Canadian Grand Prix: Stage Preview

      The Canadian Grand Prix is like compensation for fans after three consecutive stages on non–racing tracks in Imola, Monaco and Barcelona. A bright race on an interesting city track, where there are barriers nearby and you can overtake. The atmosphere is fantastic, the fans are well versed in racing – before Austin, the Canadian stage was one of two, along with Melbourne, where Formula 1 felt at home outside Europe.

      The Canadian highway is one of the most controversial. It is simultaneously compared to Monaco and Monza. It would seem that what could the "labyrinth" on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and the Italian "Temple of Speed" have in common? But the Montreal circuit surprisingly combines high-speed straights connected by slow turns with concrete walls surrounding the track. For many, the race in Montreal is one of the favorite stages of the season. Canada also loves its Grand Prix, which has a well-deserved reputation for being unpredictable and very interesting.

      An old–school semi-stationary track between barriers on an artificial island, changeable weather, unusual settings and woodchucks watching what is happening - before the stage they try to move them out, but some like racing and stay. All this adds charm to the Canadian stage, forming a puzzle that needs to be solved better than others to win, which is not always possible for the leaders.

      Before, it was almost impossible to name the winner of this race in advance, but the organizers moved away the dangerous areas, simplified the configuration, changed the asphalt – and for the last ten years the winner of the race has been very predictable. It was the pole winner seven times. Hamilton has five wins, Vettel has two, Verstappen has two in the last two years, and Ricciardo's first in 2014, when eight drivers failed to finish at once.

      A truly legendary stage. Only here does the simple barrier at Turn 14 have its own name, the "Wall of Champions," which was acquired in 1999 after the crashes of three world champions.

      As Nigel Mansell joked, "Formula 1 drivers fall into two categories: those who have crashed into this wall, and those who are yet to do so." However, now the wall does not pose the same danger – in 2002 it was moved back a meter, but accidents sometimes happen.

      Accidents at the "Wall of Champions"

      The Year

      of the Racer

       Team

       Session

      

      1997

      A.Wurz

       Benetton

       Qualification

      1997

      J.Villeneuve

       Williams

       race, 1st lap

      1999

      R.Schumacher

       Williams

       qualification

      

      of the 1999 Umbrella

       BAR

       race, 2nd lap

      1999

      D.Hill

       Jordan

       race, lap 14

      , 1999

      M.Schumacher

       Ferrari

       Race, Lap 29

      , 1999

      Villeneuve

       BAR

       race, lap 34

      , 2001

      R.Barrichello

       Ferrari

       qualification

      2001

      N.Heidfeld

       Sauber

       qualification

      2005

      D.Button

       BAR

       race, lap 46

      , 2006

      T.Monteiro

       Midland

      first training

      session 2006

      Montoya

       McLaren

       race, Lap 13

      , 2007

      V.Liuzzi

       Toro Rosso

       race, lap 54

      , 2010

      K.Kobayashi

       BMW Sauber

       race, 1st lap

      2011

      S.Vettel

       Red Bull

       the first training

      session of 2012

      by B.Senna

       Williams

       second training

      session 2012

      P.Maldonado

       Williams

       qualification

      2016

      K.Sainz

       Toro Rosso

       qualification

      2019

      K.Magnussen

       Haas

       qualification

      

      2024 Zhou

       Sauber

       the third training session

      

      Compared to last year's Canadian Grand Prix, there were six new drivers in the championship. And if in the case of Sargent and Zhou, a replacement was in order, then with the departure of Ricciardo, Magnussen, Bottas and Perez, Formula 1 still lost.

      At first, it seemed that the "young blood" would refresh the fight in the World Cup, add new colors, but so far the expectations have not been fulfilled – several months have passed and their names are more often mentioned in connection with accidents and not all cause the same optimism.

      In the long run, some of these replacements will certainly work, but not all. On the one hand, the experienced drivers who left the championship seemed to be approaching the end of their careers, on the other hand, age in Formula 1 does not affect the result, rather the opposite. Aston Martin relied on Alonso, Ferrari on Hamilton, Audi on Hulkenberg, relying on their experience.

      Driving a really fast car (almost) any Formula 1 racer can become a champion, but the ability to make this car fast is given to few and requires completely different, if you will – socio-technical skills, where the simple ability to drive fast, so important in the youth series, is not enough. Not all fast drivers and junior champions reach at least their first victory in Formula 1 – ask Hulkenberg, but that didn't stop Audi from inviting Nico – his experience is important to them.

      However, this applies not only to the racers. Renault has tried many strong managers who can make any business successful, but they failed in Formula 1, and Flavio Briatore was returned to this post, who has no specialized education, he is not a manager, not a technician, he just knows how to create teams capable of winning.

      In Formula 1, the result of rearranging the terms is very different.