Wow, glad we got that break out of the way! After two long weeks, we are back with blazing hot F1 action as the best show on wheels travels up north, with the drivers taking on the historic Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.
This marks the one and only visit to the Maple Country, so there’s no doubt the constructors and drivers will be looking to put on a show, because we know the Canadian people will show up and show out, creating a spectacular atmosphere for the race weekend.
Where Do We Sit After Barcelona?
I won’t lie, it has been a couple of meetings since we’ve been able to provide one of these previews, so there’s a little bit to catch up on.
However, regarding the top of the standings, not many things have changed, as Australian Oscar Piastri remains the leader of the pack, sitting 10 points clear of his teammate Lando Norris, who remains in second with 176 total points.
Piastri managed to secure his fifth win of the season last time out and still looks like the best car-to-driver combination on the grid.
From there, Verstappen, Russell, and Leclerc make up the next three spots; however, barring some major mid-season change, they will likely just be battling among themselves for best of the rest.
When looking at the constructors, first is clearly McLaren, and they extended their lead after the one-two finish in Barcelona.
The biggest shift since we last spoke is that Ferrari have finally passed Mercedes in the Constructors’ Championship, which might just be the beginning of the most exciting battle all season.
What to expect in Canada?
Quick bit of history, because the location of the course is incredibly interesting in my opinion.
The track was built on the man-made Notre-Dame Island, which was originally constructed for the 1967 World Expo and the Summer Olympics.
From there, the land was used to build the beautiful race track that the F1 consortium will visit this weekend.
The track itself is widely regarded as a favorite among drivers throughout the years due to its fast-paced nature, which encourages extreme downforce.
It also features major braking zones and boasts one of the most exciting hairpin turns in the world.
One final element of the track is the Wall of Champions, located down the final stretch of the course, where legends like Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill have famously crashed, giving it the name.
A constant theme of my F1 preview this year has been the Australian often finishing in first place.
This trend is for good reason, as Piastri has undoubtedly been the most ruthless driver on the circuit, just handling business more often than not, evident in his season-high five wins.
The high-speed track with heavy braking zones complements his aggressive driving style, and the fact that there is no rain forecasted means there shouldn’t be any mother nature–infused chaos on track.
It should be smooth sailing for the Australian and his team, so I expect him to build his lead on his teammate in the Drivers’ Championship with another race win to his name.
The most decorated driver in F1 history has begun to find a bit of form in his new digs, with three top-6 finishes in the last three race weekends.
After a slow start by his own standards, Hamilton’s debut season in red might finally be picking up some steam and there is no better time to do so than entering a track he has favored throughout his legendary career.
Just to prove the dominance Hamilton has 7 wins on the track (most of all time), while only not having a podium finish twice in Montreal but still never passing the chequered flag below 5th.
His record plus the fact Ferrari’s generally perform better on track where high levels of downforce is required make this weekend primed for another top-6 finish for Hamilton.
The most impressive rookie not named Kimi Antonelli has been Racing Bulls youngster Isack Hadjar, who is currently sitting 9th in the Drivers’ Championship and has clearly been the second-best driver in the Red Bull family this season.
This bet makes plenty of sense to me, as Hadjar is only growing in confidence as the season progresses.
We’ve seen four of his last five finishes in the top 10 on the grid, including 6th- and 7th-place finishes in his last two outings.
This is another week for one of the most exciting prospects in the sport to put all his talent on display and continue finishing in the points