Free Practice 2 for the Canadian Grand Prix unfolded under clear skies, but don’t let that fool you, Friday’s session delivered maximum chaos. George Russell went quickest with a 1:12.123. Meanwhile, Alex Albon missed his pit box, then got fined for speeding by 0.1 km/h, a steward was suspended mid-weekend, and even the leaderboard graphic sparked outrage. All of this, and it’s only FP2.
Russell Leads, and Walks the Line
George Russell topped the session with a blistering 1:12.123, set on soft tires. Mercedes brought noticeable performance, and Russell, in particular, looked confident through the chicanes and composed on long runs.
But his session wasn’t spotless. Russell received a formal warning from the stewards after failing to follow Race Director instructions regarding the Turn 14 escape road. He briefly lost control, used the runoff, and rejoined safely, which ultimately saved him from a penalty.
Given the circumstances, a warning felt entirely fair. No drivers were impeded, and the incident was minor in scope, a procedural note more than anything else.
Pace Watch: Patterns, Not Predictions
While Russell led the pack, the top ten was a refreshing mix:
- George Russell
- Lando Norris
- Kimi Antonelli
- Alex Albon
- Fernando Alonso
- Oscar Piastri
- Carlos Sainz
- Lewis Hamilton
- Max Verstappen
- Liam Lawson
Norris was consistent over longer runs. Verstappen’s race pace looked a touch slower, while Red Bull, Mercedes, and McLaren all hovered within a few tenths of each other in race simulations. That said, it’s FP2, track evolution, fuel loads, and run timing cloud everything.
At this stage in the season, fans know better than to read too much into practice times. The real clues lie in car behavior, and Red Bull’s, once again, looked ominously well-balanced.
Albon Gets the Pettiest Fine of the Year
Alex Albon and Williams were fined €100 for a pit lane speeding infraction, exceeding the limit by 0.1 km/h. Not 1 km/h. Not even half. Just 0.1. It instantly became the meme of the weekend.
In any other sport, this wouldn’t be newsworthy. In Formula 1? It became headline-worthy absurdity.
It almost certainly cost more to process the fine, write the PDF, file it, post it online, than the value of the penalty itself. In a sport with €500M team budgets, this was a reminder that the FIA remains committed to micromanaging with industrial-grade intensity.
Technically, the violation is measurable: F1 uses a beacon-based timing system in the pit lane, and if you cross a fixed distance too fast, you’re busted. But that didn’t make it any less hilarious.
Albon Misses Garage, Williams Crew Just Watches
Earlier in the session, Albon also missed his pit box, cruising past the Williams garage to the visible confusion of his mechanics, captured beautifully in slo-mo by the broadcast. Whether he zoned out or got lost in the rhythm, it turned into one of the most unintentionally comedic moments of the day.
Combined with the speeding fine, it cemented Albon’s spot as the unintentional chaos generator of FP2.
Radio Sass: Hadjar and Lawson Fire Shots
In the midfield, the action wasn’t just on track, it was on the radio. Isack Hadjar, stuck behind a Sauber, exclaimed: “Who is that Sauber man?! That Sauber is just… ugh.” His engineer’s sarcastic reply: “They need to buy mirrors. Yep.”
Elsewhere, Liam Lawson grew increasingly vocal about blocking and had to be calmed down mid-session, classic rookie frustration mixing with qualifying prep intensity. This is what midfield fights are made of: desperation, traffic, and very spicy comms.
Steward Suspended Mid-Weekend
Then came the off-track bombshell: Derek Warwick was suspended from stewarding duties after giving paid commentary to a gambling website, including opinions on the Verstappen–Russell clash in Spain and remarks on Norris, Tsunoda, and Perez. The FIA cited an obvious conflict of interest.
This exact scenario cost Johnny Herbert his steward role in 2023. Warwick, bafflingly, repeated the same mistake. His replacement, Enrique Bernoldi, will operate from the FIA’s Remote Operations Centre.
The reaction was swift and unanimous: stewards can’t serve as impartial officials while being paid for public analysis on the same drivers and incidents they oversee. It’s a basic conflict that undermines trust in race control, and the FIA was right to act.
Final Thoughts: F1 at Its Most Entertainingly Ridiculous
Dry conditions didn’t dampen the drama. In just one session, we saw:
- A fastest lap from George Russell with a side of Race Director warnings.
- A fine for 0.1 km/h that became meme-worthy within minutes.
- A steward suspended for paid gambling-site commentary.
- Albon missing his garage like he was aiming for Red Bull.
- Midfield radio comms delivering Grade A sass.
FP2 didn’t give us much clarity on who’s fastest over a stint. But it gave us everything we really want from F1: personality, politics, pettiness, and pace.
And that was only Friday.