In the final practice session of the Canadian Grand Prix weekend, Lewis Hamilton showcased his prowess by setting the fastest lap time, finishing 0.374 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen, the current Formula 1 championship leader in Montreal.

The session began on a dry track, prompting a flurry of activity as drivers hurried to log mileage on the medium tires. Sergio Perez and Pierre Gasly set the early benchmarks, but their momentum was interrupted by a temporary halt in the running.

When the session resumed, it was Verstappen who took charge, initially posting a time of 1m15.495s and then improving it with a lap of 1m14.983s. However, Fernando Alonso surprised everyone by running on the harder tire and snatched the top spot with a time of 1m14.870s.

Alonso's reign at the top was short-lived as Aston Martin driver, Lance Stroll, swiftly beat his time with a lap of 1m14.445s, marking the end of the medium tire runs. The focus then shifted to the soft-tyre runs in preparation for qualifying.

Logan Sargeant kicked off the soft-tyre runs with a time of 1m14.355s, but his moment in the spotlight was soon extinguished by George Russell, who took over the top spot. Alex Albon prevailed, pushing the benchmark below the 74-second mark, as Charles Leclerc also briefly claimed the lead before Hamilton ultimately took control.

Hamilton's impressive lap time of 1m12.549s secured his place at the top of the leaderboard for a significant portion of the session. Although briefly challenged by his teammate Russell, Hamilton ultimately solidified his advantage with a breathtaking 0.725-second lead.

As the session neared its climax, drivers struggled to match Hamilton's pace, with few coming close. However, towards the end, Russell managed to get within half a second of Hamilton's time before being overtaken by Verstappen. Despite touching the Turn 14 wall, Verstappen set a time of 1m12.923s, falling short of Hamilton's dominant performance by 0.374 seconds.

Fourth place was claimed by Lance Stroll, the only other driver within half a second of Hamilton's blistering pace. Oscar Piastri finished fifth, followed by Daniel Ricciardo, Lando Norris, and Fernando Alonso. Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc completed the top 10, with Leclerc noting that his Ferrari felt "slow" in the opening corners.

With Hamilton asserting his superiority in the final practice session, all eyes are now on qualifying as the drivers battle it out for pole position in tomorrow's Canadian Grand Prix.