Lewis Hamilton topped the times and then crashed into the barriers in his Mercedes car in heavy rain that curtailed Friday’s second free practice session for Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix.

Australian Daniel Ricciardo, meanwhile, finished the second practice 10th with a time of one minute and 17.111 seconds, improving from his 14th-place, 1:18.775 finish in the morning session.

Defending world champion and current series leader Hamilton was unhurt and walked away after aquaplaning into the barriers at the hairpin at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve where a downpour midway through the 90 minutes’ action brought it to a halt.

The 30-year-old Briton, a two-time champion, had topped the times in Friday morning’s opening free practice session ahead of his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg and the pair were more than 1.5 seconds clear of the field.

In his accident, Hamilton lost control and was unable to stop his car sliding into the wall at the tight and tricky track that has a record for accidents and incidents.

“We wanted to do some clutch calibration work and this is how it ended,” said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff.

“I think he just aquaplaned. The front wing is gone, but hopefully no more.

“He was pretty quick. He’s fastest on the time-sheets, but I wouldn’t read too much into it. It’s just one of those days, one of those Fridays when it is difficult to get a lap together.”

Hamilton was fastest ahead of four-time champion Sebastian Vettel of Germany and his Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen at the time of the accident with Rosberg back in fourth.

Earlier, Hamilton had survived a part-spin on his way to clocking the fastest time in Friday morning’s opening free practice.

Two weeks on from the team’s pit-stop fiasco in Monaco, the two-time champion clocked a best time of 1:16.212 seconds to end quickest by 0.415 seconds ahead of his team-mate and nearest rival Rosberg.