Author: Karishma Persad

The Stewards have handed Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar a three-place grid penalty for impeding Williams driver Carlos Sainz during Qualifying for the 2025 F1 Canadian GP. The incident occurred during Q1 at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, where Sainz found himself compromised by Hadjar while on a flying lap. Hadjar penalised after impeding Sainz in Q3 Sainz, who was attempting to secure a place in Q2, caught Hadjar under braking into the Turn 6/7 chicane. At the time, Hadjar was on a cooldown lap and did not move clear in time, which forced Sainz to alter his racing line. After finishing…

Williams driver Alex Albon endured a dramatic moment during Qualifying for the 2025 F1 Canadian GP, as his engine cover flew off mid-lap, bringing out the red flags in Q1. The Thai-British driver was on a flying lap down the back straight when the engine cover detached from his FW46, scattering debris across the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Albon rues missed opportunities after disrupted Qualifying session The incident forced race control to halt the session, with several minutes still remaining. Fortunately for Albon, the Williams crew quickly assessed the damage, and the No. 23 car was able to rejoin the session once…

Although McLaren’s Oscar Piastri has emerged as the top performer of the 2025 F1 season so far, his Canadian GP weekend has proven far from straightforward. Throughout all three Free Practice sessions, the Australian driver struggled with pace and consistency. Nevertheless, Qualifying on Saturday evening brought a noticeable turnaround, as Piastri managed to secure third place on the grid. Qualifying delivers relief after challenging Practice sessions Speaking to the media following the session, Piastri expressed satisfaction with the outcome, given the difficult lead-up to Qualifying. “Much better than Practice, that’s for sure,” he responded when asked to summarise the session.…

George Russell claimed in Qualifying a stunning pole position for the 2025 F1 Canadian GP, delivering a brilliant final lap of 1:10.899 on medium tyres—his first pole of the season. Max Verstappen had briefly taken P1 with a 1:10.959, only to be outdone by the Mercedes driver moments later. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri looked strong throughout and secured P3 with a 1:11.120. Despite showing early promise, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc aborted his final run after a lock-up behind Isack Hadjar, settling for P8. Teammate Lewis Hamilton qualified P4, followed by Alonso, Antonelli, and Norris. The dramatic session capped a fiercely competitive Qualifying…

Carlos Sainz expressed confidence in Williams’ pace after a solid showing during Friday practice for the 2025 F1 Canadian GP. The Spaniard, who joined the team earlier this season, ended Free Practice 1 (FP1) in third position and followed that up with seventh in FP2, reinforcing the team’s upward trajectory after recent difficulties. Williams appeared to run a slightly more aggressive programme during the opening session, which elevated both Sainz and team-mate Alex Albon to the top of the timesheets. However, the team’s performance remained competitive even in the more representative conditions of FP2. “[I feel] very good. This morning,…

Alexander Albon labelled Williams’ performance during the Friday Free Practice (FP) sessions at the 2025 F1 Canadian GP as “very positive” following a promising showing in both sessions. The Thai-British driver placed second in F1 and followed that with fourth in FP2, demonstrating that the FW47 is well-suited to the conditions at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. The Grove-based outfit came into the weekend looking to rebound after a difficult Spanish GP. From the moment the cars took to the track in Montreal, Albon felt confident in the balance and performance of the car, though he acknowledged that an alternative run plan…

Oscar Piastri acknowledged that McLaren made a step forward during Friday’s running at the 2025 F1 Canadian GP, though he admitted there is still room for improvement. After finishing 14th in Free Practice 1 (FP1), the Australian climbed to sixth in FP2 as conditions evolved. Piastri noted the team’s gradual progress over the course of the day: “It definitely ended better than it started, but I think still some improvements to try and make. It’s been a little bit of a tricky day, just trying to find the right window of the car. I think we’re getting there but we…

Lando Norris described McLaren’s first day of running at the 2025 F1 Canadian GP as their “worst Friday of the year”, despite finishing second in Free Practice 2 (FP2). While the team introduced new upgrades to the MCL39, the Briton struggled to consistently extract performance amid a challenging track layout and low grip conditions. Reflecting on the impact of the updated parts, Norris offered a measured evaluation: “[They feel] pretty similar, honestly, but I think it’s more it’s hard to say just from one track. I think you have to go to many more, especially here it’s quite unique with…

Scuderia Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton faced a challenging start to his 2025 F1 Canadian GP weekend, finishing fifth in FP1 before slipping to eighth in FP2. While Ferrari showed flashes of pace, Hamilton admitted that his day did not unfold as he had hoped, with the car’s performance falling short of expectations after early promise. Early positivity fades after setup changes The seven-time World Champion appeared relatively upbeat after a solid showing in FP1, where he placed fifth and looked comfortable around Montreal’s Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. However, things took a turn in FP2, as changes made to the car’s setup left Hamilton…

Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli delivered one of his strongest showings in recent weeks during Friday’s Free Practice 2 (FP2) at the 2025 F1 Canadian GP. The Italian rookie improved from 13th in FP1 to finish third in the second session, marking a significant step forward after challenging outings in Imola and Monaco. Mercedes, whose car has been sensitive to tyre temperatures, appeared more at ease at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. With conditions favouring colder tyres, Antonelli was able to extract more from his package, bringing much-needed confidence ahead of Saturday’s Qualifying. “A decent day” at a “pretty fun” track Antonelli was notably upbeat…