The 2023 F1 Canadian GP got off to a rocky start after issues with the circuit’s CCTV system meant that the cars were only able to be out on track for one or two laps in first practice.
Early running in FP1 came to an abrupt halt after about three minutes when the Alpine of Pierre Gasly suffered a driveshaft failure, with the car stranded out on track, bringing out the red flags.
While the drivers were ready back in the pitlane and lining up to get out, it emerged that the circuit control systems had malfunctioned, and the session was held under red flags as the clock continued to count down.
Eventually, the FIA confirmed that there was an issue with the Circuit Gilles-Villneuve’s CCTV system, which meant that the cars couldn’t come back out on track due to safety concerns, with the tech seemingly running on a delay.
As a result, the FIA decided to expand FP2 by 30 minutes, which will now start at 16:30 local time (21:30).
Verstappen favourite
While the drivers were unable to get out and show their pace during FP1, Red Bull and Max Verstappen remain strong favourites to win the race in Montreal after another dominant performance last time out at the Spanish GP.
However, the race in Barcelona also showed marked improvement for Mercedes, who secured their first double podium of 2023 for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
