Alex Albon's Williams slammed into a groundhog in Friday practice for the Canadian Grand Prix, leaving the British driver sliding down the barriers and bringing the session to a halt with a red flag.
Albon was unable to avoid the animal on the exit of Turn Seven and crashed heavily on the straight that follows the corner. The impact caused heavy damage to the Williams, and team principal James Vowles later said the damage to Albon's car is extensive.
The interruption came in a stop-start session that was already punctuated by two other red flags. Liam Lawson stopped on track with a loss of steering, while Esteban Ocon spun on the exit of Turn Four and crashed his Haas. By the end of practice, Mercedes had worked through the chaos to finish one-two, with Kimi Antonelli 0.142 seconds faster than George Russell.
Antonelli's pace continued a strong run for Mercedes, with the Italian leading Russell in the session and also holding a 20-point advantage over his team-mate in the drivers' championship after three wins in the first four races. Lewis Hamilton was third on the timesheets and Charles Leclerc fourth, but the bigger concern for Williams was whether Albon's car could be repaired in time.
Sprint qualifying was scheduled for 21:15 BST, with the sprint race qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix due to follow at 21:30 BST. For Albon and Williams, the question was not pace but recovery: how much of the car could be rebuilt before the evening session began.
