4 June 2024 10:00 (UTC)
“Our aim is to build a car that can be consistently competitive at all types of circuit”
We’re heading into the Canadian Grand Prix on a hot streak of four podiums from four races, stretching back to Round 5 in China, and we’re hoping to use that momentum to break our recent Canada curse.
Despite being the most successful team in the race’s history, with 13 wins, we’ve not actually scored a point in Montréal since 2014, when Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen finished fourth and ninth, respectively.
As well as a guide to the circuit and a recap of our most recent race, we’ve gathered the thoughts of Lando, Oscar and Team Principal Andrea Stella to give you the lowdown on the Canadian Grand Prix. We’ve also explained another of F1’s complicated terms and provided you with your latest F1 icebreaker.
“Canada is up next! I enjoy racing in Montréal. It’s a fun track with some challenging sections that make it more exciting. Our car has performed well at a few different types of circuits, but we know we might have our work cut out in Canada. Our competitors are likely to be strong here.
“It was nice to have a week off after the Imola-Monaco double header. We walked away with two podiums, and a lot of points for the team. I’ve had productive sessions with my engineers back in the MTC, and now I’m excited to see what we can do this weekend.”
“Monaco was special. I felt it on all three days and getting a podium in Senna colours around those streets was sensational. As a young boy back in Australia, Monaco was one that I would dream about, so it’s nice to collect some silverware from one of the classics.
“I’ve been happy with where my driving is at the moment, especially the consistency that I’ve shown across the last three events. Progress is never linear but I’m enjoying showing what I can do and driving this car, which the team have done such a strong job with.
“Hopefully, in Canada, we can pick up where we left off because it’s so tight at the sharp end of the grid, and we want more.”
“We are pleased to have returned to the factory from the double header with two P2 trophies. Both Lando and Oscar’s strong finishes enabled us to continue securing a stronghold in our Constructors’ Championship position. However, we are still towards the start of the season, so we have to work hard to ensure these results keep coming.
“The Circuit Gilles Villenueve is a driver and fan favourite, and one that poses a few new challenges when compared to circuits we’ve raced at so far this year. We go into this year’s Canadian Grand Prix more optimistic than last year’s, but with the understanding that we still face a tough battle to be competitive here. Our aim is to build a car that can be consistently competitive at all types of circuit, and the team are working hard to unlock that performance.”
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a unique track in that it’s fast and flowing but with a lot of heavy braking zones and slow corners. The 4.361km long circuit is almost entirely made out of straights and chicanes, and that naturally brings the speed down.
The last of those chicanes is the infamous Wall of Champions, which has caught out many of F1’s best drivers, including Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve, Michael Schumacher and Jenson Button. The Wall of Champions sits at the final corner of the circuit during a tight right-left chicane where cars have slowed down from roughly 300 km/h. Significant time can be gained at the end of a lap by riding the kerbs of this sequence, but a lack of grip means it’s easy to lose the car and end up buried in the wall.
This chicane is sandwiched between two lengthy straights, which provide the circuit’s best overtaking opportunities. There’s a chance to gain a slipstream at either side of the chicane, giving cars two quickfire shots to make a move. This demands a lot from the cars, as they’re required to accelerate and brake repeatedly, and this works the brakes and the power unit hard.
We’re on a run of four podiums in a row heading into a Grand Prix where we’ve not scored a point for 10 years. Oscar notched his first podium of the season last time out in Monaco, finishing in second behind home winner Charles Leclerc, with Lando a couple of spots back in fourth.
The Monaco Grand Prix marked our second successive 30-point weekend in a row, after Lando finished second and Oscar fourth in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. We’re third in the Constructors’ Championship with 184 points, 88 ahead of fourth.
F1 is full of specialist slang and complicated jargon that can stump even the most avid of fans, which is why we’ll be explaining common F1 terminology ahead of each grand prix this season. This week, we’ll be explaining what it means when drivers “ride the kerbs”.
As referenced above, there is time to be gained by “riding the kerbs”, but why and what does this mean? In F1, kerbs are used to outline the track limits and to prevent drivers from cutting corners to gain an advantage.
This doesn’t mean that they’re completely off-limits, however. The standard kerbs you’ll often see lining a track can be ridden to a certain extent. Many of the kerbs surrounding Canada’s various chicanes are ideal for this, as racers can drive over the inside kerb with one or two of their wheels to gain time without damaging their car.
This allows a driver to get a tighter line going into a corner and a wider line when exiting the turn, maximising acceleration. The individual gains are marginal, but if a driver can ride enough of the kerbs over the course of a lap, it can make a significant difference.
Riding the kerbs must be done with an air of caution. Take too much, and it can damage the floors of the car or cause a driver to lose control.
Stuck for conversation with your F1-loving friends? Spark up a discussion with our F1 icebreaker…
The 2011 Canadian Grand Prix won by McLaren’s Jenson Button, lasted a staggering four hours, four minutes, and 39.537 seconds due to torrential weather conditions.
Our wardrobe rotation in the last couple of weeks has been entirely made up of the Monaco and Senna collections and we’re not ready for this to change just yet. We haven’t stopped thinking about the beautiful Ayrton Senna-inspired livery we ran in Monte Carlo, and although we won’t be able to see it back on track again this weekend, we can still wear the merchandise. If you’ve not already copped the full ranges, you’ve still got time. Grab it before its all gone.
