World championship leader Kimi Antonelli maintained his superb form by outpacing his team-mate George Russell in Canadian Grand Prix practice. Mercedes delivered an ominous display with their upgraded car, establishing themselves as strong contenders for the Sprint Qualifying session later on Friday. Watch Sprint Qualifying at 9.30pm live on Sky Sports F1 and Main Event, with build-up from 9pm

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The Silver Arrows' first major upgrade package of the season was brought to Montreal, and the team's performance in the sole practice session of the weekend was a strong indicator of their intentions. Antonelli, who has won the last three races and holds a 20-point lead over Russell, topped his teammate by 0.142s. Lewis Hamilton was third for Ferrari, almost eight tenths of a second behind Antonelli.

Pressure on Russell

The pre-season favorite, Russell, was under pressure as he tried to halt Antonelli's momentum. The Brit spun off track and tapped a barrier, but avoided significant damage and managed to get his car back to the pit lane. The session was filled with excitement and drama, with three red-flag stoppages.

Other Performances

The first red flag was due to Liam Lawson's technical issues with his Racing Bulls car. The second red flag was caused by Alex Albon's unfortunate crash after hitting a groundhog. The third red flag came when Esteban Ocon lost control of his Haas car and shunted into the barriers at high speed.

A total of 19 extra minutes were added to the session to make up for lost time. Hamilton was almost two tenths clear of his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc in fourth, with Max Verstappen in fifth. Reigning world champion Lando Norris was in sixth, followed by his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in seventh.

Friday May 22
6.55pm: F2 Qualifying*
7.40pm: Team Bosses' Press Conference*
9pm: Canadian GP Sprint Qualifying (session starts at 9.30pm)*
10.55pm: F1 Academy Qualifying*

Saturday May 23
2.40pm: F1 Academy Race 1
4pm: Canadian GP Sprint build-up
5pm: CANADIAN GP SPRINT
6.30pm: Ted's Sprint Notebook
7pm: F2 Sprint*
8.10pm: Canadian GP Qualifying build-up*
9pm: CANADIAN GP QUALIFYING*
11pm: F1 Academy Race 2*
11.45pm: Ted's Qualifying Notebook*

Sunday May 24
3.40pm: F1 Academy Race 3
2pm: F2 Feature Race
7.30pm: Canadian GP build-up: Grand Prix Sunday*
9pm: THE CANADIAN GRAND PRIX*
11am: Canadian GP reaction: Chequered Flag*
12am: Ted's Notebook*

Formula 1 is in Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix and another Sprint weekend. Watch live on Sky Sports F1, with Sunday's race at 9pm. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime