2026 Ford Ranger Super Duty punished by robot test drivers
The latest phase of durability testing for the 2026 Ford Ranger Super Duty, which will bring a class-leading 4500kg towing capacity and other heavy-duty capabilities, has left its development driver speechless.
Ford Australia has turned to robot drivers for durability testing at the Blue Oval brand's You Yangs proving ground in Victoria, which is shielded from public view as the company develops its upcoming models and pulls apart its rivals.
The use of robotic drivers has enabled rigorous 24/7 testing of the hardcore Super Duty ahead of its scheduled arrival in Australian showrooms next year.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
"With robotic drivers behind the wheel, we can simulate years and years of punishment," Ford said in a video clip released this week.
Ford Australia said it used robots to test the locally developed Super Duty to its full 4500kg GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) while tackling the You Yangs facility's Silver Creek torture test.
"Silver Creek is our toughest man-made durability track," said Ranger Super Duty program manager Justin Capicchiano in a statement.
"It stressed the Ranger Super Duty from the wheels to the roof, simulating the wear and tear you'd typically experience across a decade of driving on the world's harshest road conditions."
A first of its kind in Australia, the Ranger Super Duty borrows its Super Duty name from the biggest and most capable F-Series pickups sold in the US, but its was conceived and is being developed in Australia.
Without the same towing capability from rivals like the Toyota HiLux and Isuzu D-Max, the Super Duty will target buyers of the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series by adding F-150 towing capability in a smaller package.
The Ranger Super Duty earns its name by employing a reinforced chassis, 33-inch wheels attached to eight-stud hubs, and uprated differentials, all of which help enable its 4500kg braked tow capacity (when fitted with a 70mm tow ball) – a full 1000kg above the standard Ranger's towing limit.
Full specifications and pricing are yet to be announced, but Ford has confirmed the Super Duty will be powered by the same 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 and 10-speed automatic transmission available in the mainstream Ranger lineup.
It has also announced the toughest Ranger yet will be released initially in eponymous Super Duty cab/chassis form across two-door single-cab and extended-cab and four-door dual-cab body styles, with more touring-focused XLT four-door pickup and cab/chassis versions to join the lineup in mid-2026.
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
The latest phase of durability testing for the 2026 Ford Ranger Super Duty, which will bring a class-leading 4500kg towing capacity and other heavy-duty capabilities, has left its development driver speechless.
Ford Australia has turned to robot drivers for durability testing at the Blue Oval brand's You Yangs proving ground in Victoria, which is shielded from public view as the company develops its upcoming models and pulls apart its rivals.
The use of robotic drivers has enabled rigorous 24/7 testing of the hardcore Super Duty ahead of its scheduled arrival in Australian showrooms next year.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
"With robotic drivers behind the wheel, we can simulate years and years of punishment," Ford said in a video clip released this week.
Ford Australia said it used robots to test the locally developed Super Duty to its full 4500kg GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) while tackling the You Yangs facility's Silver Creek torture test.
"Silver Creek is our toughest man-made durability track," said Ranger Super Duty program manager Justin Capicchiano in a statement.
"It stressed the Ranger Super Duty from the wheels to the roof, simulating the wear and tear you'd typically experience across a decade of driving on the world's harshest road conditions."
A first of its kind in Australia, the Ranger Super Duty borrows its Super Duty name from the biggest and most capable F-Series pickups sold in the US, but its was conceived and is being developed in Australia.
Without the same towing capability from rivals like the Toyota HiLux and Isuzu D-Max, the Super Duty will target buyers of the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series by adding F-150 towing capability in a smaller package.
The Ranger Super Duty earns its name by employing a reinforced chassis, 33-inch wheels attached to eight-stud hubs, and uprated differentials, all of which help enable its 4500kg braked tow capacity (when fitted with a 70mm tow ball) – a full 1000kg above the standard Ranger's towing limit.
Full specifications and pricing are yet to be announced, but Ford has confirmed the Super Duty will be powered by the same 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 and 10-speed automatic transmission available in the mainstream Ranger lineup.
It has also announced the toughest Ranger yet will be released initially in eponymous Super Duty cab/chassis form across two-door single-cab and extended-cab and four-door dual-cab body styles, with more touring-focused XLT four-door pickup and cab/chassis versions to join the lineup in mid-2026.
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
The latest phase of durability testing for the 2026 Ford Ranger Super Duty, which will bring a class-leading 4500kg towing capacity and other heavy-duty capabilities, has left its development driver speechless.
Ford Australia has turned to robot drivers for durability testing at the Blue Oval brand's You Yangs proving ground in Victoria, which is shielded from public view as the company develops its upcoming models and pulls apart its rivals.
The use of robotic drivers has enabled rigorous 24/7 testing of the hardcore Super Duty ahead of its scheduled arrival in Australian showrooms next year.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
"With robotic drivers behind the wheel, we can simulate years and years of punishment," Ford said in a video clip released this week.
Ford Australia said it used robots to test the locally developed Super Duty to its full 4500kg GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) while tackling the You Yangs facility's Silver Creek torture test.
"Silver Creek is our toughest man-made durability track," said Ranger Super Duty program manager Justin Capicchiano in a statement.
"It stressed the Ranger Super Duty from the wheels to the roof, simulating the wear and tear you'd typically experience across a decade of driving on the world's harshest road conditions."
A first of its kind in Australia, the Ranger Super Duty borrows its Super Duty name from the biggest and most capable F-Series pickups sold in the US, but its was conceived and is being developed in Australia.
Without the same towing capability from rivals like the Toyota HiLux and Isuzu D-Max, the Super Duty will target buyers of the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series by adding F-150 towing capability in a smaller package.
The Ranger Super Duty earns its name by employing a reinforced chassis, 33-inch wheels attached to eight-stud hubs, and uprated differentials, all of which help enable its 4500kg braked tow capacity (when fitted with a 70mm tow ball) – a full 1000kg above the standard Ranger's towing limit.
Full specifications and pricing are yet to be announced, but Ford has confirmed the Super Duty will be powered by the same 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 and 10-speed automatic transmission available in the mainstream Ranger lineup.
It has also announced the toughest Ranger yet will be released initially in eponymous Super Duty cab/chassis form across two-door single-cab and extended-cab and four-door dual-cab body styles, with more touring-focused XLT four-door pickup and cab/chassis versions to join the lineup in mid-2026.
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
The latest phase of durability testing for the 2026 Ford Ranger Super Duty, which will bring a class-leading 4500kg towing capacity and other heavy-duty capabilities, has left its development driver speechless.
Ford Australia has turned to robot drivers for durability testing at the Blue Oval brand's You Yangs proving ground in Victoria, which is shielded from public view as the company develops its upcoming models and pulls apart its rivals.
The use of robotic drivers has enabled rigorous 24/7 testing of the hardcore Super Duty ahead of its scheduled arrival in Australian showrooms next year.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
"With robotic drivers behind the wheel, we can simulate years and years of punishment," Ford said in a video clip released this week.
Ford Australia said it used robots to test the locally developed Super Duty to its full 4500kg GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) while tackling the You Yangs facility's Silver Creek torture test.
"Silver Creek is our toughest man-made durability track," said Ranger Super Duty program manager Justin Capicchiano in a statement.
"It stressed the Ranger Super Duty from the wheels to the roof, simulating the wear and tear you'd typically experience across a decade of driving on the world's harshest road conditions."
A first of its kind in Australia, the Ranger Super Duty borrows its Super Duty name from the biggest and most capable F-Series pickups sold in the US, but its was conceived and is being developed in Australia.
Without the same towing capability from rivals like the Toyota HiLux and Isuzu D-Max, the Super Duty will target buyers of the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series by adding F-150 towing capability in a smaller package.
The Ranger Super Duty earns its name by employing a reinforced chassis, 33-inch wheels attached to eight-stud hubs, and uprated differentials, all of which help enable its 4500kg braked tow capacity (when fitted with a 70mm tow ball) – a full 1000kg above the standard Ranger's towing limit.
Full specifications and pricing are yet to be announced, but Ford has confirmed the Super Duty will be powered by the same 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 and 10-speed automatic transmission available in the mainstream Ranger lineup.
It has also announced the toughest Ranger yet will be released initially in eponymous Super Duty cab/chassis form across two-door single-cab and extended-cab and four-door dual-cab body styles, with more touring-focused XLT four-door pickup and cab/chassis versions to join the lineup in mid-2026.
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
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Toyota says its hybrids have saved nine million EVs worth of CO2
Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda has reinforced his company's commitment to prioritising hybrid vehicles (HEVs) over battery-electric vehicles (EVs or BEVs), outlining that hybrids are its ideal way forward in terms of reducing total CO2 emissions. Speaking through an interpreter in a recent interview with Automotive News, Toyoda-san said Toyota is as committed to reducing the environmental impact of cars as any other brand, but has adopted a cost- and time-effective way to go about reducing its carbon emissions. "When the term 'carbon neutrality' started to become popular and we started to hear about it, we set our target as a company saying that for us, the enemy is carbon," he said. "The way that we thought about it was that we're not going to contribute to achieving carbon neutrality just by building BEVs, but we have to focus on things that we can do now so that, immediately, we can reduce CO2 from the air. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. "We looked at ourselves [and asked] 'what can we do with the things that we have to contribute to carbon neutrality?' That was the base of how we made our decision in those times, and that has not changed now, and will not change for the future." Toyoda-san is referring to the widespread rollout of hybrid vehicles, which dominate the Japanese brand's current model range. Toyota is credited with creating the first mass-produced hybrid car in the late 1990s, and has continued to develop the technology to the market-leading status it holds today. The company's passenger car lineup is now dominated by hybrids, evidenced by the Japanese brand's Australian axing of all petrol versions of cars that offer hybrid options in 2024. Hybrids continue to play a significant role in Toyota's global efforts too, not least in its home country. Toyoda-san claims that over the past five years, the focus on hybrids played a larger role in reducing Japanese CO2 emissions than EVs. Above: Toyota Hybrid range "If you can check the data for each country about the CO2 emission situation for the past five years, it's going to be very clear," Toyoda-san said. "For Japan, we had this weapon of hybrid vehicles, so with the hybrid vehicles, we were able to reduce 23 per cent of CO2 emissions in the same [time], and it was the only country that was able to achieve that." Toyoda-san added that his company has produced and delivered upwards of 27 million hybrids to date, and claimed that figure was "equivalent to nine million BEVs in terms of the contribution to carbon neutrality". "The hybrids that we made and sold had the same impact as nine million BEVs on the road, but if we were to make nine million BEVs in [Japan] it would have actually increased the CO2 emissions, not reduced, because we are relying on thermal powerplants." 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Speaking through an interpreter in a recent interview with Automotive News, Toyoda-san said Toyota is as committed to reducing the environmental impact of cars as any other brand, but has adopted a cost- and time-effective way to go about reducing its carbon emissions. "When the term 'carbon neutrality' started to become popular and we started to hear about it, we set our target as a company saying that for us, the enemy is carbon," he said. "The way that we thought about it was that we're not going to contribute to achieving carbon neutrality just by building BEVs, but we have to focus on things that we can do now so that, immediately, we can reduce CO2 from the air. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. "We looked at ourselves [and asked] 'what can we do with the things that we have to contribute to carbon neutrality?' That was the base of how we made our decision in those times, and that has not changed now, and will not change for the future." Toyoda-san is referring to the widespread rollout of hybrid vehicles, which dominate the Japanese brand's current model range. Toyota is credited with creating the first mass-produced hybrid car in the late 1990s, and has continued to develop the technology to the market-leading status it holds today. The company's passenger car lineup is now dominated by hybrids, evidenced by the Japanese brand's Australian axing of all petrol versions of cars that offer hybrid options in 2024. Hybrids continue to play a significant role in Toyota's global efforts too, not least in its home country. Toyoda-san claims that over the past five years, the focus on hybrids played a larger role in reducing Japanese CO2 emissions than EVs. Above: Toyota Hybrid range "If you can check the data for each country about the CO2 emission situation for the past five years, it's going to be very clear," Toyoda-san said. "For Japan, we had this weapon of hybrid vehicles, so with the hybrid vehicles, we were able to reduce 23 per cent of CO2 emissions in the same [time], and it was the only country that was able to achieve that." Toyoda-san added that his company has produced and delivered upwards of 27 million hybrids to date, and claimed that figure was "equivalent to nine million BEVs in terms of the contribution to carbon neutrality". "The hybrids that we made and sold had the same impact as nine million BEVs on the road, but if we were to make nine million BEVs in [Japan] it would have actually increased the CO2 emissions, not reduced, because we are relying on thermal powerplants." Despite that, Toyoda-san reaffirmed that HEVs aren't the only way forward, pointing to Toyota's continued development of internal combustion petrol and diesel engines (ICEs), as well as EVs, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). Toyota recently revealed the next-generation RAV4 mid-size SUV (above), which will be the brand's first PHEV in Australia. The Mirai FCEV is currently being used by corporate fleets and government partners locally via very limited leases, too. The Japanese auto giant is also part of an alliance with Subaru and Mazda to develop lower-emission ICEs into the future. "I think we shouldn't just focus on [BEV] … but we should look at all the options that we have and work in all directions," Toyoda-san said. "That will be similar to thinking as a person of the planet, not just from one perspective, but thinking about the whole planet, and then we can think about the various options and take the movements to reduce CO2 as much as possible. "I believe if everyone can support this way of thinking, it will be for the benefit of all the stakeholders too." MORE: Toyota RAV4, Corolla, Camry, Corolla Cross, Kluger go hybrid-only in AustraliaMORE: 2026 Toyota RAV4 gets fresh design, tech plus PHEV power for AustraliaMORE: Toyota, Mazda and Subaru commit to petrol power with new enginesMORE: Everything Toyota Content originally sourced from: Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda has reinforced his company's commitment to prioritising hybrid vehicles (HEVs) over battery-electric vehicles (EVs or BEVs), outlining that hybrids are its ideal way forward in terms of reducing total CO2 emissions. Speaking through an interpreter in a recent interview with Automotive News, Toyoda-san said Toyota is as committed to reducing the environmental impact of cars as any other brand, but has adopted a cost- and time-effective way to go about reducing its carbon emissions. "When the term 'carbon neutrality' started to become popular and we started to hear about it, we set our target as a company saying that for us, the enemy is carbon," he said. "The way that we thought about it was that we're not going to contribute to achieving carbon neutrality just by building BEVs, but we have to focus on things that we can do now so that, immediately, we can reduce CO2 from the air. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. "We looked at ourselves [and asked] 'what can we do with the things that we have to contribute to carbon neutrality?' That was the base of how we made our decision in those times, and that has not changed now, and will not change for the future." Toyoda-san is referring to the widespread rollout of hybrid vehicles, which dominate the Japanese brand's current model range. Toyota is credited with creating the first mass-produced hybrid car in the late 1990s, and has continued to develop the technology to the market-leading status it holds today. The company's passenger car lineup is now dominated by hybrids, evidenced by the Japanese brand's Australian axing of all petrol versions of cars that offer hybrid options in 2024. Hybrids continue to play a significant role in Toyota's global efforts too, not least in its home country. Toyoda-san claims that over the past five years, the focus on hybrids played a larger role in reducing Japanese CO2 emissions than EVs. Above: Toyota Hybrid range "If you can check the data for each country about the CO2 emission situation for the past five years, it's going to be very clear," Toyoda-san said. "For Japan, we had this weapon of hybrid vehicles, so with the hybrid vehicles, we were able to reduce 23 per cent of CO2 emissions in the same [time], and it was the only country that was able to achieve that." Toyoda-san added that his company has produced and delivered upwards of 27 million hybrids to date, and claimed that figure was "equivalent to nine million BEVs in terms of the contribution to carbon neutrality". "The hybrids that we made and sold had the same impact as nine million BEVs on the road, but if we were to make nine million BEVs in [Japan] it would have actually increased the CO2 emissions, not reduced, because we are relying on thermal powerplants." Despite that, Toyoda-san reaffirmed that HEVs aren't the only way forward, pointing to Toyota's continued development of internal combustion petrol and diesel engines (ICEs), as well as EVs, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). Toyota recently revealed the next-generation RAV4 mid-size SUV (above), which will be the brand's first PHEV in Australia. The Mirai FCEV is currently being used by corporate fleets and government partners locally via very limited leases, too. The Japanese auto giant is also part of an alliance with Subaru and Mazda to develop lower-emission ICEs into the future. "I think we shouldn't just focus on [BEV] … but we should look at all the options that we have and work in all directions," Toyoda-san said. "That will be similar to thinking as a person of the planet, not just from one perspective, but thinking about the whole planet, and then we can think about the various options and take the movements to reduce CO2 as much as possible. "I believe if everyone can support this way of thinking, it will be for the benefit of all the stakeholders too." MORE: Toyota RAV4, Corolla, Camry, Corolla Cross, Kluger go hybrid-only in AustraliaMORE: 2026 Toyota RAV4 gets fresh design, tech plus PHEV power for AustraliaMORE: Toyota, Mazda and Subaru commit to petrol power with new enginesMORE: Everything Toyota Content originally sourced from: Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda has reinforced his company's commitment to prioritising hybrid vehicles (HEVs) over battery-electric vehicles (EVs or BEVs), outlining that hybrids are its ideal way forward in terms of reducing total CO2 emissions. Speaking through an interpreter in a recent interview with Automotive News, Toyoda-san said Toyota is as committed to reducing the environmental impact of cars as any other brand, but has adopted a cost- and time-effective way to go about reducing its carbon emissions. "When the term 'carbon neutrality' started to become popular and we started to hear about it, we set our target as a company saying that for us, the enemy is carbon," he said. "The way that we thought about it was that we're not going to contribute to achieving carbon neutrality just by building BEVs, but we have to focus on things that we can do now so that, immediately, we can reduce CO2 from the air. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. "We looked at ourselves [and asked] 'what can we do with the things that we have to contribute to carbon neutrality?' That was the base of how we made our decision in those times, and that has not changed now, and will not change for the future." Toyoda-san is referring to the widespread rollout of hybrid vehicles, which dominate the Japanese brand's current model range. Toyota is credited with creating the first mass-produced hybrid car in the late 1990s, and has continued to develop the technology to the market-leading status it holds today. The company's passenger car lineup is now dominated by hybrids, evidenced by the Japanese brand's Australian axing of all petrol versions of cars that offer hybrid options in 2024. Hybrids continue to play a significant role in Toyota's global efforts too, not least in its home country. Toyoda-san claims that over the past five years, the focus on hybrids played a larger role in reducing Japanese CO2 emissions than EVs. Above: Toyota Hybrid range "If you can check the data for each country about the CO2 emission situation for the past five years, it's going to be very clear," Toyoda-san said. "For Japan, we had this weapon of hybrid vehicles, so with the hybrid vehicles, we were able to reduce 23 per cent of CO2 emissions in the same [time], and it was the only country that was able to achieve that." Toyoda-san added that his company has produced and delivered upwards of 27 million hybrids to date, and claimed that figure was "equivalent to nine million BEVs in terms of the contribution to carbon neutrality". "The hybrids that we made and sold had the same impact as nine million BEVs on the road, but if we were to make nine million BEVs in [Japan] it would have actually increased the CO2 emissions, not reduced, because we are relying on thermal powerplants." Despite that, Toyoda-san reaffirmed that HEVs aren't the only way forward, pointing to Toyota's continued development of internal combustion petrol and diesel engines (ICEs), as well as EVs, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). Toyota recently revealed the next-generation RAV4 mid-size SUV (above), which will be the brand's first PHEV in Australia. The Mirai FCEV is currently being used by corporate fleets and government partners locally via very limited leases, too. The Japanese auto giant is also part of an alliance with Subaru and Mazda to develop lower-emission ICEs into the future. "I think we shouldn't just focus on [BEV] … but we should look at all the options that we have and work in all directions," Toyoda-san said. "That will be similar to thinking as a person of the planet, not just from one perspective, but thinking about the whole planet, and then we can think about the various options and take the movements to reduce CO2 as much as possible. "I believe if everyone can support this way of thinking, it will be for the benefit of all the stakeholders too." MORE: Toyota RAV4, Corolla, Camry, Corolla Cross, Kluger go hybrid-only in AustraliaMORE: 2026 Toyota RAV4 gets fresh design, tech plus PHEV power for AustraliaMORE: Toyota, Mazda and Subaru commit to petrol power with new enginesMORE: Everything Toyota Content originally sourced from:
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
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Russell on top in Canadian GP second practice
George Russell set the pace for Mercedes in the second Canadian Grand Prix practice after Red Bull's Formula One champion Max Verstappen led the opening session at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc sat out the later session after crashing in the first, leaving mechanics plenty of work to repair the car. Aston Martin's Lance Stroll, who missed the previous race in Spain due to hand and wrist pain, crashed at turn seven in second practice for his home grand prix and smashed the front left suspension. Russell's time of one minute 12.123 seconds compared to Verstappen's earlier afternoon effort of 1:13.193. The pair qualified on the front row last year with identical times, with Russell on pole but Verstappen going on to win the race for a third year in a row. They also clashed in Spain two weekends ago, with Verstappen left on the brink of a ban after driving into the Mercedes. The Dutch driver was only ninth in Friday's second practice, behind Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, with McLaren's Lando Norris the closest to Russell and only 0.028 slower. "The car is jumping like crazy in the rear, like the ride is terrible," reported Verstappen over the radio. Mercedes' strong form was emphasised by Russell's rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli setting the third best time, 0.288 off the pace. Runaway championship leaders McLaren had made a comparatively slow start to the weekend until Norris's lap, with Australian Oscar Piastri seventh and sixth and testing upgrades including a new front wing. Piastri, who leads Norris by 10 points after nine of the season's 24 rounds, received a 100 euros ($A178) fine for speeding in the pitlane in the first practice as the team tested upgrades including a new front wing. Williams' Alex Albon was second and fourth in the sessions, but strangely missed his garage when pitting in the second and had to go around again, with teammate Carlos Sainz third and seventh. Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso ended the day fifth. Leclerc brought out the red flags when he hit the wall at the second chicane with 45 minutes remaining, causing extensive damage to his Ferrari. Ferrari said the survival cell needed to be replaced. George Russell set the pace for Mercedes in the second Canadian Grand Prix practice after Red Bull's Formula One champion Max Verstappen led the opening session at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc sat out the later session after crashing in the first, leaving mechanics plenty of work to repair the car. Aston Martin's Lance Stroll, who missed the previous race in Spain due to hand and wrist pain, crashed at turn seven in second practice for his home grand prix and smashed the front left suspension. Russell's time of one minute 12.123 seconds compared to Verstappen's earlier afternoon effort of 1:13.193. The pair qualified on the front row last year with identical times, with Russell on pole but Verstappen going on to win the race for a third year in a row. They also clashed in Spain two weekends ago, with Verstappen left on the brink of a ban after driving into the Mercedes. The Dutch driver was only ninth in Friday's second practice, behind Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, with McLaren's Lando Norris the closest to Russell and only 0.028 slower. "The car is jumping like crazy in the rear, like the ride is terrible," reported Verstappen over the radio. Mercedes' strong form was emphasised by Russell's rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli setting the third best time, 0.288 off the pace. Runaway championship leaders McLaren had made a comparatively slow start to the weekend until Norris's lap, with Australian Oscar Piastri seventh and sixth and testing upgrades including a new front wing. Piastri, who leads Norris by 10 points after nine of the season's 24 rounds, received a 100 euros ($A178) fine for speeding in the pitlane in the first practice as the team tested upgrades including a new front wing. Williams' Alex Albon was second and fourth in the sessions, but strangely missed his garage when pitting in the second and had to go around again, with teammate Carlos Sainz third and seventh. Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso ended the day fifth. Leclerc brought out the red flags when he hit the wall at the second chicane with 45 minutes remaining, causing extensive damage to his Ferrari. Ferrari said the survival cell needed to be replaced. George Russell set the pace for Mercedes in the second Canadian Grand Prix practice after Red Bull's Formula One champion Max Verstappen led the opening session at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc sat out the later session after crashing in the first, leaving mechanics plenty of work to repair the car. Aston Martin's Lance Stroll, who missed the previous race in Spain due to hand and wrist pain, crashed at turn seven in second practice for his home grand prix and smashed the front left suspension. Russell's time of one minute 12.123 seconds compared to Verstappen's earlier afternoon effort of 1:13.193. The pair qualified on the front row last year with identical times, with Russell on pole but Verstappen going on to win the race for a third year in a row. They also clashed in Spain two weekends ago, with Verstappen left on the brink of a ban after driving into the Mercedes. The Dutch driver was only ninth in Friday's second practice, behind Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, with McLaren's Lando Norris the closest to Russell and only 0.028 slower. "The car is jumping like crazy in the rear, like the ride is terrible," reported Verstappen over the radio. Mercedes' strong form was emphasised by Russell's rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli setting the third best time, 0.288 off the pace. Runaway championship leaders McLaren had made a comparatively slow start to the weekend until Norris's lap, with Australian Oscar Piastri seventh and sixth and testing upgrades including a new front wing. Piastri, who leads Norris by 10 points after nine of the season's 24 rounds, received a 100 euros ($A178) fine for speeding in the pitlane in the first practice as the team tested upgrades including a new front wing. Williams' Alex Albon was second and fourth in the sessions, but strangely missed his garage when pitting in the second and had to go around again, with teammate Carlos Sainz third and seventh. Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso ended the day fifth. Leclerc brought out the red flags when he hit the wall at the second chicane with 45 minutes remaining, causing extensive damage to his Ferrari. Ferrari said the survival cell needed to be replaced. George Russell set the pace for Mercedes in the second Canadian Grand Prix practice after Red Bull's Formula One champion Max Verstappen led the opening session at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc sat out the later session after crashing in the first, leaving mechanics plenty of work to repair the car. Aston Martin's Lance Stroll, who missed the previous race in Spain due to hand and wrist pain, crashed at turn seven in second practice for his home grand prix and smashed the front left suspension. Russell's time of one minute 12.123 seconds compared to Verstappen's earlier afternoon effort of 1:13.193. The pair qualified on the front row last year with identical times, with Russell on pole but Verstappen going on to win the race for a third year in a row. They also clashed in Spain two weekends ago, with Verstappen left on the brink of a ban after driving into the Mercedes. The Dutch driver was only ninth in Friday's second practice, behind Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, with McLaren's Lando Norris the closest to Russell and only 0.028 slower. "The car is jumping like crazy in the rear, like the ride is terrible," reported Verstappen over the radio. Mercedes' strong form was emphasised by Russell's rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli setting the third best time, 0.288 off the pace. Runaway championship leaders McLaren had made a comparatively slow start to the weekend until Norris's lap, with Australian Oscar Piastri seventh and sixth and testing upgrades including a new front wing. Piastri, who leads Norris by 10 points after nine of the season's 24 rounds, received a 100 euros ($A178) fine for speeding in the pitlane in the first practice as the team tested upgrades including a new front wing. Williams' Alex Albon was second and fourth in the sessions, but strangely missed his garage when pitting in the second and had to go around again, with teammate Carlos Sainz third and seventh. Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso ended the day fifth. Leclerc brought out the red flags when he hit the wall at the second chicane with 45 minutes remaining, causing extensive damage to his Ferrari. Ferrari said the survival cell needed to be replaced.
