Publications
Partners
MONTREAL, Canada - Lewis Hamilton topped the times and crashed his Mercedes into barriers as heavy rain curtailed the second practice session ahead of the 2015 Canadian GP.
The defending world champion and current series leader was unhurt and walked away after aquaplaning into the barriers at the hairpin at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve where a downpour midway through the 90 minutes' action brought it to a halt.
Hamilton topped the times during the first practice session ahead of his Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg and the pair were more than 1.5 seconds clear of the field.
'THE FRONT WING IS GONE'
Hamilton lost control and was unable to stop his car sliding into the wall at the tight and tricky track that has a record for crashes and incidents.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said: "We wanted to do some clutch calibration work and this is how it ended. I think he just aquaplaned. The front wing is gone, but hopefully no more.
.@LewisHamilton aquaplanes on entry to T10 and slides into the barriers. Thankfully unhurt #F1 #CanadianGP #FP2... http://t.co/EwJhKdPWkK
— MERCEDES AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) June 5, 2015"He was pretty quick. He's fastest on the time-sheets, but I wouldn't read too much into it. It's just one of those days, one of those Fridays when it is difficult to get a lap together."
Hamilton was fastest ahead of four-time champion Sebastian Vettel and his Ferrari team mate Kimi Raikkonen at the time of the accident with Rosberg back in fourth.
Earlier, Hamilton had survived a part-spin on his way to clocking the fastest time during first practice.
Nice weather for ducks and Safety Car drivers #CanadianGP #FP2 #BonjourF1 pic.twitter.com/xetdfug9E8
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 5, 2015MONACO FIASCO
Two weeks on from the team's pit-stop fiasco in Monaco, the two-time champion clocked a best time of 1min16.212 in his Mercedes to end quickest by 0.415 seconds ahead of his team mate and nearest rival Rosberg.
On a relatively cool, cloudy but dry day, the two Mercedes men were more than 1.5 seconds clear of third-placed Romain Grosjean of Lotus and the rest of the field.
Nico Hulkenberg, was fourth for Force India ahead of Vettel in his Ferrari and Felipe Massa, who was sixth for Williams.
Russian Daniil Kvyat wound up seventh for Red Bull ahead of Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado in the second Lotus, Spanish two-time champion Fernando Alonso in a McLaren and, on his first visit to the track, Dutch teenager Max Verstappen of Toro Rosso.
Hamilton, who performed a partial pirouette at the hairpin, was not the only spinner in a session littered with incidents including a spin at Turn One by rookie Carlos Sainz, in the second Toro Rosso. Sainz's car later came to a halt in the pits-lane.
2015 Canadian Grand Prix at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve: Free practice times
Second practice
1 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1min15.988
2 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Ferrari 1min16.304
3 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 1min16.310
4 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min16.440
5 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus 1min16.600
6 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams 1min16.849
7 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus 1min16.864
8 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams 1min17.041
9 Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Red Bull 1min17.092
10 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull 1min17.111
11 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India 1min17.120
12 Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Sauber 1min17.261
13 Carlos Sainz Jr (Spain) Toro Rosso 1min17.318
14 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India 1min17.367
15 Fernando Alonso (Spain) McLaren 1min17.627
16 Max Verstappen (Netherlands) Toro Rosso 1min17.657
17 Felipe Nasr (Brazil) Sauber 1min17.751
18 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min18.135
19 Roberto Merhi (Spain) Marussia 1min19.531
20 Will Stevens (Britain) Marussia 1min19.734
Stay with Wheels24 for the 2015 F1 season – fresh reports every day.