Charles Leclerc escaped serious consequences after being caught exceeding the pit lane speed limit by a substantial margin during Canadian Grand Prix practice at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The Ferrari driver was clocked at 16.3 km/h over the mandatory 80 km/h limit, resulting in a breach of FIA Formula 1 regulation Article B1.6.3a.
Despite the significant speed violation, race stewards opted for a relatively lenient punishment, issuing Ferrari a €1,000 fine rather than imposing grid penalties or other sporting sanctions on the Monegasque driver. Leclerc went on to complete the practice session in fourth position, trailing teammate Lewis Hamilton in third and the Mercedes duo of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell who occupied the top two spots.
The practice session proved eventful with multiple disruptions requiring three red flag stoppages. Liam Lawson’s RB car suffered a hydraulic failure that left him stranded on track, while Alex Albon encountered an unusual incident when his Williams struck a marmot, causing him to crash as he attempted to avoid the animal.
The session concluded with Esteban Ocon damaging the front wing of his Haas in the closing minutes of what had already been an extended practice period. The session ran 19 minutes longer than scheduled to compensate for the earlier interruptions, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the Montreal circuit.