The data that shows Mercedes' Montreal pace may not be a fluke

Mercedes enjoyed a strong start to the Canadian Grand Prix weekend as George Russell topped the second practice session.

Rookie team-mate Kimi Antonelli wasn't far behind his team-mate either, as the Italian clocked the third fastest lap time.

Russell has taken four podiums so far this year, but Mercedes has not been in a consistent position to compete at the front against the likes of McLaren and Red Bull who remain the only teams to take to the top step of the podium this year.

While Mercedes took bragging rights away from Friday practice in Montreal, it will be looking over its shoulder at McLaren as Lando Norris' best effort was just 0.028s down on Russell's.

A bulk of the Mercedes driver's lap time came on the straights, as through the chicanes of Turns 3 and 4, Turns 8 and 9 and Turns 13 and 14, Norris was able to gain on his compatriot.

Different techniques were deployed by Russell in comparison to Norris over their qualifying simulation efforts, with the scales just about tipping into the former's favour. 

While Russell applied the brakes earlier into the corners, it allowed him to pick up the throttle earlier.

Russell spent 75 per cent of his lap at full throttle, compared to the 71 per cent for Norris - which allowed him to eke out a slight gap at the end of the lap. 

Even in the long run simulations, Mercedes looked impressive. It's worth noting the ever present case of not knowing the engine modes and fuel loads, which can deceive the true picture of the pecking order.

But taking the data as we see it, Russell was able to lap in the low 1:16.5s and match Norris' McLaren, which has been proven to be the pick of the field in the long runs throughout 2025.

Red Bull and Max Verstappen will also look to get back into the fight this week, and the Dutchman enjoyed a strong start as he too posted similar times to Russell and Norris across the long runs.

While there are undoubtedly positives for Mercedes, who entered the weekend with higher expectations compared to previous events, there are some setbacks it will need to consider.

Russell's lap times, as well as Antonelli's, tapered off drastically as the stint wore on. For McLaren, a major strength of the team has been its ability to prolong the life of the tyres.

Additionally, Sunday's grand prix is set to be held in the hottest conditions of the weekend with Celsius temperatures reaching the mid-20s. Typically, Mercedes' car has come alive in cooler weather before going the opposite direction in hotter conditions.

Nevertheless, Mercedes can afford to have a slight smile as it heads into Saturday.

While it may not be the outright favourite due to McLaren's historical advantage so far this year, further improvements overnight for Mercedes may place it in a strong position to jump at any opportunities that present themselves.

With Red Bull seemingly fighting one-handed again with Verstappen and Ferrari enduring a difficult day, Mercedes having two cars in the top three marked a strong opening statement to the weekend. 

Exploiting the car's strengths for the remainder of the weekend is a whole other challenge, but having endured a difficult run of late, the early promise will be a welcome breath of fresh air.