George Russell topped the timesheets in an eventful second practice session at the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix, posting a benchmark time of 1m12.123s to edge out Lando Norris and rising Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli. With championship contenders still grappling with a twitchy Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and evolving grip levels, FP2 gave fans and teams fresh insights into what could unfold in Round 10 of the 2025 F1 World Championship.
What To Know?
- Russell Fastest: George Russell led FP2 with a 1m12.123s, narrowly ahead of Norris and Antonelli, as Mercedes showed renewed pace.
- Leclerc Out, Stroll Crashes: Ferrari benched Leclerc due to chassis damage from FP1, while Stroll hit the wall early, ending his session.
- McLaren Struggles Continue: Norris and Piastri battled low grip and multiple offs, despite switching to the more durable C5 tyres.
Ferrari’s day got off to a rough start, as Team Principal Fred Vasseur confirmed Charles Leclerc would sit out the session due to chassis damage sustained in his FP1 crash. That left Lewis Hamilton to fly solo for the Scuderia, immediately heading out to collect crucial data. But it didn’t take long for chaos to return—just five minutes in, hometown hero Lance Stroll clipped the barriers and snapped his front-left suspension, bringing his session to a premature end.
Formula One History Recommends
Rear grip remained elusive across the board, especially for McLaren, with both Norris and Piastri repeatedly missing the final chicane despite switching from the softest C6 tyre to the C5 medium. Hamilton followed suit with a similar off-track moment, visibly frustrated as he raised his hand after overshooting the same section.
Mercedes, however, looked transformed. Russell appeared in complete control on the medium compound, comfortably building a half-second cushion over Hamilton by the halfway point. Antonelli continued his quiet but consistent rise, eventually joining his teammate in the top three as Mercedes looked to bounce back from a difficult triple-header in Europe.
The session wasn’t without traffic troubles—Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, already nursing two spins across both sessions, found himself in the way of both Liam Lawson and Alex Albon, who narrowly avoided contact in separate near-misses. Despite those hiccups, Albon delivered another strong performance for Williams, finishing fourth and as the fastest driver on the medium tyre behind the Mercedes pair.
As the chequered flag approached, quick laps gave way to long-run simulations and race prep. Russell held firm at the top, with Norris just 0.028s behind and Antonelli completing a strong showing for the Silver Arrows in third. Fernando Alonso placed fifth for Aston Martin, followed by Piastri and Carlos Sainz. Hamilton, Verstappen—who had a quiet session—and Lawson completed the top 10.
Just outside the cut sat Isack Hadjar in P11, ahead of Pierre Gasly, Kick Sauber’s Bortoleto and Hülkenberg, with Yuki Tsunoda and both Haas drivers—Bearman and Ocon—further back. Colapinto’s eventful day left him down in 18th, with more work to do before Saturday.
With Mercedes suddenly looking like a serious threat again and McLaren and Ferrari still trying to find consistency, FP2 only deepened the intrigue heading into qualifying.
2025 Canadian GP FP2 Results
2025 Canadian Grand Prix FP2, 13 June 2025
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:12.123 | 33 | |
| 2 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 1:12.151 | +0.028s | 32 |
| 3 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:12.411 | +0.288s | 33 |
| 4 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 1:12.445 | +0.322s | 36 |
| 5 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:12.458 | +0.335s | 31 |
| 6 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 1:12.562 | +0.439s | 32 |
| 7 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams Mercedes | 1:12.631 | +0.508s | 37 |
| 8 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:12.653 | +0.530s | 34 |
| 9 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:12.666 | +0.543s | 31 |
| 10 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:12.751 | +0.628s | 30 |
| 11 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:12.799 | +0.676s | 31 |
| 12 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 1:12.874 | +0.751s | 34 |
| 13 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:12.896 | +0.773s | 32 |
| 14 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:12.914 | +0.791s | 33 |
| 15 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:12.939 | +0.816s | 35 |
| 16 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari | 1:13.080 | +0.957s | 36 |
| 17 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas Ferrari | 1:13.175 | +1.052s | 33 |
| 18 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine Renault | 1:13.898 | +1.775s | 33 |
| 19 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 2 |
Race Guide
Season: 2025 F1 World Championship
Race weekend: 13 June 2025 – 15 June 2025
Race date: Sunday, 15 June, 2025
Race start time: 14:00 local time
Circuit: Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve
Laps: 70
Circuit length: 4.361km
2024 winner: Max Verstappen
Seen in:
