Canada has one of the most fascinating circuits on the calender at the
moment – a lot of that is to do with the fact that it wasn't designed by
Hermann Tilke. By fascinating, I mean it contains a very particular character.
The bumpy surface (numerous sections of the track have been resurfaced), the
narrow straights and the unforgiving walls mean that even slight mistakes can
be punished severely (just ask anyone that has hit the 'Wall of Champions', the
barrier on the outside of the final chicane). Turn 4 is another tricky corner
where more than one driver has come to grief.
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is particularly tough on brakes. Heavy
brake use inevitably sees a transfer of heat through the wheels and into the
tyres. Usually this is not a significant factor, but with teams struggling to
find and hold the 'sweet spot' of this years Pirelli tyres, that extra heat may
make or break a drivers race.
Qualifying is now critically important in F1, and ultra-competitive to
boot. Rain is forecast for Saturday, which could see the grid even more mixed
up than normal. Overtaking is a distinct possibility in Montreal; into the
final chicane, into the hairpin before the back straight and, if one is feeling
up for it, Turn 1.
The Canadian Grand Prix has always produced an entertaining race. With
a combination of factors coming together on Saturday afternoon, this could be a
classic.
History was made around the streets of Monaco when Mark Webber became
the sixth different winner in the first six races. This is why we I think Lewis
Hamilton will extend that to seven this weekend.
Montreal is his track, although to be fair he didn't have the greatest
race here last year. He only qualified fifth (still almost three tenths faster
than Jenson) and was charging early when he collided with said team-mate in the
rain and had to retire. Not his finest moment, but all the more reason for him
to come back this year and banish those demons.
His first ever pole and victory came around this circuit in his rookie
year, 2007. Indeed, in his first three trips there he banged his McLaren on
pole every time by an average margin of 0.445 seconds, an age in modern
F1. He also won twice over that period. The year he missed out in 2008, he was
comfortably leading early by five seconds before an enforced safety car pit
stop and some typically shoddy McLaren pit work put him in a position to rear
end Raikkonen's queuing Ferrari at the end of the pit lane, putting them both
out on the spot.
For those keeping count that's three poles and two wins from four
visits to Canada. Quite a strike rate. Lewis has a way around the circuit that
no one else does, but as we know, betting on the outcome of any race is a
fool's game, but if you had to, you would be a bigger fool to bet against
Hamilton this weekend.
Lotus, for a variety of reasons, has yet to produce a win this season,
despite the fact they have often been looked upon as one of the favourites
heading into a race weekend, or even a Sunday afternoon. Tactically, they have
too often appeared to be on the back foot on a Sunday afternoon, being either
too aggressive (China) or too conservative (Spain).
Despite this, Lotus still look to have the goods to produce a race win,
and in this unpredictable season, who would bet against them in Canada. The
layout of the Montreal circuit should suit the E20 with plenty of heavy braking
and lots of traction zones. Kimi Raikkonen has won this race before (2005), and
both drivers should, mistakes and mess-ups aside, be in with a good chance of
front row starting positions.
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