Track: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
Number of Laps: 70
Circuit Length: 2.7 miles (4.4km)
Race Length: 189.7 miles (305.3km)
Start Time: 19:00 BST
Fastest Lap: 1:12.275 (Ralf Schumacher, Williams BMW, 2004)
Fastest Race Lap: 1:13.622 (Rubens Barrichello, Scuderia Ferrari, 2004)
2014 Pole Position: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes AMG Petronas, 1:14.874, Supersoft Tyres
2014 Race Winner: Daniel Ricciardo, Infiniti Red Bull Racing Renault
Tyre Compounds: Supersoft, Soft, Intermediate, Wet
First F1 Grand Prix: 1967
Most Wins: Michael Schumacher (7)
After a huge strategy error gifted an easy win to Nico Rosberg two weeks ago, Lewis Hamilton will be hoping that he is able to increase the gap in the championship again with victory at what is arguably his best circuit. Lewis took his first ever win here in 2007, a feat achieved by numerous drivers at this circuit.
The French Canadian and namesake of the circuit Gilles Villeneuve took his first ever win at his home track, all the way back in 1978. Frenchman Jean Alesi celebrated his only win on his 31st birthday in 1995, whilst Robert Kubica also took his only victory at the track – taking his maiden win in 2008 – repeating Lewis Hamilton a year earlier.
More recently, however, Daniel Ricciardo took his first win at the Canadian Grand Prix. A brake failure forced Hamilton out of the race last year, with Rosberg also struggling with brakes and an MGU-H failure. That allowed Ricciardo to overtake the Mercedes driver and win what was a safety car ended race, as Felipe Massa and Sergio Perez suffered a heavy collision on the final lap down the pit straight.
Daniel Ricciardo took his first win here last year
Lotus CEO Matthew Carter told Sky Sports that Mercedes are bringing an upgraded engine to this race – the first of four consecutive power dominated circuits. Also using up their engine tokens are Ferrari and Honda. The Scuderia are hoping to close the gap to the Silver Arrows, and removing the power deficit would go a long way to helping them do that.
Jenson Button claimed McLaren Honda’s first points of the year at Monaco, but the lack of power needed around the slowest circuit on the calendar perhaps explains how. Fernando Alonso has told the Japanese power unit supplier to focus on reliability rather than power, but in order for him to score his first points finish of the season at Montreal he will need both.
There have been a lot of great Canadian Grands Prix – Mansell stalling on the last lap in 1995, the longest ever race in 2011, 7 different winners in the first 7 race in 2012 and of course last season’s thriller. Let’s hope we do at last get a good race this year.
Images courtesy of Infiniti Red Bull Racing
