his Ferrari and was sidelined for the rest of the day.

Leclerc, who finished third in Barcelona, ​​lost control between turns three and four. He had clocked 1:13:885 before the incident, a time that placed him tenth.

Piastri, the winner in Spain, finished 14th in the morning. Norris finished seventh, while Lewis Hamilton finished fifth in the first session.

Hamilton closed the day in eighth place, on soft tyres, 530 thousandths behind Russell and 13 behind Verstappen.

The Briton was received this week by Prime Minister Keir Starmer to discuss educational issues.

Lance Stroll, who missed the Catalan Grand Prix due to a wrist injury, returned to his hometown, finishing 15th in the first session.

In the afternoon, he retired without setting a time after breaking his front left suspension at the sixth corner.

Colapinto spun twice in the same spot, setting the fastest time of the 18 drivers who recorded time in the afternoon.

Russell posted the best lap of the day with a time of 1'12"123. Norris was less than three hundredths of a second behind, and Antonelli was third, 288 thousandths behind.

Against his sanction

Verstappen arrived in Canada with 11 penalty points, following his incident with Russell in Barcelona.

“I will always race hard,” the Dutchman said, assuring that he won’t change his style on the track.

A suspension is imposed if 12 points are scored in a 12-month period. Two points will be deducted after the Austrian Grand Prix.

Since 2014, only Denmark's Kevin Magnussen has been suspended due to a penalty, at the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Previously, in 2012, Romain Grosjean was suspended for a multi-car crash, and in 1994 Michael Schumacher was also sanctioned.

Verstappen appeared calm about the situation: “I trust myself,” the four-time Formula One world champion emphasized.

Although the Dutch driver acknowledged his mistake in Barcelona on social media, he posted, "It shouldn't have happened."

At the same time, Russell expressed surprise at what had happened: “It’s not like him,” he said.

Throughout his career, Verstappen has been criticized for his aggressive style. He has clashed with drivers such as Hamilton and Norris, especially in 2021.

He is currently in third place with 137 points, 49 points behind Piastri and 39 behind Norris.— AP