2024 F1 Canadian Grand Prix: Friday Practice as it happened

That concludes our live coverage of Friday practice in Canada.

We will be back tomorrow to guide you through all the action from final practice and qualifying, with further unpredictable weather expected. 

• 2024 F1 Canadian Grand Prix - Friday Practice Results

Leclerc has had a spin down at the hairpin, but majestically recovers to complete a full 360 and continue on his way without further dramas. 

After a bit of a lull on track, drivers are starting to head back out on intermediates following another deluge.

Sky Sports F1's pitlane reporter Ted Kravitz says Verstappen's session is done. 

"That is it for the session for Max Verstappen. He has concluded his business," Kravitz reported. 

"The power unit. I think it might be on the energy recovery system. They are able to diagnose the problem and conclude that something needs changing.

"That’s a job that’s going to take them long into the Canadian night."

Alonso has returned to the top of the pecking order with a 1m15.810s. 

Russell is up to second, but some four-tenths adrift of the Aston Martin. 

Verstappen has just returned to the garage and got out of his car, which was smoking. His RB20 is now surrounded by warning tape, suggesting some sort of possible electrical issue. 

Mechanics are pouring over the rear of the car now to investigate what is wrong. 

The order is continually changing at the moment as Leclerc takes over at the top with a 1m16.556s, ahead of Alonso and Hamilton, both of whom have also improved their times. 

Despite several drivers losing it and running wide under braking at the hairpin amid the intensifying rain, others are still finding time.

Alonso has dipped into the 1m17s and now leads his Aston Martin teammate Stroll, while Hamilton has just improved to pop his Mercedes into third. 

Magnussen has just had a wide moment and slid across the grass at the chicane, having been seemingly caught out by the rain. 

The times are tumbling as drivers start to gain confidence and push harder in the dry conditions. 

Alonso has just gone quickest in his Aston Martin on a 1m20.451s. 

Ricciardo is two tenths back in second with Gasly third. Next up come the Mercedes pair of Russell and Hamilton. 

Gasly continues to rack up the laps while the rain holds off as he lowers the benchmark to 1m20.789s. 

Gasly now displaces Hamilton at the top of the order, having posted a 1m24.389s with soft tyres on his Alpine.

Hamilton was using Mercedes' new front wing during that opening run. 

But he's told to box so Mercedes can revert to the old specification (which both cars ran in FP1) amid the threat of worsening weather on the way. 

With drizzle still falling, Hamilton has managed to set a lap on soft tyres and goes fastest with a 1m34.810s. 

Despite drizzle falling, several drivers including both Red Bulls and both Mercedes are heading out on soft tyres.

But the rain is starting to fall harder as the session gets underway...

In case you missed it, 1997 world champion and Sky Sports F1 guest pundit Jacques Villeneuve had some pretty strong words to say about Daniel Ricciardo.

"I think his image has kept him in F1 more than his actual results.”

Hello again. We are continuing our live coverage of the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix. 

Up next it's second practice in 10 minutes. 

Rain is falling once again in Montreal...

That's all for now, but join us again later this evening for FP2, which starts at 10pm UK time.

Here's how things ended up in a wet-dry opening practice in Montreal. 

• 2024 F1 Canadian Grand Prix - Friday Practice Results

Hello! A flurry of drivers are now heading out on the soft tyre, including both Ferraris, Verstappen and Norris.