Tag: montreal

F1 2017: Canadian Gp Review – Hamilton Strolls, Ferrari Struggles

As far as grand prix wins go Lewis Hamilton’s win in Canada appeared no more taxing than a leisurely Sunday afternoon drive. Untroubled, the Mercedes driver, for the sixth time in his storied F1 career, reached the chequered flag first on the circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Hamilton’s unchallenged run to the chequered flag was set up by an exquisite qualifying lap on Saturday which netted him a 65^th career pole position. It was this premium starting position on the grid, and a steady get-away, which ensured that he stayed clear of the mess of the first few turns. Though championship leader Sebastian Vettel started alongside in second he fell victim to Max Verstappen who rocketed off the line from fifth to second. In his charge to the front, the Red Bull driver clipped Vettel’s front-wing prompting the Ferrari driver to pit for a replacement and dropping him to 18^th place.

The carnage wasn’t only contained the sharp-end of the grid either. Toro Rosso’s Carlos Sainz triggered a crash that damaged Romain Grosjean’s Haas and ultimately eliminated himself and William’s Felipe Massa from the race all on lap one. The incident prompted a short safety-car period on the first lap. The race resumed with Hamilton able to easily pull away from second-placed Max Verstappen. The Dutchman was running comfortably in second until the Red Bull grinded to a halt with a battery failure on lap eleven. It cleared the way for Bottas in the second Mercedes but the Finn was unable to keep pace with Hamilton for the majority of the race.

Behind Daniel Ricciardo drove faultlessly to maintain third place ahead of the Force India pair of Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon. While both the Force India cars sat within striking distance of Ricciardo they were never able to get close enough to attempt an overtake. By now Ferrari had opted for a different strategy that had both Raikkonen and Vettel on the ultrasoft tyre for the last 30-odd laps of the race.

Finally, the Ferrari’s were able to run at the pace that was initially expected of them as they closed down on the battle for the final podium spot. However, as Raikkonen closed on the back of fifth-placed Ocon he suffered a brake-by-wire issue that cost him six seconds a lap. Ultimately, the Ferrari was nursed home seventh place. Vettel, without such issues, boldly scythed his way past both the Force India drivers to finish an impressive fourth.

Ferrari’s pace didn’t simply evaporate into thin air either more so it was the fact that they were unable to run in clean air, which is indicative of how an F1 car’s true pace and performance can be nullified if it is running in traffics. It’s no secret that all F1 cars are designed to run in clear air and as soon as that air becomes disturbed, by a car in front, the ‘dirty’ air causes too much instability to run as efficiently as possible. This is an issue, which Ross Brawn, as part of the new F1 brain trust, has earmarked in his quest to make F1 more “raceable.”

On any other day Force India would’ve been pleased with a double-points finish but Perez’s ignored called to swop positions with teammate Ocon, on significantly fresher tyres, likely cost the team a podium finish. Nevertheless, the pair finished fifth and sixth ahead of an ailing Raikkonen in seventh. Nico Hulkenberg brought his Renault home in a solid eighth ahead of Montreal-native Lance Stroll who scored his first F1 points with a fine ninth-place finish ahead of Haas’ Romain Grosjean in tenth.

After the struggles of the Monaco the Canadian grand prix was a must-win for Hamilton and Mercedes. He now trails championship leader Vettel by twelve points ahead of the Baku grand prix in two weeks time.

June 12, 2017
F1 2017: Sahara Force India Wears Pink Ribbon For Breast Cancer Care

The Sahara Force India team has announced that it is partnering with Breast Cancer Care.

In a multi-year deal both of Force India’s Formula 1 cars will carry the famous pink ribbon, which has become the symbol in the fight against breast cancer. This year the famous pink ribbon is celebrating twenty-five years and the focus races will be this weekend’s Monaco grand prix, Montreal, Silverstone, Austin, and Mexico City during which the pink ribbon will be positioned on top of the VJM10’s chassis.

It is the aim of the partnership between Force India and Breast Cancer Care to ensure that all who are affected by breast cancer receive the care, support, and information that is needed. Statistics show that every ten minutes someone is diagnosed with breast cancer.

“Our cars turning pink created a lot of positive buzz and it’s a pleasure to be able to harness this feeling to raise awareness for such an important cause and charity,” says Force India Team Principal Vijay Mallya. “We are proud to be working with Breast Cancer Care to bring their work into the spotlight and take advantage of Formula One’s global reach to improve the lives of everyone affected, directly and indirectly, by breast cancer.”

(Images Supplied)

May 24, 2017
F1 2016: Canadian Gp Preview – Montreal Test For Mercedes

The St. Lawrence Seaway is transformed this weekend into the seventh round of the 2016 F1 season as it hosts the famed Canadian grand prix.

Named after one of the greatest drivers in F1 history the circuit Gilles Villeneuve has a distinct street-like feel thanks to the close proximity of the barriers. It’s long straights, with a top speed of 330 kph, makes it a highly power sensitive circuit with a heavy focus on braking performance. “The track is quite special as it has a lot of long straights and then slow corners with low grip so we have to find the right balance with our setup. You’re very close to the walls so there is a special feeling to drive there,” says Red Bull driver Max Verstappen.

The track surface, rarely used throughout the year, is relatively green but grip ramps up exponentially as the weekend progresses. Coupled with variable weather conditions, which often tend to the cooler end of the spectrum, it makes getting the tyres to their prime operating temperature tricky. In terms of tyre strategy Pirelli has made the soft, supersoft, and ultrasoft compound available. In particular the Renault and Haas F1 Team will be worth keeping an eye on as neither pair of drivers has chosen a single set of the red-walled supersoft tyre.

Occasionally the lack of proper overtaking opportunity can turn the race in a procession. However, it has delivered several dramatic and memorable races over the years. As if perfectly scripted the first race in 1978 was won by Gilles Villeneuve in a Ferrari. Throughout the years that followed Ferrari’s love affair with the Montreal circuit deepened. With seven victories Michael Schumacher holds the record for the most Canadian Gp victories while Ferrari and McLaren boast thirteen wins each as constructors.

In 2015 Lewis Hamilton led home teammate Nico Rosberg for a Mercedes one-two. However, it wasn’t a straightforward victory for the championship winning team. Twelve months ago sky-high brake temperatures plagued the pair throughout the race and required drastic management. In 2014 the failure of the brake-by-wire system forced Hamilton into retirement and Rosberg on to the defensive, which allowed Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo to take his first grand prix win.

This year the competition appears a bit closer to the Silver Arrows. In Spain and Monaco, circuits that share several similarities with Canada, Red Bull showed their competitiveness. Add to the fact that the Renault upgrade should come into its own around this track and Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen should be more than a nuisance to Mercedes this weekend.

It isn’t just Red Bull snapping at Mercedes’ heels either. Ferrari will be the first to admit that their season hasn’t quite gone to plan. Mistakes and unreliability has cost the Italian team a slew of points in the first few races of 2016 but they’re not letting up any time soon. This weekend Ferrari is expected to run a new rear suspension in the hopes of improving downforce as well as other aerodynamic upgrades. They are also introducing a new Shell fuel and a new turbo, which is expected to yield more hybrid power and improve reliability.

Mercedes are far from sitting ducks and will, just like the others, continue to push ahead. But they’re under a bit more pressure than what they’re used to.

June 8, 2016
F1 2015: Canadian GP Review – Mercedes Dominate In Montreal

Most would hold the opinion that the Canadian grand prix was far from the riveting showpiece it typically delivers. In terms of on track action they would be right but there were a number of significant goings-on for various teams.

It wouldn’t have been considered outlandish to expect McLaren to be threatening the outskirts of the top ten by race seven of the 2015 championship. The reality however is far from this lofty expectation. Neither Jenson Button nor Fernando Alonso saw the chequered flag at the end of the Canadian grand prix and whilst they were running it wasn’t pretty.

An ERS (energy recovery system) failure on Jenson Button’s number 22 McLaren meant that the Brit had to sit out qualifying which was the preface to yet another retirement this time due to an exhaust issue. The sister McLaren of Fernando Alonso ran until lap 44 until he too was forced into his third consecutive retirement. The Spaniard’s race was rather painful as the double world champion appeared as nothing more than a mobile chicane with cars sauntering past him with embarrassing ease.

The McLaren drivers have been measured in their comments to the press since the start of the season but the frustrations are starting to show. First it was Jenson Button who described the McLaren as a scary car to drive which he then promptly walked back with a bit of PR spin. And then there is Fernando Alonso who remains adamant that he does not regret his departure from Ferrari.

The driver’s statements to the press are more often than not just PR drabble regimented by the team. But occasionally we are privy to the radio comms between car and pitwall and here the unadorned feelings often come to light in very colourful ways.

Fernando Alonso irritation was evident as he told his team over the radio that he was being made to look like “an amateur” during the race. Similarly, when he was asked to save fuel after a meagre twenty-four laps Alonso responded with “I don’t want, I don’t want.” As much as the blame has been placed at Honda’s doorstep McLaren’s racing director Eric Boullier accepted that improvement is needed “everywhere.”

This year’s Canandian grand prix was far less dramatic for Mercedes than twelve months ago when brake failure devastated Lewis Hamilton’s race and severely impeded Nico Rosberg’s progress. But even though Hamilton and Rosberg appeared to be untroubled as they secured a dominant one-two victory several issues needed managing throughout the race. At various stages both Hamilton and Rosberg were instructed to manage sky rocketing brake temperatures and the inevitable phase of fuel saving to get to the end of the grand prix.

Just when it looks as if Ferrari has taken a step towards closing the chasm to Mercedes it’s found to be off base. The long run pace in the second free practice session suggested that the Ferrari was looking in great shape to take the fight to Ferrari. Besides the reality that Ferrari is still off the Merc pace, circumstances combined to make it a difficult weekend.

Sebastian Vettel’s ERS issue in qualifying and subsequent 5 place penalty for overtaking under red flag relegated him to the back of the grid. Yet, the German was able to make his way through to a solid fifth place by the end of the race. Kimi Raikkonen’s Saturday afternoon had a far better outcome with a season’s best third place on the grid.

The race itself wasn’t going too badly for the Finn who was keeping both Mercedes in sight. Alas, a couple of laps after switching onto the yellow side-walled soft tyre a spin at the exit of the turn ten hairpin comprised his afternoon’s work. The spin was eerily similar to one Raikkonen suffered in last year’s Canadian grand prix which was prompted by a difference in the torque map. The Ferrari driver, who had now slipped to fourth, confirmed on the radio that the spin was “the same as last year.” A second pitstop for the supersoft tyre didn’t lose the number seven Ferrari any positions but left it nearly twenty seconds adrift of the third placed Williams of Valtteri Bottas. Despite Raikkonen’s best efforts his fellow Finn still held a five second gap by the time the chequered flag was unfurled.

Williams driver Felipe Massa too suffered issues in qualifying which dropped him to the back of the starting grid. The Brazilian was able to recover to sixth overall which included an inch perfect overtake on Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson. Pastor Maldonado, Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg, Red Bull driver Daniil Kvyat and the second Lotus of Romain Grosjean rounded out the top ten.

Last year’s Canadian Gp winner Daniel Ricciardo described his race as horrible beyond his wildest dreams. And this less than pretty statement was followed with a threat from Renault, via Christian Horner, that they may quit the sport in 2016. Notably Carlos Sainz junior out-performed his highly fancied teammate Max Verstappen.

Contrary to Canadian grand prix history the 2015 edition was a meek outing with little to amp up the excitement factor. There were several overtaking manoeuvres but no close dices for position. Lotus’ Romain Grosjean was slapped with a five second penalty for clipping the edge off Will Stevens’ Manor.

Often we get caught up in the chaotic world of Formula 1 to the point where the bigger picture is sometimes overlooked. Yes, Lewis Hamilton is in the most magnificent car built for at least the last decade; but what has been truly impressive is make-up of Hamilton and how he has evolved. The Monaco grand prix debacle was undoubtedly a tough moment but the driver he is now and the temperament he has now allows not for a showy comeback but rather a deafening response which declares that he can surmount whatever obstacle is placed in his way.

June 9, 2015
2014 Formula One Canadian Grand Prix Race Edit

Relive the thrills and action of the 2014 Formula One Canadian Grand Prix with the official race edit of last season’s race. Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo claimed his first F1 victory after an action packed race at the Canadian Grand Prix in 2014. Both Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton suffered technical problems, and Felipe Massa and Sergio Perez were involved in a heavy crash with only one lap to go, while Jenson Button’s late surge earned him a brilliant fourth for McLaren.

June 5, 2015
F1 2015: GP Preview – Classic Canada

Change is said to be inevitable and Formula 1 has embraced this fate with more regularity than most. Thankfully, it hasn’t abandoned some of thegreat circuit that lends its much needed character to the world championship.

As the seventh round of the 2015 season the Canadian grand prix is collectively treasured by drivers, teams and fans. The circuit Gilles Villeneuve is an oldie but a goodie and renowned for its tendency to dish up thrilling racing.

Its decades old history is spectacular and has rarely faltered to live up to its magnificent highs. The last several races around here have all had their own dramatic and enthralling stories. Last year the grinning Aussie Daniel Ricciardo snapped up his first grand prix victory after Mercedes ran into trouble. In especially dramatic fashion Jenson Button snatched victory from Sebastian Vettel on the last lap in 2011 after an appalling race at which stage the Brit was dead last.

It was here too that Lewis Hamilton took his first race win in 2007 as a bright-eyed McLaren driver. Altogether Hamilton has quite the romance with North American races having in Canada and the United States on several occasions. The incident that kept the reigning champion from winning the Monaco grand prix would have been tough to take on the day but there is little doubt that Hamilton will arrive in Montreal with that controversial issue well out of his mind.

The physical make-up of the circuit Gilles Villeneuve calls for an aggressive approach. “I remember coming back into the pits and saying ‘what a circuit,’ I was amazed at how good it was – and I’d only done an install. It’s just a ridiculous amount of fun. You can jump across the kerbs and really get the car bouncing around,” shares Daniel Ricciardo. “It’s like getting back to go-kart days, you really feel like you own it – and I love that. You can get aggressive with it, and aim to just brush the wall.”

The close proximity of the barriers often draws comparisons with Monaco which makes the likelihood of a safety car appearance fairly high. There is a distinct lack of overtaking opportunities which means that a good performance in qualifying can often translate to a good showing in Sunday’s race.

In technical terms the track’s long straight classifies it as a power dominant circuit. A greater focus is placed on brake wear with several big stops around the circuit. This was the area in 2014 that found out Mercedes as both cars suffered brake failure with only Rosberg seeing the chequered flag on that occasion. The circuit is mostly unused during the rest of the year which will make for a slow start to the weekend. Here too the weather conditions can be variable making the job of getting temperature into the tyres a tough one.

Mercedes closest rivals are likely to Ferrari as it has been for the most part this year. The reality however is that though Ferrari are labelled as Mercedes’ rivals they still remain some way off their dominating pace.

The steps that are being taken forward by Ferrari have grown slightly shorter over the last few months. The victory in Malaysia seems a long time ago and the Italian team has not been able to make a real impression on Mercedes of late. The upgradepackage brought to the Spanish grand prix wasn’t shown up to its potential in Monaco and may add a bit of performance.

A ten point gap is all that is between Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. But will it be left to a battle between the two Silver Arrows or will the Canadian grand prix once again deliver its notoriously dramatic races?

June 3, 2015
F1 2014: Canadian GP Preview – F1 Readies for Canada Clash

Formula 1 crosses the Atlantic to Montreal and the Grand Prix du Canada. The circuit Gilles Villeneuve lies in wait for the paddock and the seventh round of the 2014 season.
Sebastian Vettel swept the pole position and race victory at the 2013 Canadian grand prix. In 2014 Red Bull’s level of competitiveness has dwindled but the team from Milton Keyes are slowly recovering their campaign. However, with the dominant car of the season, Lewis Hamilton, a three time former winner in Canada, looks a shoe-in for victory.

As with most F1 drivers mistakes tend to happen as they test the limits of the car’s performance. A locked wheel, braking a meter too late or having the back-end step out is not uncommon. However, the most striking characteristic of the circuit Gilles Villeneuve is its concrete walls which lie just beyond the edge of the track. Concrete walls and barriers which hold significant consequences for getting it wrong. The two chicanes and the hairpin are areas where lap time can be won or lost but the final corner, outlined by the famous Wall of Champions, is where the biggest risk can yield the most reward. “Some guys will play it safe and sacrifice half a tenth to get through there cleanly; others will take a risk. The nearer you are, the faster you’ll go. Give the wall a kiss and you feel pretty good; kiss it too hard and that’s it!” shared Daniel Ricciardo.

The 4.361 km circuit includes two straights which lend a hand in the overtaking department. The favoured spots for overtaking will be into the turn 10 hairpin and a late move up the inside before the final chicane. Given that the circuit takes some time to rubber in, Pirelli will bring the Soft and Supersoft compound tyres to Canada. The choice of compounds also opens the door for a two or three stop strategy of which the latter can be used to undercut and gain time on a competitor with a fresher, and quicker, set of tyres.

The circuit ranks high on the list of the most power hungry on the calendar. It’s just in time as several teams are planning upgrades to their power units this weekend.

Ferrari’s PR machine has been spinning away as Technical Director James Allison has “vowed” that the team will take a good step forward in Canada – a mantra they have been repeating for years. The Italian team did show improved pace during the Monaco GP and Allison expects to see further improvement this weekend. Nevertheless, he tempered his optimism by saying that their rivals will be making gains of their own.

Ferrari has struggled to make significant improvements on the F14T since the start of the season. After a three-week break Ferrari showed no progress at the Spanish GP. Allison thinks engineers need to be given more creative freedom in their development plans.

“If you force them to operate with their backs against the wall, up against deadlines that are very, very tight, then there’s no time for them to think about how they might approach something differently,” “There is a wealth of talent at Ferrari – the experience and quality of the people on the technical side is the match of any team – it’s a matter of giving them the space and the encouragement to do unusual things.”

The rivalry between Hamilton and Rosberg will resume this weekend with the two having “cleared the air” after Monaco. As much as Rosberg’s affinity for beating Hamilton may have grown since the Monte Carlo weekend Hamilton has a special affinity for the Canadian GP. On paper this is a Hamilton track and the Brit should comfortably be the victor. However, Rosberg showed some steel and as the championship leader has the ball firmly in his court.

June 5, 2014
Speculation around Red Bull cheating sends F1 fans into a flurry

F1 Fans are once again up in arms after speculation has surfaced that the Red Bull team are using traction control which is banned in Formula One.

It seems that an Italian publication, Autosprint started the rumours and speculation around Red Bull cheating, stating that the team may be using traction control to gain a significant advantage over rival teams.

This follows the publication finding a picture of Mark Webber, shortly after his collision with Giedo van der Garde. They state that one can see evidence of a traction control system on the track, after Webber accelerated from the hairpin, toward Turn 11.

“You immediately notice the traces on the track,” Autosprint reported. “Those are not continuous (usually darker at the beginning and then gradually faded) of a ‘screech.’”

They go on to say that, ““It is the typical behaviour of a road car that goes ‘jerky’ with the traction control switched on.”

This is all entirely speculative and there has been no protest from any teams regarding the matter. We are pretty sure that if there was any truth in the rumour, it would not take rival teams very long to protest and request an investigation if they had even the slightest sniff of Red Bull cheating. Surely the FIA would have noticed something as obvious as traction control by now as cars also undergo thorough scrutineering.

According to F1 Madness’ technical expert, “all teams use the same electronic ECU which is supplied by the FIA as per Article 8.2.1 of the Formula One rules and regulation, so it is unlikely that it’s traction control”.

Unfortunately (or fortunately), as is often the case with Formula One and all the politics that go with it, it would seem that this was nothing more than sensationalist reporting. Of course the “news” has sent fans into an absolute flurry with Twitter being abuzz with further speculation around the validity of the claims.

We will keep you updated if any news develops.

June 18, 2013
F1 2013 Canadian Grand Prix Preview: Canada, a game of chance

In 1978 Canada’s Île Notre-Dame circuit bowed to the country’s greatest Formula 1 driver. In a short amount of time Gilles Villeneuve captivated the racing world with utter class and driving talent. Despite not becoming a world champion the Canadian great remains revered as one of the greatest drivers in the history of the sport.

In celebration of Villeneuve the Île Notre-Dame circuit now bears his name and remains an essential part of the F1 calendar. The paddock crosses the Atlantic for the first time this year as it heads into the seventh round of the 2013 championship.

The stop/go nature of the circuit Gilles Villeneuve offers a technical challenge both teams and drivers. With few real high-speed corners, and the requirement to ride all kerbs in sight, most of the corners throughout the 4.361 km layout can be taken at first or second gear. In previous years a lot of time and energy would have been spent on brake wear in preparation for the circuit with the highest demand on brake energy. However, with the evolution and development of brake discs in the last several years the only concern will be ensuring that brake temperatures remain in the optimal working range.

But this is not the only pitfall that lingers around the famous track. The close proximity of the walls and limited run-off areas amplifies the chance of crashing and makes the appearance of the safety car highly likely. The changeable weather conditions can also play a part in tyre performance for which Pirelli have chosen the super-soft and medium compounds. Neither of these compounds may cause a problem if the current weather forecast remains as is. The rain in Canada has a tendency to come down in biblical proportions and looks set to make an appearance this weekend.

The Canadian Grand Prix is renowned for its unpredictable nature giving the race a distinct lottery-like ambiance. Qualifying remains an important piece of the puzzle but the few opportunities that exist for overtaking will add to Sunday’s showpiece. Seventy laps in total are what Lewis Hamilton will have to get the better of teammate Rosberg. Although Nico Rosberg is nurturing some very special form as a three time previous winner of the Canadian Grand Prix, this is a track where Hamilton should be able to turn the tables.

By Sebastian Vettel’s standards it has been a relatively quiet start to the season. Despite this he leads the championship by twenty-one points from Kimi Raikkonen. Ultimately, the Red Bull has not been the fastest car this season and their tyre woes, although not as obvious, have been well documented. Nevertheless, if Raikkonen and Alonso are to make a serious play for the title the Canadian Grand Prix seventy laps seems as vital a time as any to do just that. In the fight between the two challengers Alonso would be expected to hold the upper have in changeable weather conditions in terms of car performance.

Twenty-two raring-to-go racing drivers and a famous stretch of Canadian asphalt looms large in a grand prix weekend filled with potential for both drama and electrifying battle.

June 5, 2013
F1 Wall of Champions compilation

A short compilation of a view victims of the Wall of Champions.

June 1, 2013