Practice 1 Report - Technical issues halt Free Practice

Lance Stroll
© Aston Martin Racing

By Peter Habicht

Technical issues halted free practice this afternoon at the Circuit Gilles VIlleneuve after just 4m20s of running as a failure with the circuit’s camera infrastructure stopped the session with only minutes of track time for teams to start the weekend.

Most of the field was able to begin an installation lap when the session was red flagged after three minutes when Pierre Gasly’s Alpha Tauri stopped on track with transmission issues.

While the car was being retrieved a power outage in Race Control made it impossible for the session to be restarted and once power was restored, the CCTV circuit that makes it possible for Race Control to visualize the entire track, couldn’t be synchronised, leading to the session being officially stopped with still ten minutes to go.

It was then announced by the FIA that the second free practice would be extended by 30 minutes, beginning at 4:30 to allow teams some running time to make up for the lack of a first practice.

Before the red flag only 12 drivers managed to complete a lap time, only six of them at close to normal speed, with Valtteri Bottas leading local driver Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso for the most unusual top three of the year. Both Mercedes drivers and Esteban Ocon didn’t even make it out of the pit lane

With wet weather expected later today, an 80% chance of rain tomorrow and a 20% chance of rain for Sunday’s race, dry running for teams and drivers is at a premium to understand the circuit and tires this weekend.