The Canadian Grand Prix, the seventh race of the Formula 1 World Championship, will take place on the Gilles Villeneuve circuit in Montréal on Sunday 10 June 2018. If you look at the previous events, Sebastian Vettel will have to work his magic to beat Lewis Hamilton on the Canadian track. Despite the excellent results achieved by the German (always finishing and scoring points in Montreal throughout his career, and author of a victory in 2013 at the time of Red Bull and three other podium finishes, the last of which in 2016, when he was second to a handful of seconds of Hamilton) Lewis Hamilton's superiority over his rivals has often been clear on the Canadian track dedicated to Gilles Villeneuve. Of the active drivers, Daniel Ricciardo also triumphed on the Canadian track, surprise winner of his first Formula 1 race here in 2014 and podium last year, but unable to finish in the points again between 2012 and 2015 before seventh place in 2016. The Mercedes team had announced the use of the new power unit specification. It should have been fitted not only to the cars of the Anglo-German team, but also to those of the customer teams, Williams and Force India. In fact, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said:
"After six races we are in a better position than twelve months ago in both championship standings. But we also know that a fierce battle awaits us with Ferrari and Red Bull, I don't think there will be moments of relaxation. We expect a number of teams to be on track in Montreal with the second power unit, including Mercedes-powered cars. Everyone is pushing on the performance front".
The Austrian manager had also underlined how much good was done at the Monaco Grand Prix, where Mercedes probably feared paying a greater score handicap than the results arrived from the track:
"We went to Monaco with the belief that we would have the third car in terms of performance, and so it happened in the end. Considering these values on the field, in the end the result was positive, but we don't want to use the expression we limited the damage many other times".
Therefore, expectations ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix were different, given that Mercedes, and especially Lewis Hamilton, have a very positive tradition at the Canadian track.
"Montreal almost always gives us a very good and action-packed race, it is a circuit that offers several overtaking points, and where very high speeds are reached. It is also a track that puts the riders to the test, because they are called to exploit the entire track but with the walls very close together. It is one of Lewis' most successful circuits, but past performance is no guarantee of success. We will have to manage the HyperSoft compound, and if we want to do well we know that we will have to be able to make this compound functional as well. In any case, we know that the fight with Ferrari and Red Bull is tighter than before and there is no possibility of any moment of relaxation".
But subsequently, for reasons of prudence, it was decided to postpone the introduction of this new specification. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says on the eve of the Canadian Grand Prix:
"We expect a number of teams to switch to the second power unit, including all cars equipped with the Mercedes power unit. As far as we're concerned, we're pushing hard to increase the car's performance in the shortest possible time. It will be a fought weekend, just like any of the weekends we experienced in 2018, and so we can't wait to take on the challenge".
Lewis Hamilton, given by all as the favourite to win the Canadian Grand Prix, in the meeting with the media on Thursday 7 June 2018 says that for him it will not be a different weekend than those faced up to now:
"I don't think this weekend has more value than any other. I'm pretty relaxed about it. Clearly every weekend you always want to win, every weekend you want to go forward and not backwards, you don't want to lose points. However, I don't see this race as a crucial point of the season. Naturally, some others, perhaps Ferrari and Renault, should bring updates to the engine. This is a circuit where power matters, so surely the new Power Unit was our goal here and would have helped us. The guys worked as hard as possible, but we had to make a sensible decision, not to bring her here, which is certainly unfortunate. We'll try to do without it, but that doesn't mean our performance won't be at its best. It will certainly be the seventh race for our engine, we will have to try to maintain a certain consistency in performance, but it is normal to lose something in terms of power over the course of the races. Having seven or eight thousand km on this engine, there will certainly be a small loss of performance, in a power circuit like this, perhaps it will be magnified".
And his teammate, Valtteri Bottas, confirms:
"Monte-Carlo certainly wasn't one of our strongest circuits, while here it should be much better for both us and Ferrari. We limited the damage well in Monaco, we managed to do what we expected. The circuit highlighted all the weak points of our single-seater, which is not designed for Monaco, but for the fastest circuits, including this one. If the trend repeats itself we will be quick here, and hopefully have a good weekend. I don't want to look back too much at the points we got. I have to accept what I have, as a team we have to accept the situation that exists. I too like to look forward, we are still in the initial phase, anything can happen. I hope I have already paid my tribute to bad luck and that things can turn positive. it's useless to keep talking about it, I want to win races and let's hope this moment arrives".
Speaking instead of the new Mercedes power unit, which will not be used in Montreal by the Anglo-German team, the Finnish driver says:
"Initially we were expecting a new Power Unit for this race, and it would have been a small gain compared to the old one. However, we found a problem and to stay safe we have to perfect it and then mount it, hopefully, in two weeks. With the new Power Unit we would have gone a little better, but it's not that the old one is a bad engine. And in any case I have a good engine in perfect health, which has been totally reliable up to now. There is no concern about it. In fact, we thought we'd use it in Budapest too, but now we'll use the new one in Hungary. During the race weekend I focus only on the work to be done. It's not yet time to talk to the team. But I have no worries, I don't feel any pressure. I feel like I'm in a good situation and the relationship with the team is positive. We are making an excellent program and we continue to do it together. If we continue we will find out in a bit. I've always liked it here, track and city, I've usually done decent races. I hope that the team can repeat itself, and also on a personal level winning would have a huge meaning, like any other race".
Honda, which supplies the Scuderia Toro Rosso engine, confirms an evolution of the power unit for the Canadian race. Says Toyoharu Tanabe, Honda F1 project manager:
"In Canada we would introduce an updated power unit and this will be given to both drivers. The updates mainly concern the ICE and we hope to improve performance on a circuit that, at least on paper, rewards engine power. In fact, the Montreal track is known for its long straights and 60% of the lap is spent at full throttle. Furthermore, the driveability factor should not be underestimated: the layout features slow corners after long straights, which is why the response of the turbo under acceleration will be important. All these elements confirm how the unit of power is a factor of vital importance in Canada".
Red Bull Racing had announced its intention to replace the MGU-K on Daniel Ricciardo's car, which seemed to be irreparably damaged after the Monaco Grand Prix. Subsequently the team decided to keep the old unit, in order to avoid penalties. Daniel Ricciardo, however, in the press conference prefers to talk about the victory achieved in the Monaco Grand Prix:
"Crossing the finish line in Monaco after such a difficult race was a wonderful feeling. My name is in the spotlight now and having won the most iconic race of the World Championship makes me feel good. After Monaco it's nice to be able to tackle another street circuit that I love, one of my favourites, both for the track but also for the wonderful city".
Even if, it must be remembered, the Australian driver took his first victory in Montreal:
"I had mixed results here, but I also won my first Grand Prix in 2014 and finished on the podium last year. We have some updates to come and once again we will use the Hypersoft tyres, the chassis works and we can therefore look forward to it with confidence. Maybe we could have another good weekend here and start giving a hard time to those ahead of us in the standings. Lewis still has a good buffer over me so we are still out of the fight. It's not impossible, but he's still not at the top of my mind. Even if he was, I won't change the way I ride or try to attack. We should probably find at least one more circuit before the summer break where we could win and then maybe we'll have a good chance as an outsider. Montreal will be interesting, my goal is to get a few more podiums".
Can Daniel Riccardo re-enter the fight to win the World Championship?
"It's a legitimate question after this victory, and I think it was already asked after China. It's not impossible, but we're not at the forefront yet. In any case, I certainly won't change my way of riding or attacking. At the moment, I have been told that we will not have a penalty. If something happens during free practice and we are forced to change something, then we will probably get a penalty. But, for now, we have a good number of parts which, if they prove to be reliable, will allow us to run the entire weekend without problems. Yes, I think it could already arrive at Paul Ricard (during the French Grand Prix which will be held between two weekends on the track near Le Castellet, ed). When I heard the rumors about a possible penalty, I immediately thought it would have been better to take it in France rather than here".
Speaking, however, of the Montreal circuit, Daniel Ricciardo says:
"This is a track where overtaking is complicated and starting from the back could take something away from us in this moment in which we are going with the wind in our sails. However, if we manage to avoid the penalty in Montreal, we will take it elsewhere anyway. We'll try to go as far as possible, because the sooner we take the penalty on the grid, the greater the risk of having to serve yet another by the end of the championship. Furthermore, we did very well on the Hypersofts in Monaco and, therefore, perhaps it is a compound that could give us the possibility to run a good race here too. All in all, we feel that this circuit could suit our car better than the next ones. And then... Winning two in a row would be nice! We'd like to try".
Staying on the subject, Max Verstappen also expresses his opinion on the Montreal circuit:
"Along the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit I think the last chicane is very important for overtaking, you arrive at very high speeds and when you get to braking the brakes may have cooled down a bit which means you have to be careful and do things right every time. The exit of the next corner will also depend on this, where you are very close to the wall, it is important not to skid or you risk damaging the rims, on the other hand, going by a millimetre or a centimetre doesn't make a big difference in performance, so better not touch the wall. Turns one and two have a nice atmosphere thanks to the packed grandstands, it feels like entering a stadium and this makes the start quite special".
Talking about the 2017 Canadian Grand Prix, the Dutchman says:
"The 2017 race ended bitterly for me, I had to stop due to a technical problem after just 10 laps. Our car can do well in Montreal so I hope to achieve a solid result and redeem last year. It must also be said that it always galvanizes me to return to the American continent, I always really like going there for the people, the food and the atmosphere that I adore".
Speaking about the start of the season, Max Verstappen admits:
"I wouldn't call my start to the season frustrating, but unfortunate. I want to start from scratch with the team looking for that consistency and continuity that I've been lacking for now. I'm curious to evaluate the power increase and what effect it will have on the car. we'll see if we can bridge that power gap that still sees us behind Ferrari and Mercedes. I'm starting to detach myself from all these comments about the fact that I have to change my approach. I will never do it, because this approach led to where I am now. I would like to win every grand prix in which I participate and it was certainly no different before. So I will approach this race as I always do. After the checkered flag it is not the right time to talk, so everyone who does I don't listen to comments and continue to do my job. Certainly the start of the season didn't go too well for us, or in any case it didn't go the way I would have liked. I made some mistakes, especially in Montecarlo and in China . But it wouldn't make sense to keep talking about it, because I'm really starting to get tired and I think there are better questions to ask myself. I just want to focus on what's in front of me and I'm confident I can put a positive spin on things. I know very well where I can improve and what I did well".
And he goes on to say:
"I have speed, I've always been fast every weekend and I think it would be a more critical problem if I were slow. Why so many accidents this year? I do not know. But, like I said, I got tired of all these questions. Maybe I'll have to headbutt someone. I don't even think it's true that my accidents have increased this season. There have only been two that were my fault... In 2016 in Monte-Carlo I did three on the same weekend, so it's not such a dramatic situation. I definitely didn't make the points I should have, but it wasn't just my fault. I could have done better, but all the drama that is made of it is a bit of an exaggeration. Yes, I expect a few more horsepower. But we'll see on the track what the return will be in terms of performance. In any case, it's always good to have an update, even if I don't think that, with the new engine, we'll be able to match the performance of the Ferrari and Mercedes in Q3. However, we should be a little bit closer or, at least, that's what I hope".
Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner prefers to talk about the qualities of the Red Bull Racing chassis rather than focusing on the power units:
"I think we have a good chassis from the first race. In Monaco we took pole position and won despite an engine problem. If we can improve in qualifying then we will be competitive. On the other hand, in Monte-Carlo we set the fastest lap for the fourth time in six races. So we just need to improve performance in qualifying, managing to get a greater peak of power in Q3. At that point I see no reason why we shouldn't be able to give Mercedes and Ferrari a hard time".
Sebastian Vettel arrives in Montreal confident of being able to obtain a good result, which can relaunch him in the challenge for the world championship helmet:
"Bringing the new engine here has always been the plan. It will be difficult to make predictions and a lot will also depend on what our opponents will do, on what updates they have decided to bring and even on the weather, since it could also rain. Sure, the track is one of the most sensitive to engine power, but we'll see what happens. I expect the race to be very tight, a bit like the previous ones, but let's hope that this time there is a Ferrari up front".
Regarding Mercedes' choice not to rush the arrival of the new power unit, Sebastian Vettel says:
"With this generation of engines, I honestly don't think it will be a big problem for them. I like the track, and I like being here in Montreal. Up to now we have had a very fast car on the straights and a very efficient one, which should help us on a track like this. Certainly, the tires will also be an important key to obtaining good results and we will have to make sure that they work well and last a long time. There will be a lot of laps but if the Hypersofts perform like in Monaco then I think there will be more stops. We'll also see how the other compounds work, but this is a circuit where choosing the best strategy isn't easy".
While his teammate, Kimi Raikkonen, adds:
"It's a particular track, you need good top speed and efficient braking. But also to use the curbs without compensation. It's also easy to crash into a wall, and lose the ability to turn. So you try to push 100% only when you get to qualifying. Here it is difficult to find a balance without taking risks".
And speaking of the Hypersoft tyres, the Finn says:
"They're not exactly qualifying tyres, because we also use them in the race. It's the fastest tire we have, but we could also think about opting for a different compound in Q2, to avoid using it in the race. In general, I'm very much in favor of qualifying tyres, you go faster, there's more grip and therefore more performance".
In Montreal, the Federation adds a third zone where riders can activate DRS. In addition to the finish straight and the Casino straight, the drivers will also be able to open the mobile wing between turns 7 and 8, with a point for determining the gap between drivers placed after turn 5. The Federation decides that, from this Grand Prix, the DRS will no longer be disabled on the whole track, in the event of the yellow flag being displayed, but only in the area affected by the danger. Finally, the former F1 driver, Emanuele Pirro, was appointed assistant commissioner for the race. The Italian has performed this function on several occasions in the past, most recently at the Australian Grand Prix. For this race, Pirelli, the sole tire supplier, brings the three softest compounds: Hypersoft, Ultrasoft and Supersoft. Friday 8 June 2018 Max Verstappen sets the fastest time in the first session. The Dutch Red Bull Racing driver succeeds in this feat by running on Hypersoft tyres, after missing the first hour of the session. Max Verstappen leads Lewis Hamilton by just 0.088 seconds, and Daniel Ricciardo by 0.216 seconds. The Australian driver also made a small mistake on his fastest lap. The classification, at least in the top positions, is very closed, with nine riders in one second. Sebastian Vettel starts the session with a different conformation of his car from that of his teammate, Kimi Räikkönen, to then switch to the same technical choices as the Finn, after around 35 minutes. The track is immediately presented with little rubber, therefore several drivers make driving errors. Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll skim the so-called Wall of Champions at the last chicane, while Sergej Sirotkin hits the barriers at turn 6 and Marcus Ericsson spins. The session was also interrupted by the red flag to allow the marshals to recover Nico Hülkenberg's Renault, who was stopped on the track with a gearbox failure. The mechanics of the French team are forced to push the car all along the straight leading up to the finish. In the first free practice session, Canadian driver Nicholas Latifi took over from Sergio Pérez at Force India. For Latifi it is the debut during an F1 weekend. Max Verstappen also confirmed himself during FP2. In this case, the Red Bull driver precedes the Finnish driver of Ferrari, Kimi Räikkönen, by just 0.130 seconds and Daniel Ricciardo by 0.405 seconds. The Australian was slowed down due to a power unit problem, but later simulated a long run on Supersoft tires and tried to set a fast time on a set of Hypersoft tyres. Lewis Hamilton sets the fourth fastest time, around 0.6 seconds behind Max Verstappen, but using the Supersoft tyres, while Valtteri Bottas concentrates on using the Ultrasoft tyres.
During practice Stoffel Vandoorne hit the barriers at turn 9, breaking the right rear suspension, while Carlos Sainz Jr. damaged his car going out at turn 7. The first day of practice exalted the qualities of Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing , which after the victory achieved in Monaco aims to repeat itself in Canada. The Dutch driver, among other things, warns the competition, saying:
"For now we haven't pushed the engine to the max, I'll be able to say more tomorrow. The car has worked very well from the start and it is always very nice at this track that everything is going well. Now we have to try to understand what we can improve further because clearly we have to try to cut the corners a little more so as not to lose too much on the straights".
Speaking of the Hypersoft tyres, the Red Bull Racing driver specifies:
"They give more grip and it's a good feeling".
While his teammate, Daniel Ricciardo, had to face some more difficulties during the first day of practice:
"This morning too I had this problem with the engine, an electronic glitch. So I think that for the engine everything is fine. This afternoon was worse, so I lost a lot of laps, but in the end the problem got better. The car goes like this and like this, I don't feel quite good so far, but with a few laps today it's okay. Tomorrow I think Mercedes will be very fast with the Hypersofts, but we too have a little more performance to spend".
Ferrari also seems to be competitive. However, at the end of the tests, Kimi Raikkonen is not satisfied and talks about the problems he had to face on this first day of work:
"It wasn't an easy day because it's always complicated here with low load, bumps on the track and rather high curbs. Finding the feeling is quite difficult because there are particular combinations, not so much load, not so much grip, you have to try to take the chicane as straight as possible. We improved towards the end, so at least we were in the right direction. There's still some work to do, but I'm a little happier".
But does the Finnish driver have a chance of taking the win?
"I don't know, obviously we tried to do our normal job to be as ready as possible, but we have to see where we'll be tomorrow. We will give our best as always and then we will get the result we deserve".
Talking about the circuit, Kimi Raikkonen adds:
"Here the initial feeling is always quite shocking, the very low downforce, but then you have to try to cut through the chicanes and this doesn't make you feel too comfortable, because there's no grip and you jump a lot on the car. But it's a combination you have to get used to in order to get the car exactly to the point you want".
It wasn't an easy day for Sebastian Vettel either, who found himself busy looking for the right set-up:
"It was a slightly different, fluctuating day. I'm not totally happy with the sensations I got from the car. We have tried some things, others we still have to work on. I also didn't get into the rhythm, I missed a few laps, but in any case we did the weekend programme, for better or worse. I don't know, today we are not the favourites I would say. I think Kimi was happy on the flying lap, so he will be one of the favourites and I won't. Anyway we'll see tomorrow, I haven't seen the times of the others so much yet, so it's still difficult to interpret. We need some time to understand the overall picture, but as I said I'm still not happy with the car. If we can put things together tomorrow we can make a big leap forward and then hopefully with the engine, putting it all together, we will be there tomorrow. I haven't done that many laps on the Hypersofts, so I want to see what the others have done. It will be difficult to know where we will be before Sunday, from a strategy point of view, there may be some surprises, but in the meantime, let's do our homework to try and prepare for Sunday".
The time classifications did not see the Finnish pilot of Mercedes, Valtteri Bottas, shine. However, the latter warns his opponents, saying:
"Our Friday was better than what the charts say. We haven't fitted the Hypersofts unlike our rivals, so we expect to be at their level despite the non-arrival of the new power unit. I expect a very tight qualifying. You have to be careful not to make mistakes because the track is very dirty, going off the ideal line costs a lot on the next lap. We learned some important lessons on the Hypersofts in Monaco and we hope to put them into practice tomorrow. The car was well balanced and very pleasant to drive on the track, the best part will come tomorrow and we will see how much we can push".
The Mercedes team preferred to opt for a different strategy than its rivals, bringing fewer Hypersoft tires to Canada. For this reason, Lewis Hamilton says:
"Ultimately, we don't have as many Hypersofts as the others. We have a different strategy planned, everyone thinks we have eight sets and instead we have five. Tomorrow we hope to have a good feeling and hopefully it won't be too different from today. Naturally it would have been great to be able to try the Hypersofts today. Others have done it and I have seen that for some they degraded quickly, for others not. FP3 will be where we put them together and have a look. I think we got off to a good start, there were a few things we just had to fix along the way. We're making small improvements from time to time, it always looks a little different, but it's been good. As we have an extra DRS section, this means we can put more wing than in previous years. We've always had very low downforce settings here, but now it's quite normal and so cornering is fantastic".
And Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff confirms:
"We used the Hypersofts for the first time this weekend. Lewis made some mistakes in his attempts, but the biggest problem is that we can't make the leap in performance from the other teams with the softer compound supplied by Pirelli. So we still have work to do. We know we are fast, but we weren't able to give our best. It will be a very close and exciting qualifying".
Saturday 9 June 2018, the third practice session confirms the competitiveness of Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen, who is still able to set the best time, very close to the track record. In this session, the Dutchman leads the two Scuderia Ferrari drivers, Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, and Lewis Hamilton. Sebastian Vettel trailed by just 0.049 seconds, with a time set at the start of the session, with the track still lacking rubber. Kimi Raikkonen, on the other hand, is only 0.002 seconds behind the German, while Lewis Hamilton is just behind, about 0.1 seconds off the best time. A small margin is created between the top six and the other riders, with Sergio Pérez 1.3 seconds behind Max Verstappen. A few hours later, at the start of Q1, the power unit exploded on Romain Grosjean's Haas, who was thus unable to take part in qualifying. The two Ferrari drivers set the best times. Valtteri Bottas follows, 0.7 seconds behind.
Shortly after Marcus Ericsson hit a wall, and was forced to return to the pits. The other Mercedes driver, Lewis Hamilton, sets the fifth fastest time, while Sebastian Vettel takes the lead of the session. At the end of Q1, Pierre Gasly, the two Williams drivers, Lance Stroll and Sergej Sirotkin, suffering from braking system problems, Marcus Ericsson and, as mentioned, Romain Grosjean were eliminated. In Q2, the six drivers of Ferrari, Red Bull Racing and Mercedes are immediately protagonists, with the first three separated by just 0.052 seconds, and the six gathered in 0.3 seconds. The Mercedes drivers opt for the use of Hypersoft tyres, unlike their direct opponents who use the Ultrasoft. In the final part Daniel Ricciardo sets the new lap record, lapping in 1'11"434. Kevin Magnussen, Brendon Hartley, Charles Leclerc and the two McLaren drivers, Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne are eliminated. The Mercedes drivers are in the decisive phase on track first, with Valtteri Bottas prevailing over Lewis Hamilton, while Kimi Räikkönen slipped between the two, before Sebastian Vettel climbed into first place, setting a new track record (1'10"776). The two Red Bull Racing drivers, Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo, closed in fourth and sixth time due to a third sector of track that was not fast. In the last attempt Sebastian Vettel is still able to improve, while Lewis Hamilton is penalized by a wheel lock under braking. Max Verstappen is still improving and conquers the third position. For Sebastian Vettel it is pole position number 54 in his career, the number 217 for Ferrari, who had not obtained pole position at this track since 2001. At the end of qualifying, Pierre Gasly was penalized ten positions on the starting grid, for having replaced its internal combustion engine, the fourth of the season. The Scuderia Toro Rosso driver had presented problems at the end of free practice, so much so that he faced qualifying with an older specification engine. For the race, however, Honda decides to switch to the updated engine. Despite having qualified in sixteenth place, he starts from nineteenth, ahead of Romain Grosjean. At the end of qualifying, Sebastian Vettel can only be happy with the position obtained, the pole position in the Canadian Grand Prix, after setting the new track record. But not all the work had started off on the right foot, as the German driver admits:
"Yesterday we were in a bit of trouble. We weren't happy with the car, we had some problems and I couldn't find the rhythm. Usually I like this track, but yesterday was really difficult. Today I flipped the switch and woke up just right. What a day. The car was incredible, I made a small mistake on the last lap, otherwise I think I could have done even more. Great, thanks to the team, thanks for sorting out the car yesterday after hitting the wall. I am also very happy for this fantastic crowd, so many Ferrari fans. For me it was quite simple and in terms of strategy we did what we wanted to do. I don't think the Hypersoft is a good racing tyre. I'm a little surprised that both Red Bulls chose it, but I guess they have their reasons. We were struggling a bit on Friday, I wasn't very happy with the car, we had some problems and I couldn't get the pace. We made a corner on Saturday: the car was incredible, it kept going faster. On my last lap I made a small mistake, otherwise I think I could have done a little better. It was great though, thanks to the team for sorting out the car on Friday after I hit the wall".
And later, at the press conference, he adds:
"I was very happy with qualifying and very happy with the first attempt. I thought that in the first section I could do something more, in the second attempt I found something more and I only had to repeat what I did before. But I struggled and wasted some time. I crossed the finish line and wasn't sure it would be enough - I looked into the screens and breathed a big sigh of relief. We did it, I like this track".
Regarding the choice of using Ultrasoft tyres, Sebastian Vettel says:
"I didn't want to end the round with the Hypersofts. It was clear to us which tire to choose for the start. We want to use the Ultrasofts, we haven't thought much about the Hypersofts. Being on pole here with Ferrari has a special meaning - the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Gilles' meaning to the Ferrari team is enormous and motorsport in Canada is all linked to him. It's great for all Ferrari fans. Maybe in the last few races we were a little less strong, but the performance was always there. It's great when you can deliver a session like this".
It went less well for Kimi Raikkonen, who was forced to settle for fifth position on the starting grid following a problem he encountered during his second attempt in Q3:
"On my last attempt, I suddenly had a lot of understeer in turn 2 and struggled to get the car to turn. At that point I had no choice but to try and get out of it as fast as possible, but of course I was out. from the trajectory and my lap ended there. What happened was a bit strange, the car had worked well all day. The final result is not what we were looking for".
But, speaking of the race, the Finn says:
"Tomorrow will be a different day, we will see what happens. It will certainly be difficult, with different tires on different cars (Red Bulls will start with Hypersoft, Ferrari and Mercedes with Ultrasoft, ed) at the front of the grid. It is difficult to have a clear idea of how it will end, but we believe we have made the right choice for the start of the grand prix".
Saving the Mercedes team's honors in Montreal was, surprisingly, Valtteri Bottas, who qualified in second position. The Finn hopes to be able to make up for it in the race:
"Hopefully we can make a good start. We were very close, unfortunately we are not in front. In any case, starting from the front row is positive for the race and so I'm ready for tomorrow. Red Bull has chosen to start with the Hypersofts and this could change the cards on the table, it will be a very interesting race".
As we know, Mercedes preferred to postpone the use of the new power unit, thus limiting the potential of the Anglo-German cars on this circuit. However, Lewis Hamilton doesn't believe that was the reason why he failed to set a better time than his closest rivals:
"How important is the old engine with this result? Zero, it was a tough day where I just didn't put together the perfect lap. Normally here you don't win starting from fourth place, we'll see, we'll certainly try. We are all so close in terms of performance that overtaking in the race will be a feat. Vettel must be credited with the fact that he did a great job in Q3 setting the perfect lap, which I was unable to do. It won't be easy to win starting from fourth position, but nothing is impossible and we'll try".
And the Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, is not at all worried, underlining:
"We'll start with the Ultrasoft tires and this will allow us to set up the race in the most effective way possible for us. Hamilton didn't feel comfortable with the Hypersofts in qualifying and this year every slightest mistake or drop in performance is not forgiven with gaps so minimal among the three top teams".
After recent performances that had put him in a bad light, Max Verstappen is back to show his skills, conquering the second row of the starting grid of the Canadian Grand Prix with a Red Bull in constant evolution:
"I'm very happy with this weekend so far, the car works very well. I knew that in qualifying we lack a bit of top speed, but third place is great for us, especially in the race we can do a great job. We think we have the pace of Ferrari and Mercedes. Starting on the softer tires we think it could be an advantage here, because the track is quite slippery and we are very competitive in the race".
And adds:
"I think we did as much as possible today. We knew Q3 would be a little bit tougher for us, but being so close is good. Throughout the weekend we managed to be very competitive with our car, continuing to progress session after session. In qualifying, the track gained a lot of grip and we had to adapt, but I'm very happy with the result. Third place is fantastic and we have the pace to be competitive and do a good job tomorrow. I want to thank Red Bull for the great car they have made available to me this weekend".
While his teammate, Daniel Ricciardo, after taking victory in the Monaco Grand Prix did not stand out in Canada:
"There's a difference on the straight, but I don't want to say that's why I'm sixth. In the last sector I lost one or two tenths and we were all very close, enclosed in plus or minus four tenths. I did my best, but this was a weekend with ups and downs, with some problems and some difficulty finding the rhythm. But I'm happy with our work this afternoon and, if I forget that we're sixth, I'm satisfied with the performance".
What about upgrading the engine?
"As a driver you barely feel it, but the engineers tell me it's working as intended".
Regarding the choice to use the Hypersoft tyres, the Australian says.
"The additional grip of the softer tires will be important for us at the start. We thought it would be necessary to risk something to put Mercedes and Ferrari in danger, so we opted for the Hypersofts. A calculated risk in any case, given that our frame adapts well to this tyre. We have to overtake, even if this is a track where it's complicated due to the fact that the cars are now wider than in the past. Especially in the first three laps we will have to go on the attack, people should turn on the TV because it will be exciting. Then, if we can do almost 20 laps on the Hypersofts, then it will be possible to try a one-stop race. If, on the other hand, we make a pit after only ten laps, then there will be two".
Furthermore, we certainly cannot forget that Daniel Ricciardo won on this track in 2014:
"Even at the time I was starting sixth. But it also happened on other occasions and I couldn't win. I think it's realistic to think we can get on the podium, especially if we can do well in the opening laps. I'm ready to take the necessary risks".
Sunday 10 June 2018, at the start of the Canadian Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel maintains the first position, preceding Valtteri Bottas and Max Verstappen; Lewis Hamilton is fourth, while Daniel Ricciardo passes Kimi Räikkönen and moves up to fifth place. During the first lap, an accident occurs between Lance Stroll and Brendon Hartley, with the two cars engaging and ending up off the track. The New Zealander pilot is also transported to a hospital in Montréal, without any physical damage being found. For three laps the race was neutralized by the safety car. At the restart, the positions remain those already defined. During the tenth lap Esteban Ocon, seventh, makes his stop, which however is a bit slow and makes him relegate to fourteenth position. During lap 15 Carlos Sainz Jr. also made a pit stop, while during lap 17 it was the turn of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton (who was limited from the start of the race by a problem with the power unit), who rejoined the track in fifth and sixth position. A first change to the standings takes place during lap 18.
Daniel Ricciardo, after his stop, manages to get back on track ahead of Lewis Hamilton, behind Max Verstappen. During lap 25 Nico Hülkenberg passed Romain Grosjean and moved up to seventh place. Then, on lap 28, the Frenchman lost a further position to Carlos Sainz Jr. Romain Grosjean, who was still on the track with used tyres, then gave his position to Esteban Ocon on lap 32 as well. During lap 33 Kimi Räikkönen made his stop, they rejoined the track behind Lewis Hamilton. During lap 37, Valtteri Bottas made the tire changes, and during lap 38, Sebastian Vettel also returned to the pits. The German maintains the first position. It was only during lap 49 that Romain Grosjean made his tire change. Meanwhile Valtteri Bottas tries to get close to Sebastian Vettel, but makes a driving error that takes him away from the race leader. Behind is created a trio of three drivers, very close to each other: Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo and Lewis Hamilton. In the final laps, Valtteri Bottas found himself having to limit his performance in order not to run out of fuel. One lap from the end, the checkered flag was shown by mistake after Sebastian Vettel crossed the finish line. The error derives from a lack of communication between the race direction and whoever had to authorize the use of the flag. The race continues until the end, but the classification is drawn up on the basis of the results two laps from the end. Sebastian Vettel wins the Canadian Grand Prix, bringing Ferrari back to victory in Montréal after fourteen years of waiting. Valtteri Bottas is second, followed by Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen, Daniel Ricciardo, Nico Hulkenberg, Esteban Ocon, Carlos Sainz Jr. and Sergio Perez. Nothing to complain about Sebastian Vettel, who won by starting first and going into the break thanks to a single-seater that was very effective in the two most important moments, in qualifying and in the race. A superiority that has also allowed him to return to the top of the championship standings in what is a very exciting head-to-head match with Lewis Hamilton. It certainly wasn't the most spectacular race of the year, but it was undoubtedly a necessary victory for the Scuderia which was called upon to respond after the mistakes and lack of competitiveness suffered in the Spanish Grand Prix.
"Absolutely perfect. It is incredible how significant this circuit is for Ferrari and we have seen it since the moment we arrived here in Canada. Doing a race like today is incredible. Yes, it's the fiftieth victory for me, but Ferrari hadn't won here for a long time. I saw a lot of people at the circuit very happy, I'm sure they had a great time and we will have a huge party tonight. I'm really happy. World Championship leader? In reality, the road is still long, so I don't worry too much. I don't know why people today have such a limited view. We rode seven races this season, some were phenomenal, some were boring. The football World Cup starts next week, and I assure you there will be a lot of unfunny matches, but people will still watch them, while others will be exciting".
What about boring races?
"There are no particular reasons, don't always look for answers. Write about something else. I think we do our job in the car, if we can compete then we compete, otherwise we don't. Some races are just exciting and some are not".
The potential is there, and this is important in the economy of the championship. The Mercedes team must therefore pay attention, which took second place in Montreal, but with its second driver. Valtteri Bottas did his best, the Finn has shown that he has grown up this season, because when Lewis Hamilton isn't around, he always manages to be in contention for the win. Not having the evolution of the power unit available, which was stopped by a reliability problem on the test bench, the cars certainly lost competitiveness, thus reducing the chances of success. Valtteri Bottas says:
"Since the first lap Sebastian seemed faster, they controlled the race a bit, pushing when necessary. We pushed too, but we had a little bit of trouble with the fuel at the end, and that's why Max got close. Today we did our best, yesterday it was a matter of a penny. Maybe starting from pole it could have been different, but given our starting position, we made the most of the opportunity. I'm quite happy even if we didn't win. We don't have enough time to be bored in the car. There is always something to do, and we have to keep 100% concentration. There will be more fun races, no doubt, and only two so far have been uneventful. I'm sure we'll be back to enjoying ourselves very soon. The start from the right side had little grip. Most of the races are done here with a flying start, so there was no grip on that side".
And he adds:
"I had a little spin at the start, Max took the inside, the only opportunity for me was to go on the outside trying to get as much speed as possible, then try to keep the position in turn 2. I think there we touched lightly but it went well, I kept 2nd place, after that it was a pretty demanding race. We tried to win, clearly there was a possibility because anything can happen during the race but we tried to put pressure on Sebastian, but they always seemed to be in control of the race. When we pushed, they managed to maintain the same gap. They were just faster than us. We weren't fast enough this weekend, Saturday it was just a matter of 0.09 seconds, today 0.1 seconds, but it's 0.1 seconds every lap, and in ten laps it's a second, 70 laps are 7 seconds. And we ended up at that gap".
Lewis Hamilton was the author of a difficult race, because he was stopped early for his pit stop. He was on Ultrasoft tires and therefore could have delayed his pit stop like his rivals, but the technicians tried to open the air intakes a bit to lower the temperatures under the bonnet and make him run with greater engine efficiency.
"The power kept going up and down, it was low all race, I thought there was going to be a breakdown, but in the end the engine held and luckily I was able to finish the race. I didn't know what to expect actually, but it sure was worse than I could have imagined. Probably with the problem he had it could have been even worse. The championship is very balanced, Red Bull won the last race before this one. I think there will be changes in the balance of power on the track from one race to the next. If we don't do a better job it will be tough to beat Ferrari, because they have a very strong package and excellent reliability. So we have to keep our heads down, hoping to do better".
The Briton warns the competition:
"The next couple of days I'm sure it will hurt even more because it's been a bad weekend, but it could have been even worse. I could have retired and lost 25 points. However, in the last two races we have lost 18 points so yes, in this sense we have gone back a bit. I trust my boys completely. Think of tennis if, looking at the net, you thought 'I could lose'. Well, in that case you would have already lost. No matter the starting position on the grid, I don't look at a colleague and think 'I could lose to him'… rather, I think: 'how do I beat them? how can I be better [than them]? And I will continue to do so. I don't allow doubts to enter my head. That would be the first sign of weakness and my mind is not weak. I'm still here to win and I still believe we can do it".
But the gap with Ferrari is no longer what it used to be and even with a new engine the Mercedes would not have dominated as in the past. Reason why this can really be a turning point for the World Championship. Not surprisingly, the Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, is not at all happy with the result:
"For us it is a result of shit. I have to say something like that, because this was a good track for us, but we made mistakes all weekend and we made them from the start. The only feeling I have is that we need to wake up. We fell behind in every respect: this was a circuit where we should have had a lot of points, so it's not about damage limitation".
What will the Mercedes team do now to avoid other similar situations?
"We will review them internally. There really isn't a defined model, normally on some circuits we were dominant, while on others we were less so. But somehow, the margins have become even tighter this year. Bradley (Lord, head of Mercedes communication ed) has just shown me the data on fast laps and there are five cars less than a tenth. This is why this year's world championship will be decided by the team that makes the fewest mistakes and that brings the best developments during every single weekend".
And adds:
"This is the new reality. It's a three-way fight. There are now six cars that can win races. You can't take anything for granted and think it's going to be a walk in the park. So, this is the kind of wake up call you get. I keep thinking that we are not fast enough in Monaco and Singapore. They are outliers, but it is safe to expect that they are not strong everywhere. I think you need to find the right balance between pushing development very hard, adding performance to the car, and at the same time maintaining reliability. The team has been extremely strong in the past, maintaining reliability at a high level. This is not the part that worries me. In any case, we saw that the Ferrari was the strongest car in qualifying, in the race and at no time did we have a real chance to fight for the win".
It is however a two-faced Ferrari, because while Sebastian Vettel dominated on the one hand, Kimi Raikkonen seemed to be subdued on the other. The Finn was never at his teammate's level, he immediately lost his position at the start to Daniel Ricciardo and then showed no sign of being able to catch up with his rivals in the fight for the podium. The old engine undoubtedly didn't help, even if we're talking about a couple of tenths of a second, but it's equally true that the almost thirty seconds remedied by Sebastian Vettel doesn't allow us to fully appreciate the Finnish driver.
"The mistake made yesterday in qualifying didn't help us for the race. Overtaking here was very difficult. I tried to overtake Hamilton after the pit stop, but it didn't work. Then it was hard to even get close enough to him to open the DRS. It was a surprise because you expect to see a lot of overtaking on this track, but instead it went very similar to two weeks ago in Monaco. The race was boring and not much happened. We decided to stay out a bit longer with the first set of tires and I don't think it cost us any positions: it was the only option we had to try something different".
On the third step of the podium was another driver who just a couple of weeks ago had just returned from a difficult race, Max Verstappen, very attentive to exploiting the full potential of a Red Bull that showed its competitiveness on a theoretically difficult track. Merit of the development of the car and progress of the Renault power unit which has not yet reached Mercedes and Ferrari, but can give the RB14 enough to compete not only on tracks like Monaco.
"We were quite clean at the start, there was a small touch between the tyres, but I realized I was in the wrong position and I settled for it. The strategy was good, that of returning a little early with the Hypersofts. We gave everything we had until the end and we can be very satisfied. I always want a weekend like this, so for me there's no particular reason why I only managed it now. I always give my best. We have a very good car and we certainly showed it in Monte Carlo where there aren't many straights. But here we held up quite a bit on the straight, but Ferrari did a great job. I look forward to the next tracks, which will probably be better than others for us. But if we continue like this there will be many other positive races for us. We pitted early because the Hypersofts were gone, but then we had good pace on the Supersofts. We were close, we closed the gap in the final laps. We were very competitive, it was a shame we couldn't pass Bottas, but it was a good race".
The Dutch driver continues:
"Throughout the weekend we were very competitive and in the race, with the tires we had, I think we maximized our strategy and therefore we are very happy with the result. Obviously we are satisfied, because getting to fight for second place on this track which is not so congenial to us is really positive. When you feel confident in the car you can do a good job and during the race I think we managed the Hypersoft tires in the best possible way".
And adds:
"They held up very well in the end (the ultrasofts ed), because I managed to attack Valtteri, who was also saving fuel, which shows that our car was really going very well. For sure, we now have a competitive car. Obviously I don't think so, I always want to have a good weekend, and of course I'm always motivated to have a positive weekend. So, I think that even if I had to do something different because of that, I think in that case I wouldn't feel 100% because I wouldn't be giving my all. Some riders are like this: when they get a little angry, they can give their best. Normally, I'm not an angry person, maybe some people have a different opinion".
Daniel Ricciardo seemed a little more in trouble than Max Verstappen, but the reason can always be found in the technical aspect. First of all that MGU-K which didn't provide the necessary energy to match the performance of the Dutch driver's single-seater, but also a set-up that was not perfect and which forced him to go back to being inspired by his teammate's to be competitive .
"Also on other occasions I started sixth and didn't win. In the end, everything worked out fine. I took a position at the start on Kimi Raikkonen thanks to the Hypersofts and then I really liked that overcut (stopping a lap later than his rival, ed.) on Hamilton. Lewis recovered in the final laps, but I was still able to hold on to the position. I gave everything and I think fourth place was the maximum possible with the strategy we had. Also, this weekend my engine wasn't as good as the other and I hope that the situation will be better at Paul Ricard. I don't know if I would have passed Max if I had stayed on the track a little longer, but I think so. He was in front and maybe the garage didn't want us to switch positions in this way. That's how it went, I think that's why they called me back for the stop. If I had continued maybe I could have overcome it".
The Dutch driver stood out well in the race, even if at the start he seemed close to making another mistake. However, towards the end of the race, the Red Bull Racing driver almost managed to catch Valtteri Bottas, forcing him to defend himself when the race seemed to be drawing to a close. In this regard, the team principal of Red Bull Racing, Christian Horner, says:
"It's the first race I've ever done alone and it's something different. Whether this contributed in any way is impossible to say. He is still growing and maturing as a driver as he gains experience. It's something that has been discussed with him and agreed upon with the team. It was just something a little different. He has been very focused on everything he has done this weekend and has done a super job, so I give him all the credit for putting together a very strong race which finished close to Bottas. His approach here was a little different".
With this very important result, Sebastian Vettel returns to the top of the standings of the World Drivers' Championship, with only one point advantage over Lewis Hamilton. While as far as the Constructors' World Championship is concerned, Mercedes remains in the lead with 206 points, against the 189 of the Maranello team. The Canadian Grand Prix therefore relaunches the ambitions of Scuderia Ferrari, which this year aims to interrupt the long wait that has been going on since 2007, the year in which Kimi Raikkonen won the World Championship by bringing the world champion helmet to Maranello. But Mercedes is preparing to better respond to the offensive of rivals.