Red Bull were off the pace in Monaco. Will they regain their mojo in Montreal? You would expect so, given Max Verstappen has won here on both his most recent attempts.
Nevertheless, Lewis Hamilton is the undisputed king of Canada with seven victories to his name. He managed to drag his Mercedes onto the podium last year, and with upgrades this weekend he is hoping he can catch the three teams ahead.
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has the ability to surprise, with broken brakes, track-invading groundhogs, melting tarmac, torrential downpours and the ‘wall of champions’ having all played a role in the past.
And, let’s not forget, McLaren and Ferrari have now both won races this season. In the last three races, Ferrari took a total haul of 101 points, McLaren 89 and Red Bull 81.
The Ferrari is particularly good at finding traction out of slow corners, of which there are several at this weekend’s circuit. The launch out of the tight hairpin onto the longest straight is crucial. It doesn’t quite look like the Verstappen cake walk it did six weeks ago.
Much of the reason Red Bull are just 24 points ahead of Ferrari in the standings, despite winning five grands prix and two sprints so far, is due to Sergio Perez. The Mexican started well enough, with four podiums from the first five rounds, but the last two races have seen a return to his most miserable form.
The fact he has now been given a two-year contract extension comes as a shock, and you do wonder if it’s been borne out of his loyalty to Christian Horner. It will also ensure some stability should Verstappen decide to walk out on his contract early.
The matrix of ‘supertimes’, which is based on the fastest single lap by each driver over each race weekend to measure raw pace, shows Red Bull has the second biggest pace gap between their pairing. It’s a gap of 0.624 seconds.
The largest gap is between Williams’ Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant (0.914sec), while the smallest is between Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly (0.051).
Some drivers are quick in midfield cars. Perez showed he was capable of this at Force India. But the same drivers are not necessarily quick in properly fast cars. Carlos Sainz has proven a much more adept driver at the pointy end, and it seems a shame he won’t be in a top team next season.
Against all odds, the Spaniard appears close to signing with Williams. This must mean Mercedes are set to confirm 17-year-old Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli to replace Hamilton next year – a very bold decision on team principal Toto Wolff’s part.
Wolff also has another job on his hands, finding Ocon a new ride. The 2021 Hungarian GP winner, managed by the Mercedes boss, is being let go by Alpine at the end of the year following his collision with his team-mate in Monaco. Despite his undeniable pace, he has had eight F1 seasons to iron out his kinks, and he still does silly things.
Ocon is a nice chap but far too wild when the visor comes down. Haas and Sauber/Audi, the only viable options, may decide they can’t afford the carbon-fibre.
F1 lights the way to more exciting racing
Lewis Hamilton’s demand for lighter Formula One machinery has been answered following the launch of the sport’s next-generation car.
F1 yesterday provided a glimpse into its future after the concept of a car – which it is hoped will provide better racing from 2026 onwards – was unveiled.
The new, smaller vehicle, incorporating a simplified combustion engine using fully sustainable fuels and the introduction of a new overtaking boost button, is set to be 30 kilograms lighter than the sport’s current design.
Hamilton, who will enter his second season with Ferrari when the new technical rules come into force, has repeatedly said F1 cars are too heavy – up from around 600kg when he started out in 2007 to almost 800kg now.
The FIA has now promised a minimum weight of 768kg with the governing body saying a ‘nimble’ car has been at the heart of its new concept.
Another key feature will be the effective removal of the Drag Reduction System (DRS) to be replaced by a Manual Override Mode. The new technology will provide a driver with an electrical boost to power past a rival. The 2026 cars are also set to take in active aerodynamics systems, featuring movable front and rear wings, with drivers able to switch between modes to maximise top speed.
Mounting speculation Alpine could change hands
Alpine’s poor performances this year, coupled with the exit of a number of high-profile engineers, had led to rumours the Renault-owned team could be up for sale.
The obvious buyer would be the Andretti organisation which is desperate to get on the grid and bring GM in as a power unit supplier. Another possible buyer is the Chinese auto giant Geely.
Yet Renault CEO Luca de Meo told Autocar magazine this week: ‘There is no way we’re going to give up. We will not sell even a part of this thing. We don’t need the money.’
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