McLaren’s Oscar Piastri experienced a challenging session during the second practice of the Canadian Grand Prix, marking the first time this season that he did not secure a top-three finish. Piastri’s performance fell short as fellow Brit George Russell contended for pole position, clinching the fastest time of 1:12.123s. This was achieved on medium tyres, just narrowly ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris, who was on softer tyres, by 0.028 seconds.
Mercedes driver Russell’s teammate, Kimi Antonelli, secured third place, while Alex Albon from Williams, who performed well in FP1, finished fourth. Overall, it was an unusual day for McLaren, with Piastri finishing sixth and Norris managing to push up to a similar position only after a late charge in FP2. Earlier in FP1, the team experimented with a new front wing on Piastri’s car, which resulted in a less favourable 14th place finish, while Norris placed seventh. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen had topped the first practice session.
In terms of adjustments, McLaren reverted to their original wing for the second practice session. Norris also benefited from a new suspension setup. Furthermore, the day was marred by incidents, including Charles Leclerc crashing and subsequently not participating in FP2, and Lance Stroll damaging his front left wheel after brushing against the wall while returning from a wrist injury.
This practice marked a significant shift for McLaren, as it was the first instance in the season where neither driver made it into the top three during a practice session. Despite this setback, the team’s adjustments and efforts highlight their continual pursuit of improvement in a competitive field.