Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton [Picture: Vodafone McLaren Mercedes]

FORMULA 1 driver Lewis Hamilton set the pace in both practice sessions for the 2012 Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal today (Friday).

The 27-year-old Vodafone McLaren Mercedes motor racer clocked the quickest lap around the challenging Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in first practice ahead of Saturday’s qualifying session.

And the Hertfordshire-born F1 star, twice a winner in Canada, finished the afternoon session fastest overall with a lap time of 1m 15.259s on the Supersoft tyres.

The McLaren pitwall told Hamilton: “Long-run pace looks good, Lewis.”

After a gearbox problem, McLaren teammate Jenson Button’s shortened second session resulted in a 1m 15.812s for ninth place.

Fernando Alonso was second on the afternoon timesheets ahead of Ferrari colleague Felipe Massa, with reigning F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel fourth fastest for Red Bull.

Featuring high-speed straights, punctuated by chicanes and hairpin corners, Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is probably the most demanding circuit on the calendar for a Formula 1 car’s brakes.

The concrete wall on the exit of the final chicane has been nicknamed ‘The Wall of Champions’ after former title winners Michael Schumacher, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve crashed off there.

And today’s second practice session was red flagged after Bruno Senna crashed into the fabled wall.

The 2012 Canadian Grand Prix starts at 6pm GMT on Sunday.