Motor Racing
Canadian Grand Prix Preview
Last time out in Monaco, we saw yet another different victor in Charles Leclerc, the fourth this term which is already more than last year’s season.
With a win at his home track under his belt, the Monégasque driver and the rest of the grid travel across the Atlantic back to North America, heading to Montréal for the Canadian Grand Prix.
Bet on the Canadian Grand Prix with William Hill
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve overview
Dissimilar to the past two tracks in Emilia-Romagna and Monaco, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve offers plenty of scope for the drivers to get aggressive with more opportunities to overtake on track. That said, the track offers certain challenges, with it narrowing in the chicanes. This has seen drivers in previous iterations of the race clatter into the walls at turns three and four, the hairpin and the famous Wall of Champions.
We’re likely to see a reduced amount of downforce in comparison to Monaco, due to the nature of the track which features plenty of long straights for maximum speed. However, sacrificing the downforce will make for exciting spectacles around the slow-speed corners and various chicanes, as the drivers will be tested to their limits in order to keep their cars on track and avoid any mistakes. Arguably the hardest challenge for the drivers will be to keep their brakes in good working order throughout the 70 laps, as in previous years we have seen cars being retired due to their brakes becoming increasingly worn throughout the race as a result of those harsh, slow turns.
Additionally, the tyre wear is something the teams will need to figure out, as the Canadian GP tends to be in the middle-ground between a one-stop and a two-stop race. Last year, most teams opted for the two-stop, with all three on the podium employing that same strategy. With regards to overtakes, there were 20 in last year’s race which was helped along by the fact that there are three DRS zones that the drivers can exploit time and time again.
Main teams to look out for
Aston Martin
Monaco was a race to forget for Aston Martin, with both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll finishing out of the points in P11 and P14 respectively. The team look to be slowly worsening as the season progresses, so they’ll be looking to turn the tables and leave the Canadian circuit with some success on which to build.
The circuit should work more in their favour than Monaco did, as their strengths do lie on the straights. So, with a bit of luck and some flawless driving, the two Aston Martin drivers could pick up a few points together.
Mercedes
Mercedes had a decent race, but with a breakdown in communication between the team and Lewis Hamilton, they lost out on a point or two in Monaco. George Russell finished in P5 ahead of Max Verstappen, with teammate Hamilton finishing P7.
Russell and Hamilton are 10/1 and 12/1 respectively to finish on the podium but seem to be a long way off the top three teams, despite having put a considerable gap between them and their closest contenders in Aston Martin. Mercedes do seem to have taken a step back, however this season has been far more closely contended than that of the last, so it’d be remiss to write off any upsets!
McLaren
The red flag in Monaco slightly hindered McLaren’s performance, as they looked set on taking two spots on the podium. Oscar Piastri had an absolute blinder, coming second on the podium at P2, with teammate Lando Norris, the winner of the Miami Grand Prix, just missing out in P4.
History plays against them here in Montréal, as unbelievably, the team has not managed to score any points here since 2014. However, the car looks in great nick and the drivers look to be running hot, so the prices for both Norris to win the Grand Prix (6/1) and Oscar Piastri to finish on the podium (6/5) look the best value.
Ferrari
Charles Leclerc finally broke the Monaco curse winning his first race since 2022. It was a fantastic showing from both Ferrari drivers, with teammate Carlos Sainz finishing on the podium as well at P3. The car should perform well in Canada, as both drivers picked up a top-five finish in last year’s race here.
Leclerc looks to be more strongly suited to the track with his ability on the straights, coupled with that around the slower corners, sure to pay dividends when it comes to race day. Because of this, Leclerc has the short price of 2/5 to hit the podium once again, with better value lying with his teammate Sainz at 9/4.
Red Bull
Monaco seemed the toughest race for the Red Bull team so far this season, with Sergio Pérez being wiped out early in the race, and Max Verstappen stuck behind Mercedes’ George Russell for the majority of the 78 laps.
Canada should be an exciting race for spectators, as both Red Bull drivers will likely be contested around this track to claw back some of the lost ground early on in the season. Despite this, Max Verstappen is as short as 4/11 to pick up his third consecutive win here, with plenty more value in Pérez to finish on the podium at 10/3.
