The Canadian Grand Prix is the tenth spherical of the season, the second in North America after Miami.
Montreal is without doubt one of the staples on the calendar, for a few years the one spherical on this a part of the world. It’s in style with drivers and groups as a result of there’s at all times an actual buzz across the occasion due to the passion of the native followers. For the entire week, town within the Province of Quebec comes alive with occasions linked to the Grand Prix.
As soon as once more, the highest three finishers will put on a particular version of the Pirelli Podium Cap designed by Denis Dekovic once they step up for his or her trophies.
The compounds
For the third time this season, the softest trio of compounds will function on observe. Which means, after showing for the primary time in Imola and once more in Monaco, the C6 will probably be in use, alongside its closest family, the C5 as Medium and the C4 as Onerous. The choice is subsequently one step softer than final yr when the chosen compounds have been the C3, C4 and C5.
This weekend, when utilizing the brand new C6, groups and drivers will be capable to take advantage of the data and information gathered at its two earlier appearances. The Gilles Villeneuve Circuit is a observe the place the lateral forces exerted on the tyres are medium to low, whereas the longitudinal ones are a bit extra extreme, though not significantly excessive, due to the vehicles being subjected to sturdy deceleration adopted by sharp acceleration. The observe floor could be very clean and never very abrasive and isn’t used for racing aside from the Grand Prix weekend. Graining, particularly throughout free follow on Friday, might put in an look, however because the observe regularly rubbers-in it should not be an element. Lap instances come down actually shortly, not simply from sooner or later to the following, but in addition throughout every session.
On high of that, the unpredictable and changeable climate is an element to think about, a wildcard that is been recognized to disrupt the on-track motion right here, whereas fluctuating temperatures are a function of the Montreal occasion.
In 2024
The race bought underway on a moist observe. 18 drivers opted to begin on Intermediates, whereas the Haas pair went with excessive wets. Certainly, Magnussen and Hulkenberg supplied the present within the early levels of the race, because the blue banded Pirelli Cinturato provided glorious grip in these situations, in order that each drivers have been in a position to cost up the order, with the Dane even making it as excessive as fourth place by lap 3, having began 14th. Nevertheless, the observe was drying out quite shortly and so the American staff’s two drivers have been the primary obliged to pit for Intermediates, as their lap instances had slowed significantly.
Then, within the second a part of the race, the green-banded Pirelli Cinturato was the tyre to have, as situations alternated between rain and sunshine with the observe drying, particularly on the racing line, earlier than getting moist once more following one other bathe. The vast majority of drivers made the a lot of the first Security Automobile interval, forty minutes into the race, to change to a second set of Intermediates, whereas a trio made up of Ocon, Tsunoda and Bottas, gambled on their tyres lasting lengthy sufficient to increase the stint till the observe was match for slicks. Sauber’s Finn went to lap 42, whereas Alpine’s Frenchman and Racing Bulls’ Japanese driver waited an additional two laps. These three have been the one drivers to finish the seventy lap race with solely the one pit cease.
When slicks have been viable, the bulk (14) of drivers selected the Medium, thus on the lookout for a greater warm-up part, whereas 5 went with the Onerous, pondering extra about put on, armed with the data that in free follow, the Medium had suffered with graining.
The observe
The Gilles Villeneuve Circuit is a semi-permanent facility constructed on the artifical island of Notre Dame, on the Saint Lawrence river, which was dwelling to the Expo ’67 World’s Truthful and a few occasions within the 1976 Olympic Video games.
The observe was utterly resurfaced final yr, however it has retained its low abrasiveness and decreased grip that has at all times been one in every of its attribute options. 4.361 kilometres lengthy, it contains a sequence of straights and tight chicanes, with 14 corners (six to the left and eight to the correct). It is an actual cease ‘n go observe the place stability below braking and environment friendly traction are important.
Overtaking is feasible, partly all the way down to the three DRS zones. The most effective guess has at all times been the braking level on the finish of the straight that takes the drivers again to the beginning. The next chicane, the place drivers can nonetheless use DRS from the earlier activation zone, has usually seen some spectacular accidents, which has led to it being referred to as the “wall of champions” after no fewer than three world champions, Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve all crashed into it in the course of the 1999 race.
Key phrase: Water
Aside from being surrounded by the waters of the Saint Lawrence river and working alongside a synthetic rowing basin used within the 1976 Olympic Video games, the Canadian Grand Prix is without doubt one of the races that’s most frequently affected by rain. As beforehand talked about, throughout final yr’s race each forms of moist climate tyre have been used.
At each race weekend, Pirelli provides every driver with 5 units of Cinturato Inexperienced Intermediates and two of Cinturato Blue Full Moist. The previous can disperse as much as 35 litres of water per second at a velocity of round 300 km/h, whereas the Full Wets can cope with as much as 85 litres per second.
The Cinturato Full Moist was up to date this yr, with the tread blocks given better rigidity in order to generate much less warmth within the tread sample. The development has additionally been revised to cope with the upper aerodynamic masses generated by the present vehicles, making the tyre much less vulnerable to overheating and thermal degradation. Improvement testing means the brand new Full Moist provides an enchancment in efficiency, bringing it barely nearer to that provided by the Intermediate, whereas sustaining the identical water dispersal values to deal with any eventual threat of aquaplaning.
It is also price noting that, since 2023, the Full Wets can now not be pre-heated, whereas the temperature of the blankets for the Intermediates is ready at 60 °C.
Statistics nook
This yr’s occasion would be the 54th Canadian Grand Prix, with the primary one courting again to 1967. The race has been held at three venues: previous to Montreal, it has been run at Mosport, round 100 kilometres from Toronto and on the Mont Tremblant ski resort, 145 kilometres from Montreal.
Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton high the tables for probably the most wins with seven apiece and most pole positions with six. With 4 to their identify, Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen cleared the path for quickest race laps, with the German out on his personal in the case of podium finishes with 12. Probably the most profitable staff is McLaren on 13, adopted by Ferrari (12) and Williams (7).
The 2011 race is within the file books because the longest Grand Prix ever by way of time, having lasted for 4 hours, 4 minutes and 39.537 seconds. It featured six Security Automobile appearances, however the largest issue on this file was a really lengthy crimson flag interval on account of torrential rain, as a result of a regulation that had been in pressure since 2005 meant that the race clock was not paused throughout stoppages. Ultimately, Jenson Button, who had been final on lap 37, received the race for McLaren!
