First practice for the Canadian Grand Prix was stopped after just a few minutes when Charles Leclerc lost control of his Ferrari and smashed up the whole left side of the car

Charles Leclerc suffered a nightmare start to his Canadian Grand Prix weekend when he crashed shortly after the start of the first practice session. The Monegasque was on one of the first flying laps of his weekend in Montreal when he lost control of his Ferrari.

Leclerc was approaching turn four when he locked up the front-right wheel of his car while trying to slow for the corner. But instead of taking the run-off road, he attempted to make the turn anyway but that turned out to be a foolish and costly decision.

Both wheels on the left side of the car were snapped off while he also did a lot of damage to the bodywork of the car. It marked the end of his participation in the session and also gave his Ferrari mechanics a significant repair job to get him out on track in time for Friday’s second practice.

Fortunately, Leclerc was uninjured and jumped straight on the radio to swear and then apologise for his error. “I’m in the wall,” he reported, before adding: “Yeah, my bad, I should have gone straight. I thought I would just make it but I clipped the wall.”

The crash saw the session stopped immediately as the Ferrari came to rest in the middle of the track. There was a brief pause in proceedings as the stricken car was recovered and the circuit cleared of debris before practice was allowed to resume.

It was hardly the start to the Montreal event that Ferrari would have wanted in the week that Italian media reported growing impatience among the team’s top brass. They are second in the constructors’ championship but already 197 points adrift of runaway leaders McLaren, who the Scuderia pushed all the way for the teams’ title last year.

But while McLaren have cemented their status as the ones to beat on the Formula 1 grid, Ferrari appear to have regressed. And Corriere della Sera reported this week that team principal Frederic Vasseur is under pressure as a result, with a potential replacement reportedly being lined up.

Speaking on Thursday, however, Lewis Hamilton made it clear he would be very much against any move to oust Vasseur. He said: “Things aren’t perfect but I’m here to work with the team, but also with Fred. I want Fred here. I do believe Fred is the person to take us to the top. Ultimately, it’s nonsense what people have written. Most people don’t know what’s going on in the background.

“It isn’t all easy, it’s not like it’s all the smoothest sailing in the background. We are having to make changes and it’s a lot of work to do and there is, naturally, a lot of pressure because we want to win. But [axing Vasseur] is not any part of the discussion at the moment.

“I don’t think that’s on the cards, as far as I’m aware, and that’s certainly not something that I would be supportive of. I’m here to win with Fred, and he has my full support.” Leclerc also waved away speculation that he too has grown frustrated with the situation at Ferrari, reaffirming his commitment to the team.