Canadian Grand Prix: Stage Preview

      An extremely unusual schedule for Formula 1 – one race in eight weeks. The last time this happened was during COVID, and now the situation in the Middle East, where in general there is little room for spectacle.

      The change in regulations gives this pause a special color and hidden meaning. The teams suddenly found time, which they are actively using – and this break in the schedule could play a decisive role in determining the new champion.

      Three races in March followed the same scenario, then the teams sat at their bases for almost five weeks, and at the beginning of May, the stage in Miami confirmed that everything in Formula 1 changes quickly; now ahead is Canada, where everything will also be a bit different, followed by a crazy European series, where in those same eight weeks we will see six races.

      Many teams will bring their innovations to Montreal. And although this stage takes place in an inconvenient testing format with a Saturday sprint, it is still better than the race in Monaco, where nothing can be tested at all.

      Many believe that the sprint should have been held in Monaco, where the intrigue is always lacking, and two qualifying sessions over the weekend would allow drivers to rack up enough cars for it to appear.

      The next stage of updates will traditionally be in Barcelona, but that is only in mid-June.

      The Canadian Grand Prix is like compensation for fans after stages on non-overtaking tracks. It has always stood apart. It’s an away race. Bright. With a night schedule for us. A Grand Prix on an interesting city circuit, where barriers are close and overtaking is possible. A fantastic atmosphere, fans who understand racing well – until Austin, the Canadian stage was one of two, along with Melbourne, where Formula 1 felt at home even outside Europe.

      In terms of its characteristics, the Canadian track is one of the most controversial. It is simultaneously compared to Monaco and Monza. What could possibly be common between the "maze" on the shores of the Mediterranean and the Italian "Temple of Speed"? But the racetrack on the artificial island of Ile Notre Dame in Montreal remarkably combines fast straights connected by slow corners 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.

      A semi-permanent old-school track between concrete walls, changeable weather, unusual settings with relatively low downforce, and observing groundhogs – before the stage, attempts are made to relocate them, but some still remain to watch the race.

      All this adds charm to the Canadian stage, forming a puzzle that needs to be solved better than others to win.

      It was almost impossible to name the winner of this race in advance, but the organizers have moved the dangerous sections, simplified the configuration, changed the asphalt – and for the last ten years, the winner here has been quite predictable. Seven times it was the pole holder.

      But this is truly a legendary stage. Only here does a simple barrier at turn 14 have its own name – "The Wall of Champions," given 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 have yet to." However, now the wall does not pose the same danger – in 2002 it was moved back by a meter, but crashes still happen.

      Crashes at "The Wall of Champions"

      

       Year

       Driver

       Team

       Session

      

      

       1997

       A. Wurz

       Benetton

       qualifying

      

      

       1997

       J. Villeneuve

       Williams

       race, 1st lap

      

      

       1999

       R. Schumacher

       Williams

       qualifying

      

      

       1999

       R. Zonta

       BAR

       race, 2nd lap

      

      

       1999

       D. Hill

       Jordan

       race, 14th lap

      

      

       1999

       M. Schumacher

       Ferrari

       race, 29th lap

      

      

       1999

       J. Villeneuve

       BAR

       race, 34th lap

      

      

       2001

       R. Barrichello

       Ferrari

       qualifying

      

      

       2001

       N. Heidfeld

       Sauber

       qualifying

      

      

       2005

       J. Button

       BAR

       race, 46th lap

      

      

       2006

       T. Monteiro

       Midland

       first practice

      

      

       2006

       J. Montoya

       McLaren

       race, 13th lap

      

      

       2007

       V. Liuzzi

       Toro Rosso

       race, 54th lap

      

      

       2010

       K. Kobayashi

       BMW Sauber

       race, 1st lap

      

      

       2011

       S. Vettel

       Red Bull

       first practice

      

      

       2012

       B. Senna

       Williams

       second practice

      

      

       2012

       P. Maldonado

       Williams

       qualifying

      

      

       2016

       C. Sainz

       Toro Rosso

       qualifying

      

      

       2019

       K. Magnussen

       Haas

       qualifying

      

      

       2024

       G. Zhou

       Sauber

       third practice