Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer in Montreal

Image source, Getty Images

Max Verstappen set the pace in first practice, 0.246 seconds quicker than Ferrari's Carlos Sainz. Alpine's Fernando Alonso was third, despite settling his fastest time on the medium-compound tyres, which are harder and slower than the softs most used for their best times.

Sergio Perez was fourth, 0.461secs slower than Verstappen, and Charles Leclerc fifth, 0.508secs off the pace.

Mercedes driver George Russell was sixth with Lewis Hamilton two places and 0.055secs behind his team-mate.

Hamilton was running a test floor, with a large oval-shaped cut-out as Mercedes continue to trial solutions to the "bouncing" problem they believe is restricting their performance this season.

Aston Martin's Lance Stroll showed strongly in seventh at his home race, with team-mate Sebastian Vettel ninth and McLaren's Daniel Ricciardo 10th. The second McLaren of Lando Norris was 12th, after his session ended early because of a technical problem.

Sainz had a narrow miss with a groundhog that ran on to the track late in the session.

Evening all. Hope you've managed to refuel and are ready for another hour of fun.

Second practice goes green at 22:00 BST.

This session is also available on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, so you can take a listen on the BBC Sounds app, your DAB radio, or still at the top of this page, from 21:55 BST.

The story of first practice coming up...

I know you're all excited to see Formula 1 return to Canada but please groundhogs, stay off the track when the lights go green.

Next time, you might not be as lucky as your mate was in first practice...

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Max Verstappen tops first practice and a little marmot made it safely across the track with Formula 1 cars hurtling towards it. So much going on in that session.

The weather is apparently on the turn in Montreal, so get your raincoats at the ready for a potential downpour during second practice.

Go and grab a quick break and come back and join us at 21:30 BST.

11. Pierre Gasly (Alpha Tauri)

12. Lando Norris (McLaren)

13. Alex Albon (Williams)

14. Yuki Tsunoda (Alpha Tauri)

15. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)

16. Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo)

17. Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo)

18. Mick Schumacher (Haas)

19. Nicholas Latifi (Williams)

20. Kevin Magnussen (Haas)

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

2. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

3. Fernando Alonso (Alpine)

4. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)

5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

6. George Russell (Mercedes)

7. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

8. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

9. Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin)

10. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren)

Next up, it's Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari, two tenths away Verstappen's quickest time. Fernando Alonso clocks a great session with a 1:15.531 to slot into third.

Then it's Verstappen's team-mate Sergio Perez with a time of 1:15.619, and making up the top five is Charles Leclerc, the Ferrari driver half a second off the pace of his title rival Verstappen.

Massive lock-up by Valtteri Bottas as he makes his way towards the hairpin at Turn 10. He asks his Alfa Romeo team to have a quick look to see if everything is OK with the car.

Charles Leclerc is 14 laps in on these medium tyres but the Ferrari man is not satisfied with the compounds' performance. "Ah, the rears are destroyed," says Leclerc.

Lando Norris has done 17 laps of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve with a time of 1:16.211 to place him 12th on the timing sheets.

But the McLaren driver is now in the garage, out of the car, helmet off and going over his data with the engineers.

Meanwhile, more Max Verstappen radio. "This clipping is a joke," says the world champion. "Strat 6 please." is the solution from the pit wall.

Max Verstappen, who is currently quickest of all the drivers in this first practice session, has some information for his Red Bull pit wall. "Mate, I'm clipping like crazy," the Dutchman says frustrated.

Jack Nicholls
BBC Radio 5 Live F1 commentator

"I have no strong beaver feelings either way, but I don't like them on a race track."

I don't think we could take the emotional turmoil of seeing once of those cute, furry friends meet a grizzly end on Canada's return.

Fernando Alonso is back again. This time, the Spaniard is on medium, yellow-banded tyres and whacks his Alpine up into third spot with a 1:15.531.

A marmot has just ran across the track! The little fella (or lady) made it to the other side, thankfully.

Valtteri Bottas narrowly avoids Pierre Gasly in his Alfa Romeo as the Alpha Tauri driver blocks his path.

An Aston Martin crew member has a camera right in his face as he's trying to concentrate on Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel's laps. Both drivers are running in the top 10, Stroll (7th) the higher of the two. Lewis Hamilton is the piggy in the middle of the green cars.

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer in Montreal

Charles Leclerc has a new internal combustion engine, MGU-K and MGU-H following his failure in Baku - but crucially not a new turbo (they must have cobbled the engine together from turbo one). So he avoids a grid penalty this weekend (so far, anyway).

But Yuki Tsunoda will have a grid penalty here in Montreal after exceeding his year's allowance of ICE, turbo, MGU-H and MGU-K

Will Charles Leclerc be taking a grid penalty this weekend after his Azerbaijan engine troubles?

Andrew Benson has all the details...