Antonelli tops Russell in chaotic Canadian GP practice

World championship leader Kimi Antonelli continued his dominant run by topping Mercedes teammate George Russell in the sole Canadian Grand Prix practice session, as the team's upgraded car delivered an ominous statement in Montreal.

Antonelli, who has won three consecutive races to build a 20-point lead over Russell, beat his teammate by 0.142s. Lewis Hamilton was third for Ferrari, nearly eight-tenths off the pace.

Why it matters:

Mercedes arrived in Canada with their first major upgrade package of the season and immediately validated their potential. The result heaps pressure on Russell, the pre-season favourite, who won here last year but now faces a resurgent teammate. Antonelli's form suggests he could extend his championship lead further this weekend.

The details:

• Three red flags disrupted the session: Liam Lawson stopped with a technical issue; Alex Albon crashed his Williams after hitting a groundhog; Esteban Ocon shunted hard into the barriers after losing control of his Haas.
• A total of 19 extra minutes were added to compensate for time lost under the first two red flags.
• Hamilton was nearly two-tenths clear of Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc in fourth, with Max Verstappen fifth.
• Reigning world champion Lando Norris was 1.3s off the pace in sixth, while McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri was a further couple of tenths back in seventh.
• Russell appeared to show frustration in the closing stages, spinning and tapping a barrier without significant damage.

What's next:

Sprint Qualifying takes place later on Friday, giving teams limited time to analyse data from the disrupted session. Mercedes will aim to convert their practice pace into grid position, while rivals like McLaren and Red Bull must find gains overnight.