Pictures of Formula 1 GP Canada 2023 – Friday practice

The fans in the packed stands had only just taken their seats when the fun of the first training session was already over. Race management reported that they had lost contact with the track cameras. This means that the session can no longer continue safely. Instead of 60 minutes, there were only four minutes of work.

To compensate for the tight program, the second exercise session was extended to 90 minutes. But here too, not everything went according to plan. Nico Hulkenberg was forced to make the first light almost half an hour after kick-off. His Ferrari engine gave up with a big bang.

Fire under the hood of a Haas

The Rhinelander rolled straight along the house without any driving, leaving dark clouds of smoke from the back area behind him. With a good load of extinguishing powder, the guards were quickly able to control the fire under the cover of the American racer. For Hulkenberg, Friday was over after just 14 practice laps.

The next drama occurred in the Alps. A faulty steering wheel caused a short shock in the first practice session. Pierre Gasly can no longer shift gears. The problem was quickly resolved by replacing the steering wheel.

Esteban Ocon did not go down lightly in the second training session. A water leak sent out a slightly panicked radio message from the command center. Ocon had to stop his car immediately to prevent serious damage. Once again the session had to be interrupted in order to safely maneuver the damaged race car into the runoff area.

Monsoon winds over Montreal

The final event of an unusual day was a short but heavy downpour five minutes before the final whistle. Some pilots ventured out onto the wet track to practice for qualifying, where rain was also expected. But suddenly the track was so badly flooded that it was just a matter of getting back to the pits safely.

In the end, all the pilots were able to do this. Aside from a few kisses, the first rounds of testing went relatively smoothly. However, it is worth taking a look at our gallery containing the best scenes of the day.

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