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With FP2 for the 2022 F1 Canadian GP now wrapped up, we have Max Verstappen leading the charge at the top of the timesheets. In a session where there was an imminent threat of rain all the time, things went rather smoothly as teams got to work and went through their programs without much of a glitch.
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In the end, it was Verstappen on top for Red Bull with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz right behind. So let's find out what we learned in the FP2 session.
#1 Max Verstappen is in ominous form but Charles Leclerc is not far behind
Unlike what has been the norm in the last couple of races, Max Verstappen has hit the ground running at the 2022 F1 Canadian GP. The Red Bull driver is in a league of his own and his teammate Sergio Perez does not have an answer for it. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc is staying within touching distance of the Red Bull with his sheer brilliance over a single lap. If Verstappen, however, keeps this form going throughout the Montréal weekend, he will be hard to catch up.
#2 Mercedes might just have slipped back into the midfield cluster
It appears that what happened to Lewis Hamilton at Baku has certainly resulted in a change of approach at Mercedes. The car is not bouncing as viciously as it used to and there seems to be another experimental setup on the Briton's car this 2022 F1 Canadian GP weekend.
Through all of this, Mercedes does seem to be lacking a bit at least in terms of one-lap pace and is not the clear third favorite this time around. There were also fears that the team might have to run a conservative setup, leading to a drop in performance. It now appears that, while the long runs are still comfortably third fastest, the single lap needs a lot of work for now.
#3 Aston Martin is surging at the 2022 F1 Canadian GP weekend
We had picked Aston Martin to be the team to keep an eye on and guess what, it might just have released the final ounce of performance from its car. Sebastian Vettel's lap times in FP2 are surely going to turn a few heads tonight.
The midfield still appears to be one big cluster right now and Aston Martin could just be the team that has marginally escaped that group for the 2022 F1 Canadian GP. Exciting times are ahead at what should ideally be the team's home race.
#4 All the usual suspects in the midfield
The midfield is once again one big mess this weekend. McLaren, AlphaTauri, Haas, and Alpine are still fighting for the honors, with Alpine once again running a higher mode on its engine.
By the looks of it, it's hard to predict what the exact order could be for the teams, but a lot of results could just come down to driver skills this weekend.
#5 The bouncing phenomenon is not a gamechanger this time around
The bouncing phenomenon was something that was in the news left, right, and center during the race weekend in Baku. At the 2022 F1 Canadian GP, however, it appears that teams have grown cautious and are running a more conservative setup.
To further complement the changes made by teams, the track for the race does not seem to have a surface that is far too bumpy to throw in more variables. For this weekend, expect the porpoising issue to be put on hold until the race is over on Sunday.
