PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.

As I write, FP3 for the Canadian Grand Prix is underway meaning we've already had 2 sessions over in Canada to try and learn something about what may happen this weekend. Lewis Hamilton  topped the timesheets in both sessions showing that he will be a definite pole contender for Qualifying in a few hours time. The McLaren driver showed impressive speed and is certainly the favourite for pole. He's already been on pole twice, three times if you're a McLaren fan, this season and he can add to his tally today. However, he will still face a challenge. In FP2 the top 3 cars were covered by just 0.151 seconds.

Behind Hamilton were the two Ferraris; Alonso and Massa were 2nd and 3rd respectively. Ferrari seem to have put their early season woes behind them and, they too, were impressive in practice. Despite the car seemingly much better in the race than in Qualfying a few races ago, the team demonstrated in Monaco that they are now fast enough on Saturday too. To get both of their cars in the top 3 in FP2 was no mean feat but the vital thing will be to replicate this form in Qualifying. However, as has been the case many times this season, the practice sessions can be misleading. So we will have to wait for Qualifying in Montreal to be over before we can pass judgement on the progress Ferrari seem to have made.

Red Bull had a satisfactory Friday and it does not look like having to change their floor has had much of an impact on their car's performance. Sebastian Vettel finished 2nd and then 4th but Mark Webber finished 5th and 11th in FP1 and FP2 in Canada. Following a great drive and win in Monaco for Mark and Red Bull after starting from pole position, we know that he can put the RB8 at the very front, or close to the very front, of the grid. However, the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal is a different beast altogether and we will have to wait and see what Red Bull can do this weekend. Will Sebastian Vettel, once again, not run in Q3? He seems to be fast, judging from the practice sessions, but that can all change in Qualifying if he can not optimise tyre performance. Running on the super-softs in FP1 and finishing 2nd indicates that he may have a shot at pole position.

Mercedes are also thought to be pole position contenders today. Many have speculated that they have not shown their true form during practice and with their 'super-DRS' they are capable of doing well in Canada. Michael Schumacher was declared to be 'back' after going fastest on Saturday in Monaco; can he make it 2 in a row? Or will his teammate Nico Rosberg take his second pole of the season? His first came a few races ago in China.

So I have focused on the frontrunners' performance in practice in this review but there's so much chopping and changing of pecking orders that the top 10 shoot-out will be one of the most exciting yet. Not only is it all "very close" in the words of Mr. Vettel but Canada offers a circuit that always manages to throw up a surprise or two. Of course, whilst the person who is favourite for pole always changes, so do the cars that make up the rest of the top 10 once the usual favourites go through. Can Force India improve on their strong performance in Monaco? Will Williams be able to challenge for the top spot again?

Qualifying in Canada will most certainly be thrilling and there is a lot to look out for as well. Not only will we be thinking about who gets pole or which cars from the 'midfield' make it through to Q3, we will want to look out for who actually runs in Q3, whether or not Jenson can make it out of Q2 (will it even matter to him? We know what he is capable of here!), and whether the man who gets pole position gets to stay there without being subjected to a penalty.

I can not wait for Qualifying to get started so, whether you're watching it in a few hours or waiting for BBC highlights later in the evening, make sure you're back here for my Qualifying review...

Aqsa

(Images)


UPDATE: FP3 is over and Vettel topped the results by, wait for it, six-thousandths of a second. My oh my, it really is so close. He was ahead of Alonso and Hamilton. Now tell me that hasn't made you a hundred times more excited for Qualifying... You can't, can you? Oh, and the top 16 were covered by ONE second!