2 more minutes: Another spin for Verstappen. This time he almost goes into the wall in turn 2, but the Limburger is on the road again.
4 more minutes: Verstappen went off the track for a while in turn 3, but was able to continue straight away.
5 more minutes: Not a flawless lap, but there is the first time for Verstappen. 1.38.240 gives him the eighteenth time. ‘No grip on these tires,’ he shouts over the on-board radio.
6 more minutes: While Verstappen has gone outside for a while, Kevin Magnussen stands still in the first corner. The Dane will get his Hare working again.
8 more minutes: Leclerc is also giving up. The Monegask knows that he will start at the back on a probably dry track on Sunday. In qualifying, he also only has to drive one lap.
10 minutes left: The world champions show their experience. Sebastian Vettel goes another 0.3 seconds under Alonso’s time and has the new fastest time in his hands.
11 minutes left: And again Verstappen immediately turns into the pitlane. It is not inconceivable that this will remain the case for the Limburger.
12 more minutes: Fernando Alonso does wet riding for advanced riders. The experienced Spaniard clocks a 1.34.229 and is therefore 1.3 seconds faster than anyone else.
14 minutes left: We have another reigning world champion on the track. Verstappen is back on the wet asphalt.
19 minutes left: A new fastest time, from Sebastian Vettel. The German clocked a 1.35,821 . in his Aston Martin
22 minutes left: Verstappen drives a lap, but doesn’t even finish it. The Dutchman is already back with his team and is driven into the pit box.
25 minutes left: Wake up Netherlands! Verstappen reports on the asphalt.
26 minutes left: “It’s so skechy,” says Alexander Albon as he slides straight ahead in his Williams. Pierre Gasly even goes off the track completely.
30 minutes left: Verstappen gets into his car.
32 minutes left: Ferrari takes the opportunity to test Pirelli’s wet tires and continues. Sainz has already completed seven laps.
35 minutes left: There’s the first serious time. Carlos Sainz settles at the top of the times list with the Ferrari. With 1.35.858, the Spaniard is more than two seconds faster than Valtteri Bottas.
37 minutes left: Sergio Pérez has given a sign of life from Red Bull, but Verstappen is still in the pit box.
More news from the pit lane: Charles Leclerc starts the Canadian Grand Prix at the very back on Sunday. The Monegask takes its fourth engine, turbo, MGU-H, and MGU-K. This means he has two new power sources in his pool in one weekend.
46 minutes left: While Sebastian Vettel is sliding his Aston Martin over the soaking wet asphalt, many drivers are still warm and dry in the pit box. About half of the field, including Max Verstappen, has not yet been on track at all.
51 minutes left: Kevin Magnussen goes off the track in turns 3 and 4, but sends his Haas back onto the tarmac without damage. Carlos Sainz also shoots straight ahead at one of the chicanes and immediately returns to the pitlane.
56 minutes left: There is the first top car. Charles Leclerc reports on the wet asphalt with the Ferrari. The Monegask rides on full wets, just like all the others.
Green light: the first car on the track is Kevin Magnussen in de Haas. The Dane rides on full wets.
It is still uncertain whether qualifying will also be wet. There is a chance of rain, but various forecasts state that most showers have started away from Montreal. What is almost certain is that the race will be dry and sunny on Sunday. Since the teams are no longer allowed to adjust the car’s set-up between qualifying and the race, it is unlikely that teams will set up their cars for rain.
With only 11 degrees outside air and an asphalt temperature of 16.4 degrees, it is simply cold in Montreal. Race management has made an extra set of intermediate tires available to each driver, on top of the four sets they already have.