Canadian GP: Hamilton fastest in second practice but crashes in rain

Lewis Hamilton set the pace and then crashed as Ferrari split the Mercedes in a rain-interrupted second practice session at the Canadian Grand Prix.

Hamilton headed Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel despite kerb-hopping the last chicane on what would have been his fastest lap.

Vettel's team-mate Kimi Raikkonen was also quicker than the second Mercedes of Nico Rosberg in fourth.

When rain hit, Hamilton slid at the hairpin, breaking his front wing.

It was the end of an up-and-down day for the world champion, who set the pace in both sessions despite a spin at the hairpin in first practice and a bounce over the kerbs on his first flying lap on the super-soft tyres in the second session.

Hamilton blamed the crash in the second session on his car aquaplaning - when the wheels float on water and the car cannot be controlled - as he was braking.

Hamilton's crash dissuaded anyone else from doing any running as the rain grew heavier to the end of the session.

BBC F1 analyst Allan McNish said: "It has not been a clean run for Lewis and these are the sort of things than can affect a driver. Each one you can compartmentalise but when they add up you have to take a breath and reset, which he can do overnight."

Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff said: "We wanted to do some clutch calibration and do some starts and just take it easy and this is how it ended.

"I think he just aquaplaned on the front and then you remove a lot of water which is why the rear wheels were still turning.

"I wouldn't interpret too much into it. It is just one of those Fridays when it is difficult to get a lap together."

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