Pirelli: The Soft tires have become a kind of "wild card."

      The Canadian race took place on a dry track, but the rain still affected its outcome…

      Dario Marraffuschi, director of Pirelli Motorsport: “There was no rain during the race, but in a sense, the rain still became a factor in the race, at least regarding the start.

      The decision of four teams, including McLaren, to put intermediate tires on the grid in anticipation of a sudden change in weather turned out to be risky. This move did not pay off. As soon as the lights went out, it became clear that the race would take place on a dry track.

      The cool weather forced the other teams to rely on the softest compound, which, thanks to higher grip, helped them get into the working range faster, despite the additional difficulties caused by two extra formation laps.

      The Soft compound became a sort of “joker,” due to its stability, allowing drivers to go until the first pit stop of the race, but the fastest strategy still proved its effectiveness, as evidenced by the positions of the Alpine drivers, who started on Medium tires and finished on Hard.

      Even in cool weather, the granulation was minimal and did not affect the length of the stint, allowing drivers to focus on battling on the track, which once again provided a spectacular Grand Prix.

      The fastest lap today, set by race winner Kimi Antonelli, was less than a tenth slower than the best lap of the 2025 race, which was then driven by his teammate Russell, indicating the progress of the new generation cars.”