BREAKING: Charles Leclerc ruled OUT of Canadian Grand Prix

Leclerc Sidelined from FP2 in Canada After Crash in Opening Practice

Charles Leclerc has been officially ruled out of the second practice session (FP2) for the Canadian Grand Prix after crashing his Ferrari during the opening session on Friday. The incident occurred early in Free Practice 1 (FP1) at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, dealing a significant blow to the Scuderia’s preparations for the race weekend.

During the first practice session, Leclerc lost control of his car under braking as he approached Turn 3. The Monegasque driver locked up his front tires, sending the car sliding straight into the barriers. The impact was substantial, causing heavy damage to the left-hand side of the car, including potential structural harm.

Following the crash, Ferrari mechanics worked intensively in the garage to assess and repair the car. However, the damage was more severe than initially hoped. Ahead of FP2, Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur confirmed that the team would not be able to complete the necessary repairs in time for Leclerc to rejoin the action.

“When I left the garage, we think we damaged the chassis and we won’t be able to do FP2 by regulations,” Vasseur told reporters. “We need to do some checks.”

With the chassis potentially compromised, Ferrari was obligated under FIA regulations to carry out detailed structural assessments before allowing the car back on track. Safety checks of this nature often require significant time and equipment, and in some cases may even lead to a complete chassis change, which would not be feasible between sessions.

As a result, Leclerc was forced to sit out FP2 entirely. This means that over the course of Friday, the Ferrari driver logged only about 15 minutes of track time — a stark contrast to the two hours available to the rest of the field across both practice sessions. Such limited running could put Leclerc at a disadvantage heading into Saturday’s final practice session and the all-important qualifying.

Losing a full practice session is particularly detrimental at a circuit like Montreal, which often features variable conditions and a mix of low-grip surfaces and tight chicanes. Drivers typically use Friday to dial in their car setups, understand tire behavior, and gain confidence on a track that is only used once a year.

For Ferrari, the setback also hampers data collection and setup development for the weekend. While the team will continue working overnight to repair Leclerc’s car and conduct the required checks, the pressure will be on to ensure the car is ready for FP3 on Saturday.

Despite the challenges, Ferrari and Leclerc remain determined to regroup quickly and make the most of the remaining sessions ahead of Sunday’s Grand Prix.