It’s not difficult to conjure memorable Canadian grands prix over the years. It’s where Michael and Ralf Schumacher became the first brothers to finish one/two in a race, it’s where Lewis Hamilton won his very first Grand Prix, it’s where Jenson Button recovered from five pitstops and being last twice to stunningly win the 2011 race on the last lap. It’s also where Jean Alesi, in 1995, and Robert Kubica, in 2008, won the one and only races of their respective careers.
The Île Notre-Dame sits on the man-made island in the St. Lawrence River and it encompasses the famed Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Located in Montreal, Canada, the circuit is renowned for its challenging layout and scenic setting. The 4.361-kilometer circuit has 14 turns which include a mix of medium speed corners, a slow hairpin, and fast straights. One of the most notable features of the track in turn ten, the hairpin, which serves as a prime spot for overtaking. It leads on the longest straight of the circuit before the turn 13 and 14 chicane, famously known as the Wall of Champions.
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve demands precision due to the proximity of the walls to the track, leaving little to no room for error. This means too that the Safety Car, or Virtual Safety Car, has a high probability of making an appearance. It is also demanding on brakes, with several heavy-duty braking zones. Good acceleration and traction out of the slow corners and chicanes is crucial too. Tyre wear can be significant due to the heavy braking, which will require careful management over the race distance. The combo of technical difficulty and high tyre wear makes the Canadian grand prix, ordinarily, one of the most unpredictable on the calendar.
The big question lurking over the paddock is whether Red Bull and Max Verstappen’s domination is truly a thing of the past. On paper and results the answer seems to be an easy yes. Although Verstappen won in Imola it was by the skin of his teeth and under serious pressure from Lando Norris. Granted, Monaco is a unique race and circuit layout but the tracks in Miami and Imola were markedly different too. Although Ferrari and Charles Leclerc took a wonderful win in Monaco it is McLaren, especially, that will arrive in Canada fully expecting to challenge for the win. As ever, there are several variables that could derail any team’s ability to perform. For one, understanding tyre performance from one weather condition to the next remains a dark art that can easily fell even the quickest cars. So too the refinement of the ground effect car remains a somewhat inexplicable mystery, especially for the likes of Mercedes.
In Miami it was clear that on that day in history the Red Bull simply could not extract performance from the hard compound tyre, much the same in Imola. And in Monaco the car seemed unable to ride the kerbs. It has been two weeks since the last race and you get bet your house that the Red Bull simulator will have been working overtime to find a solution for these issues. But it is now known that Red Bull are vulnerable and not as on their games as they were in the beginning of the season. It provides the merest glimmer of hope that the 2024 season
could well turn into a championship fight for the ages. And it should come as no surprise if McLaren and maybe even Ferrari are vying for top honours this weekend.
