I love the circuit Gilles Villeneuve. It has a real charm about it and almost always has a tendency to deliver dramatic races.
The track itself is effectively two long straights separated by two chicanes and a few slow corners. Those slow corners, few as they may be, are going to be very important this weekend. Look out for a car with good traction out of the slow corners. More than that, straight-line speed, given the two long stretches of asphalt, is also important. Given that McLaren is in possession of the best engine in F1 and the best KERS system – the team’s not a bad bet for this weekend.
The first free practice session is always a bit quiet. The track is only used once a year it tends to linger on the green side for a while. As a result, teams are more likely to focus on aero- and sensor-testing during the first session. Hence all the flo-vis paint on the various cars. Yes, even the Red Bull. The Milton Keyes based team has also brought a new front wing and rear diffuser to this race. It is a track that doesn’t suit the characteristics of the RB7 (high speed corners demanding lots of aero grip is its forte). Despite that, they still remain aggressive and sent a clear message that they won’t be settling for points this weekend.
This circuit isn’t too much like Monaco. Actually it isn’t at all like Monaco. The only similarity really is the proximity of the barriers. In the age of massive tarmac run-off areas, Canada still, thankfully, has not fallen into that trap, no pun intended.
As I write this Mark Webber runs onto the grass. It really has been the story of his 2011 season, hasn’t it? It’s been a story of nothing going his way and a serious loss of form now running from last season’s finale in Abu Dhabi right up until… now. If anyone needs to win this weekend, it is Mark Webber. Then again if anyone needs to win every F1 weekend, it’s Mark Webber. It’s a perplexing conundrum seeing as his teammate is all-dominant in exactly the same piece of kit. None of that, Webber-doesn’t-have-the-same-car nonsense either. Just refer to Silverstone in 2010 and the now infamous “how’s that for a number two driver” quote; and you know one Mark Webber will never keep quiet if it is the case.
At the moment, as I type this while watching the first practise session, there seems to be a big problem with Lewis Hamilton’s steering column about 46 minutes into the session. It seems luck is still not on his side, as it wasn’t in Monaco. Though, if you want to have a problem you want it to happen during the first practice session. He won’t be losing crucial track time at this stage; the track is still relatively green.
Another important factor to keep in mind this weekend is brake temperature. Red Bull is already working on Seb Vettel’s brakes. The six braking points around the track make it the toughest track on brakes on the entire calendar. Keeping them cool will be another challenge.
Sebastian Vettel has just added his name to the illustrious list of those drivers’s that have crashed in the Wall of Champions. Of course, no driver wants to crash but it is the Wall of Champions!
This is where we’ll end for the first free practice session. It seems apt.
The Canadian GP starts at 18:30 on Supersport HD on Sunday.