Raikkonen sets pace, Stroll 17th in practice laps
If Lance Stroll felt any jitters during his first laps around Circuit Gilles Villeneuve they didn’t show on the 18-year-old Formula One rookie.
Stroll, a Montreal native driving for the Williams team, posted the 17th-best time in a pair of 90-minute practice sessions on Friday that were dominated by the leading Ferrari and Mercedes AMG teams.
“There are always a bit of nerves but not on Friday, just on Saturday (in qualifying) and Sunday (in the race),” said Stroll. “But it’s positive nerves. Those are the nerves that get me going, so it’s good.”
Ferrari veteran Kimi Raikkonen, coming off a second-place finish behind teammate Sebastian Vettel two weeks ago in Monaco, posted the fastest lap (one minute, 12.935 seconds) on the 4.361-kilometre track. The Finn was 0.215 seconds better than two-time defending champion Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes.
Formula One leader Vettel was third at 1:13.200 with Valtteri Bottas in the second Mercedes AMG fourth at 1:13.310. Max Verstappen’s Red Bull was best among the rest at 1:13.338 even though his car stopped on the track with 17 minutes remaining.
Friday practices are for experimentation, when teams test different setups and tires to see what works best on the track known for its long straights leading to tight corners that ends with a particularly nasty chicane just before the finish. The start/finish line includes the infamous Wall of Champions, where six F1 champs have crashed over the years.
Ultrasoft tires seemed to work best, and Stroll’s teammate Felipe Massa used those to post the sixth-quickest lap. Stroll gets his turn on them in the third practice Saturday morning before qualifying.
“Everyone’s been doing different programs, so we’ll have a better idea in qualifying,” said Stroll, who is aiming to reach the final group in qualifying to earn a spot near the front for the race. “This track suits our car so if everything goes to plan, with the tires working and getting the laps done, it’s possible. We need to stay calm and concentrate on the job.”
Stroll is gunning for a top-10 finish, which would bring his first F1 points. He has been able to finish only two of six races so far, with his best result an 11th at the Russian Grand Prix.
Note — The Canadian Grand Prix will be held at least until 2029, race promoter François Dumontier said Tuesday. Dumontier said a fiveyear extension of the Canadian GP deal was part of amendments made to a preliminary agreement with Formula One Management. In January, Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre said the city and FOM would extend their contract beyond the previously agreed upon 2024.