In a week full of news for Formula 1, characterized by contract renewals and the publication of the new F1 2026 regulations, the first day of free practice on the Canadian track in Montreal ended with the best time set by Fernando Alonso fastest on the track with a 1:15.810, George Russell and Lance Stroll (after an almost useless first session on the track, deeply disturbed by the bad weather).
F1 Canadian GP: Perez’s two-year renewal with Red Bull
The Canadian Formula 1 week is inaugurated by the news of renewal of Sergio Perez’s contract with Red Bull, which came like a bolt from the blue last Tuesday 4 June. Despite numerous rumors and doubts, generated above all by the performance gap with teammate Max Verstappen, the Mexican has signed to keep his seat in the Milton Keynes car number 11 for another 2 years, until 2026.
The contract of teammate Max Verstappen, unlike that of the Mexican, would expire in 2028, but with this move, Red Bull and Perez are locking up one of the most coveted seats in the World Championship, leaving vacant only those of Mercedes (belonging to the outgoing Hamilton), Aston Martin and Williams (of the current Stroll and Sargeant), of Kick Sauber (alongside the newly recruited Hulkenberg) or of Alpine, Racing Bulls and Haas with no confirmed drivers yet.
F1 Canadian GP: new regulations in force from 2026 revealed
In a week full of news, FIA also decides to reveal the regulation which will come into force from 2026. On Thursday 6 June, in fact, the FThe International Automobile Federation has revealed the technical regulations that Formula 1 will adopt starting from the 2026 season: shorter, lighter and more sustainable single-seaters, which will have to say goodbye to the DRS in favor of a “booster” called “Manual Override” more towards American taste, similar to the push to pass, adopted for several years by Indycar (for video game enthusiasts , a sort of NOS, this time however concerning the electrical part, which will facilitate the cars in overtaking manoeuvres).
F1 Canadian GP: first practice session with hailstorm
However, the great emotion of the off-track activity was immediately dampened with the first free practice session on Friday which, due to a strong disturbance, even bringing hail on the Canadian track, allows the pilots to lap for only a good half hour (of the estimated hour). The drivers with the highest mileage, in fact, managed to cover only eleven laps of the track, while on the Jean Drapeau park route, the fastest is Mercedes driver Lando Norris with the best time of 1:24.435 (ahead of the Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc). On the track, instead of Esteban Ocon, aboard the Alpine, rookie Jack Doohan took to the track, scoring a nineteenth position (with only three laps completed).
F1 Canadian GP: the second session full of twists and turns
L’FP2, on the other hand, is full of twists and turns that cross the pit lane from Ferrari to Red Bull. On a day dominated by bad weather, Leclerc began his second free practice session using an intermediate tire already used in FP. Although it is raining but the race direction has not yet declared the status of Wet Practice, Leclerc will be investigated at the end of the session for this manoeuvre, while the various drivers follow one another into the pits to make the change to the intermediate compound. Verstappen ends his session early (by another half hour), returning to the pit lane due to a technical problem with the ERS. Under a rain that has now become constant, Fernando Alonso, George Russell and Lance Stroll conquer the top positions, while Leclerc finished in fourth despite a spin at the hairpin, with Sainz only thirteenth. Behind Leclerc, to complete the top 10 we find: Ricciardo, Magnussen, Hamilton Tsunoda Albon and Perez
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