Formula 1 has announced an extension of the Canadian Grand Prix that will see Montreal’s Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve remain on the F1 Calendar through to the 2035 season.
This season’s marked the 54th edition of the Canadian Grand Prix since its inaugural running in 1967. Four current drivers – George Russell, Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso – have all claimed victory at the 4.36km circuit, with Hamilton sharing the record for most wins at the venue with Michael Schumacher, both having triumphed seven times.
Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, named after the legendary Canadian F1 driver, became the permanent host in 1978 and is a firm favourite among drivers and fans alike, known for its heavy-braking chicanes, the famous hairpin, and the iconic Wall of Champions at the end of the lap.
In recent years, the Promoter, Octane Racing Group, has made significant investments in the event, modernising infrastructure to meet the growing demands of Formula 1 as the sport continues to expand globally.
In addition, alongside stakeholders from the Canadian Government, Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, the Government of Quebec, the Ministry of Tourism, the City of Montreal, Tourism Montreal and the Soicete du parc Jean-Drapeau, the Promoter supported Formula 1’s efforts to rationalise the race calendar by agreeing to move the event to an earlier slot from 2026 onwards.
As Formula 1 celebrates its 75th anniversary, it is fitting that we have announced an extension with the Canadian Grand Prix, a race that has such incredible history in our sport and is named after a true legend in Gilles Villeneuve. Montreal is an incredible city, full of energy and passionate fans, and I am delighted to confirm that we will continue racing here through to the 2035 season and that our media rights deal with Bell Media is also extending in the long term. I would like to thank the promoter, Octane Racing Group, for their continued efforts in upgrading this iconic venue in recent years, and all local, regional, and national political stakeholders who have worked closely together to make this event what it is today. I would also like to thank our incredible Canadian fans. I look forward to creating more unforgettable moments in Montréal with you over the next 10 years. Stefano Domenicali, President & CEO of Formula 1.
We are incredibly proud to confirm that the Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada will continue its yearly stop in Montréal for another decade, through 2035. This renewed agreement reflects the iconic status of our race, with its rich heritage, its unique setting in a city where F1 takes over downtown, and its place on the global stage. We’re thrilled to offer fans, communities, and the world ten more years of world-class racing, as we work to build a best-in-class Grand Prix that showcases Canada, Québec, and Montréal at their very best. With a clear strategy to elevate the event across sport, entertainment, and technology, we thank our incredible partners: the governments of Canada and Québec, the City of Montréal, Tourisme Montréal, and Parc Jean-Drapeau for their renewed trust, as well as Formula 1 for their continued confidence. A special thanks to our amazing team, whose passion brings this event to life each year. Jean-Philippe Paradis, Senior Vice-President, Bell Business Markets Sales and Wholesale Services President, Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada.
Mercedes’ Doriane Pin steered clear of trouble in Montreal to deliver her third win in six races and snatched the lead of the Drivers’ Standings.
The French racer had a front-row view to contact between polesitter Chloe Chamber and her teammate Alisha Palmowski, taking advantage of the contact to seize the lead and withstanding a Safety Car restart to take home the win.
Ella Lloyd also capitalised on the chaos, turning a P7 start into a P2 finish, whilst Kick Sauber’s Emma Felbermayr put together a mature performance to earn her first F1 Academy podium.
Chambers aced her launch at lights out, allowing her to keep her teammate Palmowski behind on the run down to Turn 1. Pin and Nobels went side-by-side but it was Lloyd on the move, going almost three-wide with Nobels and Felbermayr to get through to fourth.
Benefitting from the tow, Palmowski piled the pressure on Chambers. Refusing to give up, the Red Bull Racing driver gambled on a move inside of Turn 1, which didn’t pay off. Locking up on entry, the two collided, sending Palmowski into a spin and leaving Chamber leading, albeit with a broken front wing.
Pin capitalised on the incident, sailing past the stricken Red Bull Ford car and into the lead. Chambers fought back valiantly to hit the front again momentarily until her front wing detached, with the American driver forced to pit for repairs.
Making the most of the clear air, Pin escaped down the road, building up a gap of over a second to Lloyd by Lap 6.
Meanwhile, Maya Weug’s Montreal weekend went from bad to worse, as the Ferrari driver made multiple trips to the pits as an issue continued to plague her car.
Trying to salvage some points from the race, Palmowski clawed her way back into the top 10. Attempting to make her way through on Chloe Chong, the Brit found the door firmly shut until Lap 10. After Palmowski lunged up the inside of the hairpin at the last second, Chong utilised the slipstream to repay the favour.
Missing the final corner, the Charlotte Tilbury driver had to give the place back as behind the pair, Wild Card driver, Matilda Paatz hit the wall and triggered the Safety Car.
With Pin’s 1.8 second lead wiped away, the Mercedes driver bunched the pack together as she brought them back up to racing speed heading into Lap 15. Catching Lloyd off guard, Pin pulled clear of the McLaren driver, who had to fend off an attack from her Rodin teammate.
Further back, Rafaela Ferreira and Alba Larsen battled over P6. A huge lock-up for the Racing Bulls driver forced to take the escape road. Carrying too much speed on the exit, the Brazilian collided with the side of Chong. Meanwhile. contact between Joanne Ciconte and Courtney Crone sent the Haas spinning off at the hairpin, bringing out the Safety Car again.
With only two laps remaining, Pin drew the race to a close behind the Safety Car to take a 24 point lead in the standings.
The full top 10 are- P1: Pin, P2: Lloyd, P3: Felbermayr, P4: Gademan, P5: Block, P6: Larsen, P7: Hausmann, P8: Palmowski, P9: Chamber and P10: Anagnostiadis.
Race 2-
After being disqualified from her first F1 Academy podium earlier on in the day, Emma Felbermayr avenged the result during Race 2 in Canada, sealing a maiden victory in a frenetic final lap sprint to the chequered flag.
Nina Gademan came within half a lap of victory, but a late Safety Car left the Alpine driver vulnerable and she couldn’t hold on as Felbermayr and Ella Lloyd snuck past to deliver a 1-2 finish for Rodin Motorsport.
Reverse grid pole sitter, Chloe Chong initially held firm off the line as Gademan stuck close behind in second. Felbermayr, Lloyd and Tina Hausmann almost went three-wide at the start after the Kick Sauber driver squeezed across to the right, with Lloyd managing to slip into third.
Spotting her opportunity a few corners later, Gademan dived up the inside of Chong who left the door open long enough to enable Lloyd and Felbermayr to follow through.
Felbermayr made up another place on Lap 2, utilising the sliptstream to swoop past Lloyd, who had no time to fight back as she tried to fend off Doriane Pin. At the same time, Chambers risked a move of her own on the Mercedes driver on Lap 5. Going side-by-side into Turn 2, the Red Bull Ford driver spun across the run-off and tumbled down to P14.
Pin then tried to overtake Lloyd at the final chicane, but both cut the corner. Although, the Mercedes emerged out in front, Pin was ordered over the radio to give the position back to Lloyd. Behind them, Tommy Hilfiger’s Alba Larsen made a move stick on Alisha Palmowski for fifth.
Out front, Gademan had built a comfortable 1.4 second-gap over Felbermayr, but was shown the black and white flag for track limits.
After swapping positions with Lloyd on the next lap, Larsen tried to take advantage with a late-braking move into the hairpin. Tapping the rear right of Pin’s car, the Mercedes driver was lucky to hold on to fourth, with the Dane shown the black and white flag for the contact.
Fortunately her MP Motorsport teammate Maya Weug, was able to pull off the lunge on Aurelia Nobels in eighth. The Puma driver fought back with the slip stream but didn’t have enough room, banging wheels into the final chicane and sending Nobels skidding over the run-off.
Lloyd and Pin’s battle continued, with the Mercedes driver skipping over the final corner and emerging out in front. Yielding the place back to the Mclaren driver left her vulnerable to Larsen, who pounced at the same corner one lap later to snatch fourth away.
Gademan’s lead out front was steadily being chipped away by Felbermayr to under eight tenths until contact between Hitech TGR teammates Nicola Havrda and Aiva Anagnostiadis necessitated a Safety Car on Lap 14.
Left with one racing lap, Gademan went early in her sprint to the line. Sticking with her, Felbermayr dived to inside of the Dutch driver at Turn 9 to take the lead, while Lloyd followed through snatching second at the hairpin.
With only a few turns to go, Felbermayr was in a race against time. Bouncing over the kerb at the final corner, the Austrian managed to keep her foot to the floor to take the chequered flag first.
Race 3-
Chloe Chambers stayed in full control in Canada to convert pole position into her first victory of the 2025 season. Fending off McLaren’s Ella Lloyd, the Red Bull Ford driver mastered two Safety Car restarts to deliver a lights-to-flag win.
Lloyd secured her third consecutive second place finish in Montreal, whilst Pin recovered from a tricky opening lap to secure third.
The Campos Racing duo of Chambers and Palmowski once again lined up on the front row, with polesitter Chambers holding firm off the line. A rapid start from fourth placed Lloyd put her alongside Palmowski through the first chicane.
The pair banged wheels on the run to Turn 3, sending Palmowski spinning. Pin narrowly avoided being collected despite a knock to her front wing but dropped down to P5 behind PREMA teammates Hausmann and Gademan.
Contact ensued further back after Wild Card Mathilda Paatz lost it out of Turn 7 and crashed into the path of Aiva Anagnostiadis necessitating a Safety Car by the end of the lap. Returning to green flag conditions on Lap 8, Chambers floored it into the final chicane to put space between herself and Lloyd. Pin fired her way past Hausmann on the restart, going later on the brakes at Turn 3.
Race 2 winner, Emma Felbermayr was also making moves, pulling off a quick dive past Chloe Chong for P6.
Lloyd kept the pressure on Chambers, setting the fastest lap heading into lap 9. Fighting over the podium, Pin got the tow on Hausmann to breeze past the Aston Martin driver for third, whilst Maya Weug sought to salvage a result from her unlucky weekend.
Another Safety Car was called after Lia Block misjudged her braking into Turn 8 as she tried to get past Rafaela Ferreira for the final point on Lap 10.
Chambers pulled off a near identical restart on Lap 13, but Lloyd has sussed it out already and stayed close to the American.
Larsen tried to go round the outside of Chloe Chong for P5, but the Tommy Hilfiger driver left the door open for Weug. Banging wheels at Turn 3, it was the Ferrari driver who emerged in front as Larsen dropped down to 8th.
Palmwoski then pounced, demoting Larsen down another place before diving past Gademan at Turn 10 for seventh.
The Safety Car would make a third and final appearance after contact on Lap 14 between Courtney Crone and Felbermayr under braking left the Haas car facing the wrong way.
As the race approached the 30 minute mark, there was not enough time to get back to green flag racing, allowing Chambers to take the chequered flag for the win with Lloyd and Pin completing the podium.
George Russell has clinched Mercedes’ first victory of the season in the Canadian Grand Prix, a race that ended in dramatic style after a collision between McLaren team mates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris that saw the latter crash out.
It had been a strong start from pole position for Russell, the Briton launching away cleanly to hold the lead from Max Verstappen. What followed was a race of different strategies across the pack, with some opting for a two-stop plan while others tried to nurse their tyres on a one-stop.
Most of the front runners executed a two-stop strategy, setting up for a thrilling finale as the gaps amongst the top five cars became increasingly close in the closing stages. While Russell was leading from Verstappen, Piastri was trying to catch Kimi Antonelli for third – but the Australian also had Norris hot on his tail.
The McLaren pair then engaged in a feisty battle and contact occurred between them after Norris hit the back of Piastri’s car, resulting in Norris parking up at the side of the track.
The full top 10 are- P1: Russell, P2: Verstappen, P3: Antonelli, P4: Piastri, P5: Leclerc, P6: Hamilton, P7: Alonso, P8: Hulkenberg, P9: Ocon and P10: Sainz.
What a result for the Mercedes duo, their first win of the 2025 season and done in style by Russell and it makes up from last year’s Canadian Grand Prix. As for Antonelli, his first podium in F1 in his rookie season! It makes him the third youngest podium sitter.
A very good result for Verstappen, I think he would have liked the win, but with different strategies going on up and down the field it was a difficult one to grasp. As for his teammate, Tsunoda finished outside of the points in P12, after starting from 18th… Not a very good weekend for him.
P4 for Piastri, a shame he didn’t get on the podium as he was closing in on Antonelli, but sometimes it’s not meant to be. However, it wasn’t a smooth sailing race for the McLaren’s, late on in the race Norris was closing in on Piastri and it all came to blows, after Norris went for a very tight gap which he shouldn’t of gone for and clipped the back of Piastri wheel which saw Norris’ front wing come off and damage the front axel skidding himself along the pit wall and out of the race. Piastri was okay to carry on and finish the race as he had no damage at all. A gutting end to the weekend for Norris, but it was a mistake which he owned up to straight away and took full responsibility, he will be looking towards the next race weekend.
A decent result for the Ferrari’s, but still not amazing. P5 for Leclerc and P6 for Hamilton, the latter was no where in the race as he suffered damage to his Ferrari early on in the race.
Points for Alonso again, a good display of the improvements Aston Martin are making, every point scoring finish for the Silverstone based team will be vital at the end of the season.
Hulkenberg also was in the points again for the second race weekend in a row, lots of improvements made from the Stake team and it is great to see.
Now we have a little break before the next race weekend and it’s a double header starting in Austria on the 27th – 29th June!
Red Bull Racing;s Alisha Palmowski made the most of her first appearance at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, topping Round 4’s one and only Free Practice session with a 1:38.898.
Campos Racing kept a firm hold on the top spot as Palmowski and teammate Chloe Chambers traded personal bests, before the Briton’s final attempt nudged her in front by 0.074s at the chequered flag.
Larsen was the first driver to get a feel for the 4.361 km circuit, with her initial impression clocking in at 1:55.428. Steadily getting up to speed, the Tommy Hilfiger driver set the time to beat at 1:42.647 to go three tenths ahead of Ella Lloyd.
Only four drivers had times on the board after 10 minutes of running. Lloyd was next to go fastest on a 1:43.277, despite the McLaren driver going too deep into the final chicane and over the run off.
Beginning to make her presence known, Chambers posted a 1:41.701 to go a tenth quicker than Palmowski at the top of the timesheets. Although the Red Bull Ford driver then improved by a further two tenths, her hold would be brief as Palmowski broke clear on her next attempt, putting an eight-tenths buffer between herself and P2.
Chambers was the first into the 1:39s to re-take the time to beat, only to be pushed back down to second by just 0.079s to Palmowski. Pin sat in third at the halfway mark, 0.237s off the benchmark.
The Campos duo showed little sign of slowing, with Chambers crossing the line to regain best time of the session, before Palmowski set the timesheets alight with a 1:39.315.
Five tenths off the pace in third, Larsen narrowly avoided a trip to the barriers, carrying too much speed into the chicane and spinning onto the grass. A red flag put running to a halt with less than 10 minutes remaining after a fan detached from Pin’s car following her exit from the pits.
Improvements were still to be found once Green Flag conditions resumed. Even with the tyres being well past their peak, Chambers posted the first 1:38s time of the day. However, it was Palmowski who ended the session on top, snatching the fastest effort by setting a 1:38.898 at the chequered flag.
Qualifying-
Chloe Chambers threw down the gauntlet to her title rivals, conquering Qualifying in Montreal to seal her third consecutive pole position of the season.
Locked in a back and forth battle with teammate Alisha Palmowski, it was the Red Bull Ford driver who stamped her authority on the top spot, setting a 1:38.125 in the final minutes. Palmowski completed a 1-2 for Campos Racing, with Mercedes’ Doriane Pin finishing four tenths back in third.
Without a time to her name following an electrical issue in practice, every lap mattered for Maya Weug. After a burst of initial laps, Chambers set the early benchmark of a 1:45.283. Improving into the 1:41s on her next attempt, the American was swiftly beaten by a 1:40.910 from Alba Larsen.
Times quickly tumbled, with Lia Block, Ella Lloyd and Palmowski all going fastest in turn, before Larsen moved back up to the top and into the 1:39s. In a class of her own in the first phase, Larsen continued to beat her personal best, with a 1:39.246 putting nine tenths between herself and Lloyd in P2.
With 17 minutes to go, the PREMA trio headed out and Pin immediately broke into the top three, albeit six tenths off Larsen.
Reminiscent of Free Practice, Chambers would be the one to demote her teammate going over a tenth quicker. In response, Palmowski posted the fastest time of the day with a 1:38.749 with Chambers settling for second on her next attempt.
The Red Bull Ford driver then reinstated her hold on the top of the timesheets by 0.059s only for Palmowski to find an extra 0.039s.
With less than six minutes to go, Chamber responded with a 1:38.125, eclipsing her teammate by over five tenths.
Pin then hit the front row, splitting the Campos duo, but one final lap at the chequered flag was enough for Palmowski to regain second. However, Chambers’ earlier effort proved enough for her to seal pole position by three tenths to Palmowski, as Pin wound up third.
The Canadian Grand Prix is the tenth round of the season, the second in North America after Miami. Montreal is one of the staples on the calendar, for many years the only round in this part of the world.
The Gilles Vileneuve Circuit is a semi-permanent facility built on the manmade island of Notre Dame, on the saint Lawrence river, which was home to the Expo ’67 World’s Fair and some events in the 1976 Olympic games.
The track was completely resurfaced last year, but it has retained its low abrasiveness and reduced grip that has always been one of its characteristic features.
4.361 kilometres long, it features a sequence of straights and tight chicanes, with 14 corners (six to the left and eight to the right). It’s a real stop n go track where stability under braking and efficient traction are vital.
Overtaking is possible, partly down to the three DRS zones. The best bet has always been the braking point at the end of the straight that takes the drivers back to the start. The following chicane, where drivers cant still use DRS from the previous activation zone, has often seen some spectacular accidents, which has led to it being known as the “wall of champions” after no fewer than three world champions, Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve all crashed into it during the 1999 race.
For the third time this season, the softest trio of compounds will feature on the track. It’s the first time after appearing in Imola and again in Monaco the C6 (Soft), C5 (Medium) and C4 (Hard).
This weekend, when using the new C6, teams and drivers will be able to make the most of the information and data gathered at its two previous appearances.
The Gilles Villeneuve Circuit is a track where the lateral forces exerted on the tyres are medium to low, while the longitudinal ones are a bit more severe, although not particularly high, because of the cars being subjected to strong deceleration followed by sharp acceleration.
Aston Martin have confirmed that Lance Stroll will be back behind the wheel at the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix weekend, following his withdrawal from the previous race in Spain.
The Silverstone-based squad announced a few hours after Qualifying at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya that Stroll will be sitting out Sunday’s Grand Prix with the 26 year old set to undergo a medical procedure after experiencing pain in his hand and wrist.
The team went on to say that Stroll’s medical consultant believed that the pain the driver was experiencing was “in relation to the procedure he underwent in 2023”.
However, after his latest procedure, Stroll will be back driving the AMR25 in front of his home crowd in Montreal less than a fortnight on from that weekend in Spain.
I am excited to get back behind the wheel with the team for my home Grand Prix this weekend. I was always going to fight hard to be ready to race in front of the Montreal crowd. I’m feeling good after my procedure and put some laps in at Paul Ricard this week to prepare. Thanks for all the support, see you guys this weekend! Stroll on the news.
Haas have shown off a special livery for the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend, where the team will celebrate their 200th race since entering the sport almost a decade ago.
Haas arrived on the F1 grid in 2016, initially fielding Frenchman Romain Grosjean and Mexican Esteban Gutierrez as part of an operation split across sites in the United States, the United Kingdom and Italy.
Powered by Ferrari engines, the squad climbed as high as fifth in the Teams’ Championship standings through 2018, with Grojean achieving their personal best Grand Prix result of fourth at the Austrian Grand Prix that season.
Other highlights so far include, Kevin Magnussen’s shock pole position for the Sao Paulo Sprint race in 2022, while the Dane also secured their highest Grand Prix grid slot of fourth during 2023’s visit to the Miami International Autodrome.
Now represented by rookie Ollie Bearman and experienced racer Eteban Ocon, Haas will offer a nod to the past for the upcoming Montreal weekend by adopting a livery that resembles the clean black, grey and red design which they used throughout their debut 2016 campaign.
F1 Academy has confirmed that a third race will be added to the schedule for Round 4 of the 2025 season in Montreal.
The amended schedule will see Free Practice and Qualifying take place on Friday. Two races will follow on the Saturday and the third race taking place on Sunday.
The grid for Race 1 will be established using the final starting grid for Race 2 in Miami, with the wild card driver for round 4 will be permitted to start the race from the back of the grid.
Race 2’s starting grid will be set by reversing the top eight drivers from Qualifying in Montreal. Each driver’s fastest Qualifying lap will set the grid for Race 3, which will take place on Sunday, with all three races lasting for 30 minutes plus one lap.
One point will be awarded to the driver who achieves the fastest lap in Race 1 and Race 3, provided she classifies in the top ten. Additionally, one point will be awarded to the driver who achieves the fastest lap in Race 2, provided she finishes in the top eight.
Canadian Grand Prix organisers are supporting Formula 1’s efforts to rationalise the race calendar and make it more sustainable by agreeing to host future editions of the event earlier than has been in recent years.
The race promoter, Octane Racing Group, along with key stakeholders from the Canadian Government, Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, the City of Montreal, Tourism Quebec, Tourism Montreal and Parc Jean-Drapeau, were all involved in the process.
With renewed commitment and collaboration from the 2026 season, the Grand Prix is set to be scheduled on the third or fourth weekend of May each year, with all future Formula 1 calendars subject to confirmation by the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council.
The move will allow the European leg of the F1 season to be consolidated into one consecutive period over Europe’s summer months and is planned to remove an additional transatlantic crossing by the F1 community each year.
The announcement builds upon the changes already made to the calendar by F1 in recent years to create a more rationalised schedule.
The Japanese Grand Prix is one which has moved to the spring to align with races in the Asia Pacific region, Azerbaijan has moved to the autumn as the championship turns east to Singapore and Qatar has moved to be closely aligned with Abu Dhabi at the end of the season.
I am incredibly grateful to the promoter and all of the government stakeholder partners involved in the Canadian Grand Prix, from the local, to the provincial and national government. We applaud the tremendous effort from all involved to accelerate the temporary build of the event, to be ready to host the Formula 1 community earlier than in the past. The change will make the future flow of our calendar not only more sustainable, but logistically more sensible for our teams and personnel. We applaud the tremendous effort from all involved to accelerate the temporary build of the event, to be ready to host the Formula 1 community earlier than in the past. Our Net Zero by 2030 commitment continues to be a priority for us as a sport and it is thanks to changes like this that we are on track to hitting our goal. Stefano Domenicali, President & CEO of Formula 1.
This change in the schedule is a major step in our commitment, as well as Formula 1’s, toward a more sustainable future. It demonstrates our desire to combine sporting performance and event organization with environmental responsibility. We are determined to offer our fans, our communities, and our loyal audience a unique and enriched experience, in addition to extending the summer season for Montreal. The date change thus fully integrates into the dynamic strategic vision put in place by our team, with the collaboration of our stakeholders, which is fully focused on delivering an amazing Canadian Grand Prix experience in a more sustainable and inclusive environment. Jean-Philippe Paradis, CEO of Octane Racing Group.
Max Verstappen and Red Bull bounced back from their Monaco struggles as they returned to winning ways in an action-packed Canadian Grand Prix! The reigning champions had to overcome rain showers, multiple Safety Car periods, restart and a stern challenge from a couple of drivers.
Verstappen followed pole-sitter George Russell in the wet early stages of the race until a charging Norris overhauled them both amid improving conditions, only for an ill-timed Safety Car which ruined Lando’s chances of winning.
While Verstappen surged towards the chequered flag, Norris took second via a fierce mid-race battle with Russell, and the latter settling for third after some late scrapping with teammate Lewis Hamilton and the other McLaren of Oscar Piastri.
The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Norris, P3: Russell, P4: Hamilton, P5: Piastri, P6: Alonso, P7: Stroll, P8: Ricciardo, P9: Gasly and P10: Ocon.
A lovely result for Max! Just what he wanted, he had a bit of an up and down weekend but came out on top. However, it wasn’t a weekend to remember for Red Bull team, as Sergio Perez had a horrible weekend, qualifying 16th and he ended up spinning off the track and damaged his rear wing, which forced him to retire in the pits. Not only this, it went from bad to worse, as he has now been given a 3 place grid penalty for the Spanish GP after he drove to the pits with a significantly damaged car.
A good result for McLaren, P2 and P5 the team is closing in on Ferrari in P2! Unlucky for Lando with the safety car situation as he was leading and had a lovely gap but that is just racing sometimes…
Mercedes! Probably the most improved team this weekend, they’ve pretty much had pace all weekend, unlucky for them to only get one driver on the podium as it was looking likely it could’ve been both at one point in the race. But the team will look at this positively and the upgrades are working and they’ve managed to grab their first podium of the year.
Ferrari.. where to start, Charles had problems from the start with his engine problem, which then led the Monegasque to retire later on in the race. Not only this, Carlos Sainz who was pushing for points came together with Alex Albon at Turn 7 in unusual circumstances. Where the Spaniard spun at the exit of the corner, and despite his best efforts, Albon’s Williams collected the Ferrari. Which led to both Ferrari’s out, both Williams out and a Red Bull…
A good result for the Aston Martin’s and the Alpine’s both getting double points which was needed especially for the latter after their rough time in Monaco. And for Daniel Ricciardo aswell a points finish, he had quite a good weekend a lot of pace from him.
A bit of a disappointing race for Haas after such a good start to the race, both drivers were in the top 10 after they started on wets, but that didn’t last long as when Magnussen pitted on lap 8 his mechanics were not ready for him and then the team left Hulkenberg out for too long and once he pitted he went to the bottom of the grid… This led the team to score no points.
Qualifying for Round 9 is complete, and there was a few shock surprises with a couple of early exits in Q1 and Q2 which led to some other drivers making an appearance in Q3!
George Russell has taken pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix in an impressive session for the Mercedes driver, with the Brit beating Max Verstappen despite the Dutchman setting the exact same lap time!
Russell had provisionally secured P1 following the initial runs in Q3 with a lap of 1m12.000s and while Verstappen improved on his own effort in the decisive final laps, the Red Bull driver could only equal Russell’s time.
The full top 10 are- Pole: Russell, P2: Verstappen, P3: Norris, P4: Piastri, P5: Ricciardo, P6: Alonso, P7: Hamilton, P8: Tsunoda, P9: Stroll and P10: Albon.
What a result for George Russell! The Mercedes have been showing some strong pace this weekend and that obviously has been shown. Hamilton starts in 7th, as everyone seemed to improve on their laps.
A very good result for McLaren, P3 and P4, it makes you think what could they do from there? Battle for the win or battle for both podium spots? It will be all to play for!
A lovely result from VCARB! Both drivers in the top 10 with Daniel Riccairdo in 5th and Tsunoda 8th. The team will be wanting to capitalise on this result in the race and get a decent points haul.
A tough day for Ferrari as they qualified out of the top 10, Leclerc in 11th and Sainz in 12th. Not the day the Italian team would of wanted, they now have a lot of work to do in the race, as well as staying out of trouble in the midfield…
A bit of a shock to see Perez out in Q1 again! He will be starting the race in 16th. Which isn’t what the Mexican driver would of been hoping for especially after renewing his contract this week! He has a lot of work to do if he wants to score some points.
A decent result for both Aston Martins aswell! P6 for Alonso and P9 for Stroll. The team will be wanting to score some big points this weekend as they currently sit 5th in the Constructors and only on 44 points…
Alpine have announced that reserve driver, Jack Doohan will take Esteban Ocon’s place during Friday’s opening free practice session at the Canadian Grand Prix.
Under the sport’s current regulations, each F1 team must run a rookie in two FP1 sessions each campaign.
Doohan has made four practice appearances as an Alpine junior so far, getting his first experiences in Mexico and Abu Dhabi in 2022 and making further outings at the same venues in 2023.
A former FIA Formula 3 runner-up and the third-placed driver in last year’s F2 standings, the Australian’s latest run comes as he pushes to secure a full-time seat with Alpine.
Alpine announced on the eve of this weekend’s Montreal event that they will part ways with Esteban Ocon at the end of the current campaign, ending a five-year collaboration. It means that at least one seat is available at the Renault-backed operation for next season, with incumbent Pierre Gasly’s place beyond 2024 yet to be confirmed.
In addition to his four FP1 outings, and simulator duties at Enstone, Doohan has completed several test sessions with Alpine over the last couple of years – the latest coming in their 2022-spec A522 at Zandvoort last month.
Really excited to get out on track in Montreal for FP1. It will be my first time driving at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, which I am looking forward to. I am grateful to the team for the opportunity to get more track time, and also familiarise myself with 2024 machinery early in the season. This will also help with the work I am doing in the simulator, particularly at the European rounds. My focus will be on doing the best for the team and maximising the session for both drivers, looking at certain test items and understanding the new track surface. Doohan on the news.
Formula 1 returns to North America after two European rounds in Imola and Monaco. The Canadian Grand Prix therefore means a change of continent.
The race in Montreal will be the third in a row to feature the three softest compounds in the 2024 range, the C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium), C5 (Soft).
The 4.361 kilometre track is named in honour of Gilles Villeneuve and features six lefthand corners and eight to the right and it has one of the lowest average speeds of the season. Stability under braking and traction coming out of the chicanes and the slowest corners, which include the hairpin leading onto a very long straight.
Unlike the previous race weekend in Monaco, overtaking here is possible, especially at the end of the straight leading to the final chicane, the exit to which features the “Wall of Champions” thus named after three world champions, Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve, all ended their races there in 1999, crashing into the wall on the outside of the turn.
The entire track has been resurfaced for this year and the kerbs have been replaced. On paper, the track’s existing characteristics of low abrasiveness and therefore reduced grip should remain the same. For most of the year, the track is only used by people on foot or cyclists and so lap times generally drop significantly as the cars rubber-in the surface.
Setting a quick time in qualifying involves getting very close to the barriers and walls, while making the best use of the kerbs, so it’s also important for the driver to do as many laps as possible to gain confidence.
In last years race, all three dry compounds came into play with a mix of strategies with some drivers, including the three who finished on the podium, going for a two-stop while others pitted just the once. They also have to take into consideration that the Safety Car is a frequent visitor and that a longer first stint therefore offers the best chance of minimising time lost changing tyres.
F1 returns to North America after two European rounds. The Canadian GP therefore means a change of continent but it’s a case of status quo when it comes to tyre compound choice, because it will be the third in a row to feature the three softest ones in the range (C3, C4 and C5). pic.twitter.com/PBdfUlydjw
Round 9 is now complete, with a few retirements in the 70 lap race, and a driver who showed a dominant drive.
Max Verstappen made it six victories from eight races, with a dominant display, he lead home the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, as Red Bull maintain their 100% winning record for the season so far.
The full top 10 are: P1: Verstappen, P2: Alonso, P3: Hamilton, P4: Leclerc, P5: Sainz, P6: Perez, P7: Albon, P8: Ocon, P9: Stroll and P10: Bottas.
Verstappen’s lights to flag triumph also gave Red Bull their 100th victory in the sport, 18 years on from the team’s debut, whilst the Dutchman made more history by drawing level with legend, Ayrton Senna on 41 wins.
A good result for both Alonso and Hamilton, would’ve been interesting to see if Alonso could battle Max for the win if he didn’t have a rear brake issue which he was nursing, and if Lewis would’ve joint in to?
Mr George Russell, he had a crash early on in the race which caused some damage to his car and dropped him to the bottom of the order, with the Safety Car coming out which lead to some split strategies.
A good haul of points from Ferrari, I think we were all unsure on their strategy when they didn’t pit during the Safety Car but it worked out in the end, but I don’t know if not swapping Leclerc and Sainz around was the right idea, we might’ve seen Sainz show his pace he thought he had during the race.
A good result for Alex Albon, he battled hard to keep his position and he deserves the points he got today! Whereas for his teammate it wasn’t meant to be, Sargeant had to retire as he was asked to park his car in the early stages of the race.
Now, Round 10 isn’t for two weeks, so not too long to wait but it will be a double header. Our first stop will be in Austria on the 30th June to 2nd July.
We had a very wet qualifying session, which brought out a few shocks both being good and bad.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix, as the wet weather dominated the session. Nico Hulkenberg was a surprise second for Haas due to a well-time effort, only to loose the position later on. Alonso rounds out the top three.
Before any penalties are applied the full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Hulkenberg, P3: Alonso, P4: Hamilton, P5: Russell, P6: Ocon, P7: Norris, P8: Sainz, P9: Piastri and P10: Albon.
With penalties applied, the grid for today’s race is: P1: Vertappen, P2: Alonso, P3: Hamilton, P4: Russell, P5: Hulkenberg, P6: Ocon, P7: Norris, P8: Piastri, P9: Albon and P10: Leclerc.
A good result for the Mercedes duo, second row start for both drivers so they’ll be looking to see if they can get a double podium again this weekend, or possibly for the win?
McLaren’s duo done well also, both cars in the top 10, hopefully they can get a couple places up the grid and score some decent points.
Sainz, Tsunoda, Stroll and Hulkenberg all have 3 place grid penalties, the first 3 drivers all for impeding other driver’s during qualifying. Hulkenberg fora red-flag infringement during qualifying.
Not a good result for the Ferrari’s, Charles starting 10th and Carlos 11th, they will be hoping to grab some points this weekend and hope to make up for a disappointing session yesterday.
Sergio Perez starting in 12th isn’t what he or his team wanted, his got some ground to work up in today’s race. I also think that Red Bull maybe getting a little annoyed with the Mexican, as he isn’t where his meant to be on the grid, especially as he started the season of so well.
Predictions-
My top five for the race are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Hamilton, P3: Alonso, P4: Russell and P5: Ocon.
I feel like we might have some drama this race, quite a few drivers out of position so there might be a few clashes and safety cars which could change some drivers strategies.
We are back racing this weekend after a week break, and we are heading to Canada, for Round 9 of 23, where it’s Lance Stroll’s home grand prix.
Will it be another win for Max this weekend? Or can Sergio Perez make a mark on this weekend and get a win on the board after a few rough weekends for the Mexican driver.
Or can Aston Martin and Mercedes get that win they’ve been looking for this season?
Who needs to shine?
Charles Leclerc will be wanting to get in the points this race 2 DNF’s and a finish outside the points, where as if you look at his teammate, the only time he hasn’t scored in in Australia…
Even though Alonso is having a really really good season, last time out in Spain isn’t what he thought he’d get, he finished 7th and his now more determined not to have another race without a podium…
With Guanyu Zhou scoring points back in Spain, this means now that Alfa Romeo and Haas are equal on 8 points each and considering both teams always start around each other, all four drivers will be wanting to push themselves even more so they can grab points for the Constructors and put them ahead.
Times for this weekend-
Friday 16th-
Free Practice 1: 18:30pm – 19:30pm (BST)
Free Practice 2: 22:00pm – 23:00pm
Saturday 17th-
Free Practice 3: 17:30pm – 18:30pm
Qualifying: 21:00pm – 22:00pm
Sunday 18th-
Race: 19:00pm
Predictions for qualifying-
My top five for qualifying are: Pole: Verstappen, P2: Alonso, P3: Hamilton, P4: Perez and P5: Russell.
To be honest it could go any different way in Canada, but I reckon it will be close between Verstappen and Alonso for pole. There is rain forecasted for Qualifying tomorrow at the moment, so that could bring a few different possibilities into qualifying.
We’re back with another race week and the tyre compounds have been chosen by Pirelli for this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix. Those being: C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium) and C5 (Soft).
The Gilles Villeneuve circuit is a 4.361-kilometre semi-permanent track built on the artificial Notre Dame island in the middle of the St. Lawrence River, close to Montreal. Outside of the grand prix its used as a leisure facility for cycling, roller skating and walking.
The first Canadian Grand Prix held on this track was in 1978, with Gilles Villenuve emerging as the winner. The track was renamed in memory of the Canadian driver a few weeks after his tragic death in 1982.
The race runs for 70 laps, consisting of six left turns and eight right turns with three straights. Average speed is relatively low, thanks to the frequent changes of direction caused by the close succession of corners, with continuous braking.
The softer compound is usually seen only in qualifying, as was the case last year when just the medium and hard compounds were used in the race. The strategy preferred by most drivers was two-stop strategy but some opted for a one-stopper with a very long initial stint on hard.
Jordan's Track Talk 