Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will start from the back of the field after being docked a grid penalty for overusing his engine.
The latest in a series of setbacks to his championship chances.
At Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix, Ferrari installed a third electronic control unit which resulted in a 10-place grid penalty.
Drivers are limited to two electronic devices every season.
Max Verstappen has gained an 80-point advantage over championship opponent Leclerc after a string of poor results.
And he’s expected to lose even more ground in Montreal to the Red Bull driver.
After the first three races, Leclerc had a 46-point advantage over Verstappen, who had two retirements.
So far in the previous three races, both of those engine issues occurred while Leclerc was in the lead.
He also lost the Monaco Grand Prix to a Ferrari strategy blunder.
Spin in the final laps of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix changed.
Third-place finish into a sixth-place finish when he spun out.
Since Verstappen was quickest in Friday practice, he will start this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix with a deficit of 34 points.
He had a lead of only 0.081 seconds over the guy who seemed to be his championship contender just moments before the race started.
Carlos Sainz, driving the second Ferrari, was third fastest and finished 0.225 seconds behind the leader.
When it came to Aston Martin, Sebastian Vettel came in an unexpected fourth place.
Ahead of Fernando Alonso’s Alpine.
“The worst I have ever felt in a vehicle here,” Lewis Hamilton said following another challenging day for the reigning world champions.
Canadian Grand Prix
While he has won the Canadian Grand Prix seven times, the seven-time world champion completed the day 13th.
With team-mate George Russell in seventh place.
Mercedes continued to experiment with set-up ideas and innovations to better their stubborn vehicle.
Hamilton stated: “I set up an experimental floor on my side, which didn’t function, as is typical for us on Fridays.
“Nothing we do appears to have any effect on this vehicle.
Testing different combinations.
We experimented with a wide range of setups to determine whether one worked and the other didn’t.
“It was a total catastrophe for me.
When we do more and more to the automobile, it seems like it’s becoming worse and worse.
As long as we persevere and work hard, we’ll be able to construct a better automobile next year.
“To utilize the curbs effectively, you must be quite skilled at using the kerbs themselves.
Which is no small feat considering how rigid this vehicle is.
It’s not the Montreal I’ve come to know and love throughout my professional life.
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