Piastri brings out red flags in FP3 after hitting Wall of Champions

Oscar Piastri encountered a setback during the third and final practice session for the Canadian Grand Prix, bringing out the red flags after clipping the notorious Wall of Champions. The McLaren driver, who currently leads the Drivers' Championship, made contact with the barrier just 20 minutes into Saturday's one-hour session, severely damaging his right-rear wheel rim. The incident forced Piastri to immediately slow down and carefully make his way back to the pits, as race control deployed a red flag to allow for debris clearance. Despite the significant impact, Piastri’s car was quickly assessed and repaired, enabling him to rejoin the session shortly after. Demonstrating resilience, he managed to finish the practice in a respectable eighth position. Notably, Piastri's mishap occurred mere moments after Nico Hulkenberg of Kick Sauber had a fortunate escape at the very same corner, spinning his car but managing to continue without damage. The Wall of Champions once again proved its formidable reputation, catching out even the championship leader in a dramatic prelude to the qualifying session.