Canadian GP: Race - RE-CAP & RESULTS

CANADIAN GP - RACE - RE-CAP & RESULTS

    Sebastian Vettel reclaimed the championship lead with victory in Canada.

    The Ferrari driver was unchallenged through most of the race and, after defending his lead after an early safety car, was able to build a gap of more than seven seconds to second place driver Valtteri Bottas.

    Vettel’s championship rival Lewis Hamilton was left chasing Daniel Ricciardo after the Red Bull jumped him in the pits.

    Ricciardo had been running in a net fifth place when Hamilton ahead dived into the pits and put in an impressive lap before pitting himself and emerging ahead of the Mercedes. Hamilton quickly closed the gap to Ricciardo, who was on the harder compound of tyre. Moving back into fourth would mean he retained the championship lead by a single point, but Ricciardo proved difficult to overtake.

    In the closing stages of the race, backmarkers became a problem for the reigning champion. Ricciardo appeared to have an easier time passing the backmarkers while Hamilton lost time. Even so, he finished less than a second behind the Red Bull.

    Up ahead, Bottas had a Red Bull problem of his own in the early stages of the race, as Max Verstappen pushed to find a way through. Bottas put up a good defence, denying Verstappen second, and eventually pulled out a second gap to the Red Bull driver.

    Verstappen settled with third, his second podium of the season.

    Kimi Raikkonen in sixth was the last of the drivers to not be lapped by the leaders.

    The race started with drama for Toro Rosso and Williams as Brendon Hartley and Lance Stroll came together on the opening lap. Stroll suffered a big slide and, as he corrected himself, sandwiched Hartley between himself and the wall. The collision took them both out of the race, and Hartley was sent to the hospital for checks, though he was later given the all clear.

    Also running into problems early in the race were Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez, with Perez being sent wide after a collision and calling for Sainz to be disqualified from the race. The stewards deemed it a racing incident and both continued, with Sainz finishing eighth and Perez classified 14th.

    One of the biggest talking points came at the end of the race, when the chequered flag was shown a lap early. Though the field continued to race until the end of lap 69, the planned duration, drivers were classified by their positions when the chequered flag was first shown at the end of lap 68. The only change came outside the top 10, with Perez dropping behind Kevin Magnussen, having passed the Haas on the “extra” lap.

    Nico Hulkenberg finished best of the rest, ahead of Sainz, and Esteban Ocon.

    Charles Leclerc, who once again had braking problems, came under pressure from Pierre Gasly in the closing stages of the race, but managed to hold onto 10th to take his third points finish of the season.

    Gasly took 11th, ahead of Romain Grosjean, Perez, Magnussen, and Ericsson.

    Stoffel Vandoorne and Sergey Sirotkin were the final finishers, with Fernando Alonso retiring due to an exhaust issue 40 laps into the race.

RESULTS:

1. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany / + 25 Points
2. Valtteri Bottas / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland / + 18 Points
3. Max Verstappen / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands / + 15 Points
4. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull Racing-TAG-Heuer / Australia / + 12 Points
5. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 10 Points
6. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland / + 8 Points
7. Nico Hulkenberg / Renault-Renault / Germany / + 6 Points
8. Carlos Sainz / Renault-Renault / Spain / + 4 Points
9. Esteban Ocon / Force India-Mercedes / France / + 2 Points
10. Charles Leclerc / Sauber-Ferrari / Monaco / + 1 Point
11. Pierre Gasly / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / France
12. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France
13. Kevin Magnussen / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark
14. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico
15. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden 
16. Stoffel Vandoorne / McLaren-Renault / Belgium
17. Sergey Sirotkin / Williams-Mercedes / Russia

RETIRED - Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Renault / Spain / Exhaust
RETIRED - Lance Stroll / Williams-Mercedes / Canada / Collision
RETIRED - Brendon Hartley / Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda / New Zealand / Collision

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Canadian GP: Circuit Preview

CANADIAN GRAND PRIX 2018 - CIRCUIT PREVIEW 

Name: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

Location: Parc Jean-Drapeau Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Opened: 1978

Length: 2.71 Miles

Capacity: 100,000

Runs: Clockwise

Turns: 14

Race Laps: 70

2017 STATS

Pole Position: Lewis Hamilton

1st Place: Lewis Hamilton

2nd Place: Valtteri Bottas

3rd Place: Daniel Ricciardo

Retirements: Carlos Sainz (Collision), Felipe Massa (Collision), Max Verstappen (Electrical), Daniil Kvyat (Power Unit) & Fernando Alonso (Power Unit)*

* - Notes Alonso had completed at least 90% of the race distance and was qualified as finished, despite retiring from the race.

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Canadian GP: Track Schedule

CANADIAN GRAND PRIX 2018 - TRACK SCHEDULE

June 7th / Thursday

09:00 - 12:00 - 3-Day-Ticket-Holders Open House (TBC)

09:30 - 11:00 - F1 Drivers Autograph Session (TBC)

11:00 - 12:00 - Press Conference

17:00 - 17:30 - Pit-Lane Walk (F1 Experience - F1 Experience Guests Only)

17:30 - 18:30 - Truck Tour (F1 Experience - F1 Experience Guests Only)

June 8th / Friday

09:15 - 09:45 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

10:00 - 11:30 - Free Practice #1

12:00 - 13:00 - Press Conference

12:45 - 13:30 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

14:00 - 15:30 - Free Practice #2

18:20 - 18:50 - Paddock Club Truck Tour

June 9th / Saturday

08:00 - 08:45 - Team Pit-Stop Practice

08:00 - 08:50 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

08:15 - 08:45 - Paddock Club Truck Tour

11:00 - 12:00 - Free Practice #3

13:00 - 13:45 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

13:00 - 13:30 - Paddock Club Truck Tour

14:00 - 15:00 - Qualifying

18:15 - 18:45 - Paddock Club Truck Tour

18:15 - 19:15 - Raft Race

June 10th / Sunday

12:05 - 13:10 - Paddock Club Pit-Lane Walk

12:40 - 13:10 - Paddock Club Truck Tour

12:40 - 13:10 - F1 Drivers Parade (P)

12:55 - 13:25 - Starting Grid Presentation

13:56 - 13:58 - National Anthem

13:58 - 13:59 - CF-18 Flyby (TBC)

14:10 - 16:10 - Race

*- Subject to change

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Canadian GP: Race - Re-Cap & Results

CANADIAN GP - RACE - RE-CAP & RESULTS

    It was quite a dramatic start to race day as there was trouble on the grid before the warm-up lap. Daniil Kvyat's Toro Rosso stalled with a gearbox malfunction while the rest of the cars had already started to head around the circuit. Kvyat failed to re-join his grid position before the first Safety Car line. Kvyat was then supposed to start from Pit-Lane but instead moved back to his original grid spot. The Toro Rosso driver was given a drive-through penalty and then an additional 10-Second-Stop-Go-Penalty as well as 2 penalty points on his license. 

    Once the race started, Lewis Hamilton pulled away from Vettel in the Ferrari, while Bottas was quick to follow his team-mate. Max Verstappen managed to get ahead of Vettel as well with a fantastic start. Further in the back, there was contact between three cars: Grosjean, Massa and Sainz.

    Carlos Sainz had attempted to move to the right side of the track and failed to see Grosjean coming up alongside of him. The two collided and Sainz was sent sliding into Massa. Both Sainz and Massa spun out and Sainz ended up in the barriers while Massa's Williams came to rest in the grass. Grosjean suffered front wing damage and pitted shortly after the accident. Sainz was given a 3-Place-Grid-Penalty for the upcoming Azerbaijan GP and also 2 penalty points were added to his license. 

    Despite Verstappen's fantastic start, the Red Bull driver pulled over to the side of the track with a faulty battery on lap 11. His race was over. Mean while, team-mate, Ricciardo, was running up in 3rd behind Bottas and Hamilton.

     Kevin Magnussen was given a 5-Second-Time-Penalty and 2 penalty points to his license after overtaking under the Safety Car while the marshals were removing Verstappen's stricken Red Bull.

   In the later half of the race, after Raikkonen pitted, there was a tight 3-way battle between Ocon, Perez and Ricciardo for that last spot on the podium. Ocon had moved up to 5th following Raikkonen's pit-stop and was just under 2 seconds behind his team-mate. Perez was quickly catching Ricciardo and made multiple attempts to overtake the Aussie. As laps continued to fall away, Force India made the suggestion to Perez that he let Ocon by so Ocon could have a try at passing Ricciardo. Perez, however, insisted the team let him continue trying. There were no official team orders and they continued to battle it out on their own terms.

    Towards the end of the race, Kvyat reported vibrations coming from his engine. He went into the pits and took his penalties and then the pit-crew had trouble while changing his tyres. They then quickly attempted to place on another set, but by then he was told to stop the engine and they retired the car.

    By the final laps, both Ferrari drivers had caught up with the Force India duo and while Raikkonen had looked to be quick, he overshot the chicane and lost his pace due to overheating rear brakes. Sebastian Vettel, however, was able to overtake both Ocon and then Perez a few laps later.

    What looked to be McLaren's first points finish of the season with Alonso running in 10th, bad luck struck the team once more and the Spaniard retired on lap 68 due to an engine issue. Vandoorne managed to get to the end of the race but finished in 14th, just a handful of positions away from scoring any points.

    Lance Stroll finished his home grand prix and scored 2 points for Williams by crossing the finish line in 9th. It's quite a victory for the rookie, who had never driven on the circuit in prior years with other racing series.    

    Lewis Hamilton took home the win for Mercedes, followed by his team-mate, Bottas and Daniel Ricciardo who managed to hold on to that last podium position, despite Vettel being super close in the final laps.

    The teams can now look forward to heading to Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in two weeks' time.

RESULTS:

1. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain / + 25 Points

2. Valtteri Bottas / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland / + 18 Points

3. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Australia / + 15 Points

4. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany / + 12 Points

5. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico / + 10 Points

6. Esteban Ocon / Force India-Mercedes / France / + 8 Points

7. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland / + 6 Points

8. Nico Hulkenberg / Renault-Renault / Germany / + 4 Points

9. Lance Stroll / Williams-Mercedes / Canada / + 2 Points

10. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France / + 1 Point

11. Jolyon Palmer / Renault-Renault / Great Britain

12. Kevin Magnussen / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark

13. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

14. Stoffel Vandoorne / McLaren-Honda / Belgium

15. Pascal Wehrlein / Sauber-Ferrari / Germany

RETIRED - Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Honda / Spain / Engine

RETIRED - Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso-Renault / Russia / Mechanical Issue

RETIRED - Max Verstappen / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands / Battery

RETIRED - Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil / Collision

RETIRED - Carlos Sainz / Toro Rosso-Renault / Spain / Collision

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Canadian GP: Qualifying - Re-Cap & Results

CANADIAN GP - QUALIFYING - RE-CAP & RESULTS

    Lewis Hamilton took pole position and has equaled Ayrton Senna's total number of pole finishes in Qualifying. Afterwards, Hamilton, was given a race-worn helmet that Senna had used and emotions ran high in the Mercedes driver. He now only has one other driver to pass in most pole positions and that is Michael Schumacher.

    Sebastian Vettel will start Sunday's race from 2nd on the grid, while Hamilton's team-mate, Bottas, will start third. Raikkonen and Verstappen completed the top 5.

HOW IT WORKS:

Q1 = 18 minutes. All cars allowed to go out. At the end of the session, the five slowest are eliminated.

Q2 = 15 minutes. The remaining cars go out. At the end of the session, the five slowest are eliminated.

Q3 = 12 minutes. Final 10 cars go out. The final order at the end of the session is how the grid will line up. Fastest car starts from Pole Position.

GRID LINE-UP

1. Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

2. Sebastian Vettel / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

3. Valtteri Bottas / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland

4. Kimi Raikkonen / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

5. Max Verstappen / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands

6. Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Australia

7. Felipe Massa / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil

8. Sergio Perez / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

9. Esteban Ocon / Force India-Mercedes / France

10. Nico Hulkenberg / Renault-Renault / Germany

11. Daniil Kvyat / Toro Rosso-Renault / Russia

12. Fernando Alonso / McLaren-Honda / Spain

13. Carlos Sainz / Toro Rosso-Renault / Spain

14. Romain Grosjean / Haas-Ferrari / France

15. Jolyon Palmer / Renault-Renault / Great Britain

16. Stoffel Vandoorne / McLaren-Honda / Belgium

17. Lance Stroll / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

18. Kevin Magnussen / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark

19. Marcus Ericsson / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

20. Pascal Wehrlein / Sauber-Ferrari / Germany

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Canadian GP: Free Practice #3 - Re-Cap & Times

CANADIAN GP - FREE PRACTICE #3 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    The third and final practice session ahead of qualifying was a Ferrari 1-2 with Sebastian Vettel posting the fastest time; a 1:12.572. Team-mate, Kimi Raikkonen finished just behind him with a 1:12.864. Hamilton, Verstappen and Bottas completed the top 5.

    Nico Hulkenberg has been finding good pace in his first season with the Renault Sport team and ended the session in 6th with a 1:13.493. Jolyon Palmer in the other Renault finished further back in 15th with a 1:14.102. Many rumours have been circulating around media that Palmer will be replaced over the Summer break. Sergey Sirotkin is said to be the top choice to take Palmer's seat.

    Another decent session for McLaren with both cars managing to get timed laps on the board without any engine failures. Alonso finished slightly higher up in 12th with a 1:13.885 while Vandoorne finished in 16th with a 1:14.228, just slightly off of Alonso's pace.

TIMES:

1. Sebastian Vettel - 1:12.572 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

2. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:12.864 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

3. Lewis Hamilton - 1:12.926 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

4. Max Verstappen - 1:12.965 / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands

5. Valtteri Bottas - 1:13.210 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland

6. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:13.493 / Renault-Renault / Germany

7. Felipe Massa - 1:13.527 / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil

8. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:13.545 / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Australia

9. Esteban Ocon - 1:13.635 / Force India-Mercedes / France

10. Carlos Sainz - 1:13.667 / Toro Rosso-Renault / Spain

11. Daniil Kvyat - 1:13.788 / Toro Rosso-Renault / Russia

12. Fernando Alonso - 1:13.885 / McLaren-Honda / Spain

13. Sergio Perez - 1:13.956 / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

14. Romain Grosjean - 1:13.994 / Haas-Ferrari / France

15. Jolyon Palmer - 1:14.102 / Renault-Renault / Great Britain

16. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:14.228 / McLaren-Honda / Belgium

17. Kevin Magnussen - 1:14.392 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark

18. Lance Stroll - 1:14.409 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

19. Marcus Ericsson - 1:14.883 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

20. Pascal Wehrlein - 1:14.965 / Sauber-Ferrari / Germany

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Canadian GP: Free Practice #2 - Re-Cap & Times

CANADIAN GP - FREE PRACTICE #2 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    It was Kimi Raikkonen this time around who set the fastest lap of the session, with a time that has been the quickest so far this weekend; a 1:12.935. Lewis Hamilton was the second fastest with a 1:13.150. Vettel, Bottas and Verstappen completed the top 5.

    Red Bull ran into multiple troubles with both cars suffering from mechanical issues. Daniel Ricciardo has a loss of power due to an engine failure and ended up needing it replaced. Max Verstappen stopped later on, causing the only red flags of the session. His issue ended up being gearbox-related.

    Carlos Sainz was back on track after his earlier engine failure in FP1. However, the Spaniard was under investigation for suspected impeding. Kevin Magnussen was investigated for this as well.

    Another good session for Force India with both cars finishing in the top 10. Ocon finished 8th with a 1:14.299 while Perez ended in 10th with a 1:14.501. In FP1, both cars also finished in the top 10 and they are looking to continue to set a good pace ahead of Qualifying.

    Fernando Alonso also got back on track following engine troubles in FP1. He finished this session in 7th with a 1:14.245. Team-mate, Vandoorne, finished further back in 19th with a 1:15.624.

TIMES:

1. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:12.935 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

2. Lewis Hamilton - 1:13.150 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

3. Sebastian Vettel - 1:13.200 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

4. Valtteri Bottas - 1:13.310 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland

5. Max Verstappen - 1:13.388 / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands

6. Felipe Massa - 1:14.063 / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil

7. Fernando Alonso - 1:14.245 / McLaren-Honda / Spain

8. Esteban Ocon - 1:14.299 / Force India-Mercedes / France

9. Daniil Kvyat - 1:14.461 / Toro Rosso-Renault / Russia

10. Sergio Perez - 1:14.501 / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

11. Romain Grosjean - 1:14.566 / Haas-Ferrari / France

12. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:14.604 / Renault-Renault / Germany

13. Carlos Sainz - 1:14.621 / Toro Rosso-Renault / Spain

14. Kevin Magnussen - 1:14.676 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark

15. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:15.072 / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Australia

16. Jolyon Palmer - 1:15.127 / Renault-Renault / Great Britain

17. Lance Stroll - 1:15.240 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

18. Marcus Ericsson - 1:15.611 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

19. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:15.624 / McLaren-Honda / Belgium

20. Pascal Wehrlein - 1:16.308 / Sauber-Ferrari / Germany

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Canadian GP: Free Practice #1 - Re-Cap & Times

CANADIAN GP - FREE PRACTICE #1 - RE-CAP & TIMES

    It was a spin-filled first practice session at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and it was Lewis Hamilton who topped the time-sheets with an impressive 1:13.809. He finished just ahead of Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, who set a fastest time of 1:14.007. Bottas, Raikkonen and Perez completed the top 5.

    Carlos Sainz was out of the session before he could even get a timed lap in. He stopped the car as smoke billowed out from behind it. This was due to an engine failure. He was unable to get back out and the Toro Rosso mechanics spent the rest of the hour and a half getting the car ready for FP2.

    Vettel, Ocon, Raikkonen and Hulkenberg all suffered from spins during the session. Some drivers complained of poor grip while out on track and others just simply couldn't quite get it right on a hot lap.

    Fernando Alonso found himself out of another session due to a hydraulic leak. This was not the way he wanted his weekend to start after coming back from his Indy 500 debut. However, the Spaniard still kept a smile and posed for photos after the McLaren broke down.

    This weekend marks Lance Stroll's first home grand prix as well as his Canadian GP debut with the Williams team. Stroll has not yet finished inside the points, but he'll be eager to try and grab at least a handful for his special race weekend. Stroll finished the session in 13th with a 1:16.313.

TIMES:

1. Lewis Hamilton - 1:13.809 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Great Britain

2. Sebastian Vettel - 1:14.007 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Germany

3. Valtteri Bottas - 1:14.046 / Mercedes-Mercedes / Finland

4. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:14.230 / Ferrari-Ferrari / Finland

5. Sergio Perez - 1:14.578 / Force India-Mercedes / Mexico

6. Esteban Ocon - 1:14.785 / Force India-Mercedes / France

7. Max Verstappen - 1:14.861 / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Netherlands

8. Felipe Massa - 1:15.106 / Williams-Mercedes / Brazil

9. Daniel Ricciardo - 1:15.441 / Red Bull-TAG-Heuer / Australia

10. Daniil Kvyat - 1:15.658 / Toro Rosso-Renault / Russia

11. Stoffel Vandoorne - 1:15.943 / McLaren-Honda / Belgium

12. Kevin Magnussen - 1:16.233 / Haas-Ferrari / Denmark

13. Lance Stroll - 1:16.313 / Williams-Mercedes / Canada

14. Romain Grosjean - 1:16.345 / Haas-Ferrari / France

15. Nico Hulkenberg - 1:16.473 / Renault-Renault / Germany

16. Fernando Alonso - 1:16.521 / McLaren-Honda / Spain

17. Marcus Ericsson - 1:16.805 / Sauber-Ferrari / Sweden

18. Jolyon Palmer - 1:17.004 / Renault-Renault / Great Britain

19. Pascal Wehrlein - 1:17.606 / Sauber-Ferrari / Germany

20. Carlos Sainz - NO TIME SET / Toro Rosso-Renault / Spain

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Canadian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Williams

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING

Felipe Massa - “I’m really looking forward to going back to Montreal because it’s such an amazing place to be. It’s a race where our car normally has good performance, so I really hope we can show that again this year and have another good race. I also love the city of Montreal. The fans there really are in love with Formula One. It’s also Lance’s first home Grand Prix so it will be a very special weekend for him.”

Lance Stroll - “Montreal is going to be amazing for me, as this is not only my home race but it is also held in my home city, which is buzzing while the race is on. I grew up about 20 minutes away from the race track, so this will be something special and not many people will get to experience that feeling. As a kid I attended the race pretty much every year, then missed a few years while living in Europe, but was back there last year. For me it is a pure racing event. It is not the flashiest Grand Prix, as the paddock is small, but it is cool, unique and old school. The fans are really close to the track, the grandstands are huge and the run off areas are not massive, but I love that and hope it doesn’t change.”

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Canadian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Haas

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - HAAS F1 TEAM

Romain Grosjean - “I like the whole circuit. I’ve always loved it and really enjoy racing there. It’s always a great feeling. (2012) was a great race. I started P7. I had a one-stop strategy while everyone else was on a two-stop strategy. Initially, I thought I would finish fifth or sixth as I was stuck behind the Mercedes of (Nico) Rosberg. I couldn’t overtake. Then, everyone pitted. The ones who didn’t were really struggling with grip, so I could overtake them. I didn’t quite have the pace to chase Lewis (Hamilton) and take the win.

    (This year) there are a few things we can take (from Monaco), a few set-up items we’ve tried. Hopefully, we can make a good package. Canada is, of course, much faster than Monaco. It’s a city circuit, but very different from Monaco. You run less downforce because of the long straights. Mechanically, I think there are a few things we can carry over.

    We’ll be working on our brakes. It’s not our number one strength, but we’re getting better. For Canada, you need to know that when you hit the pedal, you’re going to get 100 percent of what you want. You don’t want a different feel from your demand. That’s what we need to work on. For the race, let’s see which cooling we can run. Worst case scenario – we have to do a bit of lift-and-coast to manage them.”

Kevin Magnussen - “It’s similar (to Monaco) in the way that you need big balls for Canada. It’s a really enjoyable circuit to drive. Always when the walls are close to the track, it makes it a lot more exciting. It’s going to be pretty tricky (with brakes). We’ve had difficulties with temperatures and wear on the brakes this year. Canada is definitely going to be another tricky one, but I’m sure we’ll manage.

    (The circuit’s) pretty bumpy and you need good braking points. The last chicane is pretty cool; one – because it’s a bumpy ride and you’ve got to be really precise with the turn in on the corner, and two – you’ve got that famous Wall of Champions on the outside that is always very exciting.”

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Canadian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Renault

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - RENAULT SPORT FORMULA ONE TEAM

Nico Hulkenberg - "Canada is a great Grand Prix weekend, I love the circuit, I love the city and I love the atmosphere. The circuit is a combination of a street circuit and a race track. There are big walls on the exit with nice kerbs you have to ride. It is a track with a really nice flow so I enjoy it very much. The week in Montreal is always one of the best of the year.

    At the hairpin, you are surrounded by grandstands left and right and as a driver you get a really good sense of atmosphere there. On the drivers’ parade you usually get goose bumps when you see all the fans cheering, it is a lot of fun, especially when it is a full house. You can see how much Canada loves Formula 1 because the whole city embraces the race and the locals give us a very warm welcome. There’s a huge buzz around town and a lot of events that create a special atmosphere.

    Canada has a lot of focus on top speed, with a couple of straights combined with hard braking zones. It is one of the toughest tracks for brakes. You need confidence from the anchors, especially when you are trying to go deep into the corners. The final chicane can always be a tricky one as you can lose a lot of time there. It can be difficult as Canada is all about high speed, the low-down force configuration always makes the car feel light. Kerbs are important, you need to ride them well if you can and use them to ensure a good lap time.

    It’s hard to overtake there, but the final chicane is definitely the best opportunity. You have to try and stay out of the ‘Wall of Champions’, though! The tyre choices are at the softer end of the range, so there will be some aggressive strategies, we will see what we can do.”

Jolyon Palmer - “I raced there for the first time last year, it is a street circuit again but a different one compared to Monaco, as there are more opportunities to overtake. The weather is a question mark as there have been many wet races there in the past. I enjoyed it last year, even though my race was rather curtailed for reasons outside my control. We should be a good chunk more competitive this time around. We’ll do everything we can to maximize the car around the track and we’ll be pushing all the way as usual. In terms of the city, the place is really cool and one which genuinely embraces Formula 1.

    It is a fun track with lots of sequences, we need to prepare for the exits of the corners and get ready for the long straights. Then there is the ‘Wall of Champions’, where you can win or lose a lot of time, or hit the wall as well. Monaco is good practice I think, we had a strong race there and hopefully we can build on the confidence. It will be a similar story to Monaco in terms of the new cars, with width and wider rear tyres making things tricky. You are right up against the walls in a lot of corners in Canada, and it will be even tighter and narrower with these cars!"

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Canadian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Sauber

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - SAUBER F1 TEAM

Marcus Ericsson - “I always look forward to the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, because I particularly like the track and the atmosphere around the circuit there. The city, the fans, the track and the event are just spectacular. It is a demanding track, especially because of its chicanes. The characteristic turns make it similar to Monaco. The combination of slow turns and long straights make it essential to bring the tyres to ideal temperature to get the right amount of grip. Of course top speed also plays a defining role.”

Pascal Wehrlein - “I am looking forward to the Canadian Grand Prix very much. In Montreal there will be many events this weekend to celebrate the Grand Prix. The track suits me well. It is a mixture of a street track and a racing track – a traditional race with a long history. Next to the engine power, a high braking stability, traction and good change of direction are the most important factors. The long straights offer good overtaking opportunities. Depending on the weather, the car’s aerodynamic configuration will also play an important role.”

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Canadian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Toro Rosso

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO F1 TEAM

Daniil Kvyat - “I really like Montreal, it's one of the coolest cities we travel to. There's a lot of good streets to walk around and do some shopping, many good restaurants and bars. The atmosphere there is just fantastic!

    The track is also quite unique, as it has many chicanes and a few long straights. Trying to put a lap together there is never easy, and you need to build the pace throughout the weekend. It's a good place to go racing as there are many good opportunities for overtaking.

    I'm very into ice hockey and my trainer is a very big fan of this sport – he's an ex ice hockey player in fact! I was trying to learn but we never have time for this… I hope he reads this preview and finally takes me to play a match together! It's a contact sport which I think is very exciting to watch. In Russia it's very popular too – Russians and Canadians are big rivals in this sport!

    I remember trying syrup for the first time at one of the race weekends in Canada – the organisers gave all us drivers a box full of typically Canadian food and the syrup was good! If I have time to go shopping I will try and get some to take back home.

    One day I'd like to go and visit the Niagara Falls, they look like some amazing waterfalls! I always try and plan it around the Canadian GP week, but never really found the time. I will need to make sure I do one day!”

Carlos Sainz - “Montreal is actually one of my favourite cities. The hotel where we stay at is nice and there are many good restaurants to go to in the evenings – especially some great steakhouses! I really enjoy it there!

    The entrance to the Paddock in Canada is quite a particular one, as you have to walk on a floating bridge to cross the lake – I've always said that I would jump into that water if I won the race. But if it's as cold as it was last year, there's no way I would do that, not even if I won the world championship! So maybe I should change this – I will do anything else except jumping in the water, because I can't stand the cold!

    My favourite parts of the track are Turns 4 and 5, and also Turns 6 and 7. You drive between the walls and it's normally a section where there are a lot of leaves, which makes it even more of a challenge. You drive very fast through these turns and ride on the kerbs. I must also admit that the Wall of Champions is a challenge I always look forward to, even though I've crashed there in the past.”

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Canadian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - McLaren

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - McLAREN HONDA FORMULA 1 TEAM

Fernando Alonso - “It’s good to be heading back to Canada – it feels like I’ve spent a lot of time in North America recently! The Indy 500 was an incredible experience and it’s been amazing to learn a completely different style of driving, on a different circuit layout and with a very different car, but I’m ready to get back to my ‘day job’ and go racing in F1 again.

    I’ve always enjoyed the Canadian Grand Prix. The circuit is unique in that it’s very demanding on both the car and driver, so it’s a real racer’s track. While I was in Indy I was still keeping up-to-date with the news from Monaco, and Stoffel and Jenson both reported positively on the new upgrades and reliability, so I hope we can continue to see a step forward in Canada.

    The layout of the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve means it’s very power-limited and therefore dependent on straight-line speed and power. It’s not going to suit our car as much as the twisty, slower corners of Monaco, but I’m excited to get back in the MCL32, catch up with the guys and girls in the team and get back out on track – not only turning left this time!”

Stoffel Vandoorne - “Monaco was definitely an eventful weekend for the whole team. I felt really comfortable in the car each time I got out on track, and I felt we could really push the limits of our package and maybe come home in the points – it’s a shame it didn’t end up that way. There has definitely been a step forward in the chassis thanks to the upgrades the team has been working hard to bring to every race, so let’s see how these translate to Canada, which is a very different circuit set-up.

    It’s a new venue for me this weekend as I’ve never raced there before, but I’ve driven the track plenty of times in the simulator already. It’s a tough circuit and I can see why people say it’s a ‘driver’s track’ – there’s a lot to keep you busy and high concentration is essential – the Wall of Champions is proof of that! It will definitely be a completely different experience to Monaco in terms of preparation and set-up, but I’m excited to drive it for real for the first time and get a feel for its characteristics.

    The race will be tough on brakes, tough on engines and tough on the drivers, and with the potential of Safety Cars in the mix, there’s a lot to think about in terms of strategy and set-up this weekend. It will be good to have Fernando back alongside me, and he has a lot of experience at this track that will be useful to tap in to. It won’t be the easiest Grand Prix for us, but, in contrast to Monaco, there are more overtaking opportunities, which will hopefully mean more chances for us to be in the mix.”

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Canadian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Force India

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - SAHARA FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM

Sergio Perez - “I said after Monaco that I was proud of the team and the way we raced in Monaco. We gave it everything, but it wasn’t our day. It’s frustrating because the car felt good all weekend. It was a shame not to make the most of this opportunity and continue our run of races in the points.

    I feel confident about Montreal. It’s a track where I’ve had some good races and I like the challenge of the circuit. It’s all about being late on the brakes and aggressive through the chicanes. You have to be precise too with the walls so close to the track. I think the sport needs more tracks similar to Montreal where mistakes are punished. These old-school tracks excite the drivers and fans, and usually produce entertaining races.”

Esteban Ocon - “Montreal is another new track for me so I’m going to be on the learning curve on Friday. I know the lap from playing video games and being on the simulator, and I’ve always liked the circuit characteristics.

    Although I haven’t driven in Montreal, I know the place already from my visit last year. It’s definitely a cool event because everybody in the city supports the race and Canada really loves Formula One. It feels like a big party in the streets, especially on the Saturday night.

    After the bad luck in Monaco I want to get back to scoring points in Montreal. The car is getting better with each race and I think I’m fully up-to-speed now. I’m really happy with the team and the way we work together – we’ve already built up a good understanding and they know what I need from the car.”

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Canadian GP: Driver Preview Quotes - Red Bull

DRIVER PREVIEW QUOTES - RED BULL RACING FORMULA ONE TEAM

Daniel Ricciardo - “I love the Canadian Grand Prix and it’s my type of track. It’s another street circuit where you can get close to the walls, I’ve had a race win there and it’s great fun both on and off-track. What’s not to love?

    It’s also a tricky track to get right and although there aren’t a whole lot of corners they are all quite complex. I was pretty happy with my qualifying lap last year and the last chicane was fun but it would be really great to get back on the podium. Last year it was also freezing cold and to be honest that sucked. You would just about warm up after a few laps in the car, so hopefully it will be a little bit warmer this year.

    I will definitely spend some time in the US before heading to the race. I’ve got some friends coming with me so we will probably go to California first and maybe I will go on a little road trip after the race weekend. But first, let’s hope we can get a good result in front of those mega Canadian fans.”

Max Verstappen - “There is always a big crowd at the Canadian Grand Prix, especially at turns one and two and you can feel the atmosphere when you’re in the car. The fans are really into motor racing which is always nice to see and I’m looking forward to experiencing that again.

    One of my favourite points on the track is also one of the trickiest and that’s the last chicane. You arrive at the braking point at very high speed and the brakes can be quite cold. It’s tricky to really nail this corner but I had a good battle with Nico there last year and it’s always good when you come out in front. There are also tight walls on the exit of the chicane and you should be careful not to brush these as it is easy to damage a wheel rim. As usual the cars will run slightly less down force in Canada so they will be a little looser under braking but we have more grip this year so it should be more comfortable for everyone compared to 2016.

    We stay in downtown Montreal which is a really nice place to be. I like being on the American continent, there is always a good feeling and I find the people very friendly so I always enjoy going back there!”

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