Max Verstappen heads to the top of Canadian Grand Prix at the end of practice just ahead of Lewis Hamilton
- Max Verstappen hit back at criticism over his form by going fastest in practice
- But Lewis Hamilton was less than a tenth slower on a harder compound tyre
- Hamilton is hoping to win the Montreal race for the fourth consecutive year
- READ: All the latest F1 news, features and points tables
Max Verstappen, who threatened to headbutt anyone who questioned why he keeps crashing, delivered a more important response to his doubters by setting the fastest time in practice for the Canadian Grand Prix.
The Dutchman was conclusively fastest at the sunny Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Friday, beating the next quickest time of Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen by 0.130sec.
Verstappen, 20, has crashed regularly this season, including at Monaco a fortnight ago, when he missed qualifying after his accident in third practice. So his clean display – top in the morning and afternoon sessions – will have given him a much-needed boost of confidence.
Max Verstappen was fastest in first practice for Red Bull ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix
The Red Bull star was fastest in the morning to instantly hit back at critics over his recent form
Lewis Hamilton was third quickest, half a second down from Verstappen’s pace-setting time.
Sebastian Vettel, who trails Hamilton by 14 points going into Sunday’s race, was fourth quickest.
Hamilton fears his chances of winning are diminished by Mercedes’ failure to bring an upgraded engine to Canada. Ferrari and Red Bull are both running new engines and that gives them an advantage on this high-power track next to the 1976 Olympic rowing lake.
Lewis Hamilton was just shy of Verstappen’s time but will be content with his Mercedes
Lance Stroll picked up a puncture after clipping the Wall of Champions in his Williams
Hamilton is just hoping his engine – in its seventh race – lasts the course.
The session was red-flagged when Carlos Sainz’s Renault spun his Renault into the barriers. He limped back to the pits for repairs and the track was cleared to allow the action to re-start.
Fernando Alonso was 10th quickest for McLaren going into his 300th career race.
Hamilton focuses on his smartphone as he arrives at the circuit on Friday morning
The circuit is named after Gilles Villeneuve who won his first grand prix at the track in 1978
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