Verstappen sets Canada pace after Leclerc crash

Canadian Grand Prix

Venue: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal Dates: 13-15 June Race start: 19:00 BST on Sunday

Coverage: Live commentary of first practice, third practice and qualifying on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2, with FP2 on Sports Extra. Race is on BBC Radio 5 Live; live text updates on BBC Sport website and app

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc crashed in first practice at the Canadian Grand Prix as Red Bull's Max Verstappen set the pace.

Leclerc misjudged Turn Three after locking his brakes going into the corner and collected the barrier as he speared across the grass, just under halfway through the session. He was fastest at the time but ended the session 10th.

Leclerc tried to cut across the grass after locking his brakes on the entry to the difficult right-left chicane but collected a barrier and destroyed the left-hand side of his car.

"I'm sorry," Leclerc said to the team over the radio. "I locked up and should have gone straight. I thought I could make the corner but I hit the wall."

Verstappen set the pace from Williams' Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz. The four-time champion was 0.039 seconds quicker than Albon and 0.082secs ahead of Sainz.

Mercedes' George Russell was fourth fastest, from Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar and McLaren's Lando Norris on a track that was obviously slippery and dirty.

Championship leaders McLaren appeared to struggle. Norris had a number of moments around the demanding Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and finished up 12th.

The Briton's team-mate Oscar Piastri, the championship leader, was 14th as McLaren tested a new front wing and front suspension.

The wing is a test item that is not expected to be used after Friday, but the suspension is aimed at curing the 'numb' feeling in the car's front axle that has particularly affected Norris this season.

But Norris went off track on the exit of Turn One and came close to losing control at the hairpin a number of times.

Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson, Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Leclerc completed the top 10. Gasly's team-mate Franco Colapinto had an early spin at Turn Two without harm and ended up 19th.

Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda was 11th, 0.734secs behind team-mate Verstappen, and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso 12th.