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MONTREAL (Reuters) – McLaren’s Lando Norris posted the fastest time of a wet and wild first practice for the Canada Grand Prix on Friday pushing the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz down the time sheets.
After early morning storms Norris, who picked up his first career win earlier this season in Miami, took advantage of drying conditions to put down a best time of one minute and 24.435 seconds around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Norris’s effort denied Ferrari a perfect start to the weekend with Sainz second best ahead of Monaco winner Leclerc.
Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton, who claimed his first career win in Montreal, was fourth fastest for Mercedes ahead of Red Bull’s championship leader Max Verstappen.
About an hour before practice a vicious storm rumbled across Montreal drenching the island circuit and pelting spectators with hailstones.
The session began under a yellow flag as marshals worked to remove standing water with mops and hoses as rain continued to fall.
After a 25 minute hold the pit lane was finally opened allowing cars out onto the newly resurfaced circuit with Hamilton first to post a time.
But just as the sun began to creep out and the circuit was drying, the session was red flagged when Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu brushed the wall scattering debris across the track.
When action resumed drivers took advantage of quickly improving conditions going out on slicks as the practice finished under sunny skies.
Alpine’s Australian reserve Jack Doohan took part in first practice stepping in for Esteban Ocon, who was told earlier this week that the Renault-owned outfit would not be renewing his contract for next season.
But Doohan, the son of five-times 500cc motorcycling world champion Mick and a possible replacement for the Frenchman, failed to post a time.
Ocon will be back in the car for Friday’s second free practice.
(Reporting by Steve Keating in Montreal. Editing by Christian Radnedge)
