Will Red Bull’s Max Verstappen continue to tear up the track this Sunday at the Canadian Grand Prix or will the possibility of rain in the forecast provide an element of unpredictability?
Formula 1 is back in Montreal this weekend at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve for the eighth stop of the 2023 season. While Red Bull and Verstappen are in complete control of the standings, things are heating up among the teams looking to narrow the gap.
Here are five storylines to follow during the Canadian Grand Prix.
ASTON MARTIN AIMING FOR DOUBLE PODIUM
Aston Martin might be British-based, but this is very much a home event for the team as chairman Lawrence Stroll and driver Lance Stroll call Montreal home with high hopes set. The elder Stroll is aiming for a double podium finish at the Canadian Grand Prix.
Stroll is on pace for his best season ever in F1 and already has nearly double the amount of points he earned last year (35 to 18 for those counting). Although Stroll has yet to hit the podium in 2023, he came in fourth in Australia and just finished sixth in Spain. Stroll has done well at his home track, starting 17th on the grid last year and managing to manoeuvre up into 10th and the final points-paying position.
“With how close the pecking order has been in recent races, it will be interesting to see what the characteristics of the circuit do to the competitiveness up and down the pitlane this weekend,” Stroll said on the team’s website. “The margins will be very tight so we’ll be pushing hard to put on a good show for my home crowd.”
A double podium might seem like a lofty goal, but Aston Martin has exceeded expectations this year thanks to a career resurgence from Fernando Alonso. The 41-year-old two-time world champion has finished on the podium in five of seven races this season, including a runner-up result at the iconic Monaco Grand Prix.
“The circuit is fun and while overtaking can be difficult it can also throw up surprising races, so we will be prepared for anything,” Alonso said on the team’s website. “We have some upgrades this weekend and our aim is to have a smooth weekend and score the most points possible.”
MERCEDES ON THE RIGHT TRACK?
Mercedes raised eyebrows two weeks ago in Spain as Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished 2-3 on the podium (behind Verstappen, of course). The team also overtook Aston Martin for second place in the constructors’ championship. Will their recent upgrades be enough to take the next step?
Montreal holds a special place in Hamilton’s heart as it was the site of his first-ever Grand Prix victory during his rookie season with McLaren in 2007. The 38-year-old Hamilton now holds a record 103 victories although his most recent was at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in December 2021. Hamilton is also looking to break a tie with Michael Schumacher for the most wins at the Canadian Grand Prix with seven apiece. What better place than Canada to end the drought?
If off-track drama is more of your thing, Hamilton remains without a contract for next season and was mum about extension talks heading into the Canadian Grand Prix.
DEJA VU FOR RED BULL?
All right, now to be realistic. Aston Martin and Mercedes have provided glimmers of hope, but they both still have a long way to catch Red Bull — winners of all seven races this season. Double-defending world champion Verstappen has been locked in on a three-peat with five victories and finishing right behind teammate Sergio Perez in the other two races.
Mercedes’ double podium in Spain was nice, as was Alonso’s runner-up result in Monaco, but Verstappen won both races quite easily with roughly 25-second margins.
Verstappen is also the reigning Canadian Grand Prix champion, having won last year’s race from pole position. Considering Red Bull’s dominance, the odds are looking pretty great we’ll be in for an encore.
There is some history at play this weekend. Another victory for Verstappen would tie him with the late great Ayrton Senna for fifth place on the all-time wins list at 41.
COULD CANADA TURN FERRARI’S FORTUNES AROUND?
Ferrari has feasted in Canada with 14 career wins, the most of any constructor in the Great White North, and the Scuderia squad is in need of some comfort food. The Italian outfit is struggling to regain the promise it showed last season with just one podium finish this year between drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.
Ferrari can feed off of the good vibes from the team’s victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans last weekend following a 50-year hiatus in the historic race. Plus, the Tifosi fanbase should be out in full force as usual in Montreal.
Leclerc and Sainz should also have a better handle on the updated aerodynamics package their SF-23 cars received ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix.
“Last year’s race here at the Gilles Villeneuve Circuit was a turning point in my season because I finally began to feel at one with the car and things changed,” Sainz said on the team’s website. “I hope it will be the same this weekend.
“The updates introduced in Spain worked, even if it might not have been that obvious from the outside, as the track did not suit our SF-23 particularly well. We picked up a lot of data in Montmelo and I expect to see that pay off over the coming days on track, as well as back in Maranello in terms of fine-tuning and getting the most out of the car. However, it will still be the usual very close fight behind the Red Bulls and it will be important to make the most of every minute on track.”
WILL ANYONE JOIN THE WALL OF CHAMPIONS?
Kept you waiting, huh? You can’t talk about the Canadian Grand Prix without mentioning the infamous Wall of Champions. Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a high-speed track that features some tricky corners, none more so than its final set of turns leading into what’s been dubbed the Wall of Champions.
Even the most skilled drivers have been caught off-guard by the quick turns and hard curbs at the end of the Casino straightaway and it’s a who’s who of legendary drivers who have met the end of a race here: Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher, Jacques Villeneuve (twice), Jenson Button, Juan Pablo Montoya and many more.
Sainz (2016) and Kevin Magnussen (2019) have added their names to the list in recent years, who will be next to join them?