CANADIAN GP 2019

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Everso Biggyballies
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CANADIAN GP 2019

#1

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

PIRELLI 2019 Canadian GP Preview

Again, as usual, an updated version of an old preview I did. Better than nothing. :wink:

Built on a man-made island in the St Lawrence river, the circuit is named after the legendary Ferrari ace who made history by becoming the first Canadian to win a world championship grand prix at his home track in 1978, and thrilled spectators the world over with his ability, but moreso attitude, throughout a tragically brief career.

There is no longer a Villeneuve in F1 for the Canadians to cheer, but they are still likely to see an enthralling race, for the tight confines and dusty surface of the little-used temporary track tend to encourage incident.

Famous moments include Nigel Mansell (allegedly) throwing away victory in 1991 by stalling while waving to the crowd on the final lap, then crashing while trying to pass Ayrton Senna a year later.

Alex Wurz provided the fireworks in 1998 when he rolled spectacularly at the first corner – then hopped into the spare car for the restart and came from last to fourth!

The barrier at Montreal’s tricky final chicane is now known as the ‘Champions’ Wall’ on account of its habit of catching out the big names.

In 1999 former title winners Michael Schumacher, Villeneuve and Damon Hill all clattered into the unforgiving wall during the race.

Recent years saw further drama – in 2007 Robert Kubica escaped the most ferocious crash in years, and Lewis Hamilton emerged from the chaos to secure his first ever grand prix win.

But the roles were reversed a year later, as Kubica took BMW's first and only F1 victory as an entrant and Hamilton had an embarrassing pit lane crash.

The circuit as I said tends to bring out something of a form breaker. Last year Hamilton won his second Canadian GP, but more importantly the previously dominant were no where to be seem on the podium, although both cars finished, albeit with gearbox issues. It was mainly about Tyres though, with Bridgestone trying some very different compounds that seemed to catch pretty much everyone out at some stage.

This year we have the new Pirelli tyres, in the Soft and Super Soft compounds we had in Monaco. We also have the KERS and DRS systems, albeit with a difference to normal.....

We will see for the first time a double DRS zone..... Will double DRS work? The FIA deserves plenty of praise for being willing to experiment with and tweak the DRS arrangement as the new technology settles in. But there's a fear that being able to trigger the device twice in a lap might make passing just too easy and therefore devalue it.

A fast, low-grip track with little run-off in places, Montreal has always seen plenty of incident. Think Robert Kubica's infamous 2007 crash, or Alex Wurz rolling at the start of the 1998 race in one of the first corner crashes that the turn 1/2 layout is also notorious for.

Plus this was a track where overtaking was always pretty realistic even before Pirelli, DRS and KERS came along – indeed, it's perhaps the one venue on the calendar where those aids weren't really necessary. (So we have two DRS zones, go figure. ) Incidentally those DRS zones are along the main straigh after the hairpin up to the chicanr and again after the chicane will be the second zone.

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ABOUT MONTREAL

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Montreal is a lively multi-cultural city, easy to get around, great for sightseeing on foot and with a well-earned reputation for the standard of its restaurants.
Montreal has long been a favourite destinations of F1 teams and spectators .

Old Montreal and the port are perfect are for those into the scenic things, and those into shopping will love the modern commercial centres or the miles of underground shopping arcades, which lie beneath the downtown area. In the evenings Montreal's French Quarter is packed with Grand Prix race fans enjoying Montreal's party atmosphere.

The fans flood to Montreal because not only is the event at the track so spectacular, but the city itself is an awesome place to be.

Downtown in Canada’s second-largest city is just across the Saint Lawrence River in which the Ile Notre-Dame sits, and it’s an eclectic venue.

While the old town offers up cobbled streets, cosy bars and cafes, classy restaurants and stunning architecture such as the Notre-Dame Basilica, there’s also the business district, a lively nightlife scene and the imposing Mont Royal itself that overlooks the city.

Montreal comes alive with F1-specific events during race week, and at different locations fans can take in live music as well as activities like a pit stop challenge, as the city really embraces the Grand Prix.

And from a wider sporting point of view, Montreal Impact ply their trade at Saputo Stadium by the Olympic Park - itself with links to the circuit location as another host site in 1976 - and the Montreal Alouettes CFL team are also in pre-season action around the time of the race.




The Canadian Grand Prix circuit, on the Ile Notre Dame, is easily accessible by
Metro from Montreal's city centre.

THE TRACK.

Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, with the wall-lined track on the island of Ile
Notre-Dame is traditionally a venue that produces unpredictable racing. It’s a bit
of a one-off, which is great for Formula 1 – and I think this year’s race has all
the ingredients for a classic.

The Montreal circuit has a habit of throwing up surprising results and
unconventional races. Its semi-permanent nature and the proximity of walls to
the circuit punish even slight errors – as many of the higher profile drivers
have discovered to their cost . From that point of view this could be the
one venue and race that we might possibly see a new team get a couple of lucky
breaks and wind up in the points.

Most teams and certainly fans are happy to be at the Canadian Grand Prix and
it was great to see it return last year after a break.

The track itself is on an island on the St Lawrence River in Montreal, fairly close to
downtown, and from all accounts it shares a reputation with the Australian GP as
being a good party weekend, with the locals all getting fully behind the event..
This year’s Grand Prix season is turning into one of the most exciting yet as the
drivers and teams head for the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal on this
weekend .

Hitting wildlife is an unfortunate but regular occurrence at this circuit with
seagulls and groundhogs the main victims. Anthony Davidson was unfortunate to
hit a groundhog I think it was in 2008 whilst in a podium position! Nannini hit one
whilst leading the race many years ago, and had to pit to have the remains cleaned
from the sidepod of hisBenetton.

Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve

* Number of laps 70
* Circuit Length 4.361 km/2.71 miles
* Race Length 305.27 km/189.7 miles
* Number of Corners: 15
* Longest throttle opening: 15 seconds going into Turn 1 & 2
* Full throttle: 60%
* Average speed of 200km/h
* Top speeds peaking at 320km/h on the start-finish straigh
* Slowest Corner: L’Epingle hairpin taken in second gear at just 105kph
* Gearchanges per race: 3,500
* Brake wear: High
* Downforce level: Low
* DRS Zones: Two

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Located on the Ile Notre Dame, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a power track.

The 4.361km lap is driven at an average of 200km/h with top speeds peaking at
320km/h
on the start-finish straight where throttles will be fully open for 15
seconds going into Turn 2. As such, engine power and durability will be deciding
variables this weekend.

Sufficient torque to power the car out of the corners will also be key as the
high speed straights are met by a combination of slow and medium speed
corners, the slowest of which being L’Epingle hairpin taken in second gear at
just 65mph. Low downforce settings for the straights must therefore be
complemented by medium grip levels and a well balanced set-up for good
cornering capability to achieve a quick lap time.

The stop-start nature of the circuit also places considerable demands on the
gearbox as up to 3,500 changes can be made during the 70-lap race. Combined
with Montréal’s imposing kerbs and the unforgiving run-off areas, the Circuit
Gilles Villeneuve invariably claims a number of casualties.

The circuit characteristics are quite different from say the aero dependant
Istanbul Park, and so I suspect all teams will see it as a venue less suited to the
aero dominant RBR team. On paper this venue will not be ticking many boxes for
RBR, especially as we know they have no plans to bring the F Duct upgrade they
are currently working on, so top speed enhancement may be a challenge for
them.

It is also a circuit notorious for its high fuel consumption..... after the antics and
fuel starvation modes we saw drivers having to resort to in Turkey a dry race
will surely see the same again.

The track surface is always a problem, and prone to breaking up, making it very
treacherous offline because of all the marbles and crumbled track. Dont be
surprised to see marshalls doing track maintenance in safety car periods.

In 2005, the Canadian Grand Prix was the most watched Formula One GP in the
world. The race was also the third most watched sporting event on the planet,
behind the first place Super Bowl XXXIX and the UEFA Champions League Final.



The return of the Canadian Grand Prix has restored one of the sport’s best
loved races to the Formula One calendar, but it also brings back one of the
most technically demanding power circuits.

The composition of long straights and slow corners demands an efficient low
downforce car set-up with excellent stability under braking, coupled with good
traction sustained through the corner and good engine torque when exiting.
The lap is very stop-start and thus one of the toughest circuits on brakes and
engines, requiring engineers to pay close attention to brake wear and engine
telemetry throughout the 70 laps.

The minimal downforce nature of the circuit requires teams to optimise engine
performance and reduce drag where possible to accelerate quickly out of the
slow corners or chicanes, power down the straight and remain stable under
braking to negotiate the next sequence of the lap.

• Montreal is all about brakes. With long, long straights into hard-braking
corners, the circuit stresses brakes massively. Failures, and thus crashes, are
common here.

- Traction and how the car uses the tyres at corner exit will be the key to the
life of the rear tyres.

• The circuit also has quite low grip levels as it is a temporary facility. Wind
from the river can also play havoc with set-up and gear ratios.

• The surface here is relatively smooth but because of the high speeds and
heavy braking it’s still a severe test of tyre durability.

• The long straights and high speeds can stress engines too.

AERO


In terms of aero, Montreal will see the cars running with the lowest levels of
downforce so far this year. Only at Monza will cars run less downforce. Teams
will therefore bring different wings that haven’t been used before to ensure
good straight-line speed. That will give the car quite a different feel and the
drivers will need to adjust to this.

Low downforce settings for the straights must therefore be complemented by
medium grip levels and a well balanced set-up for good cornering capability to
achieve a quick lap time.


BRAKES

Montreal is by far the toughest circuit on the calendar for the brakes with 16
percent of the lap spent on the brakes, which compares to 12 percent at Monza.
There are four big stops where the drivers are braking from over 300 km/h plus
down to around 120 km/h, which puts enormous energy levels through the
braking system. And because it’s such a short lap, it is little respite between
those five big stops for 70 laps during the race.

With a total of 15 corners around the lap, temperatures can reach up to 1,000°C
during the race, so the teams bring bespoke brakes and pads to Montréal which
can withstand the high wear levels and temperatures.

Brake performance is heavily linked to the aerodynamics (because the smaller the
cooling ducts, the better the aero efficiency of the car) and so theyalways try and
run the brakes very hot as this means you get more performance out of the rest
of the car.

Most teams now run the brakes in their factories on special dynos in order to tune
the cooling levels required, to see how much margin we have and how extreme they
can afford to be.”

Lets not forget also that with cars starting the race fuelled to the brim, the
demands on the brakes will be even tougher than in previous years. Compared
with the last Canadian Grand Prix in 2008, teams expect around 10 percent more
energy going through the braking system.

Add to that the low downforce packages means the braking contribution caused
by aerodynamic drag will be reduced, putting even more burden on the brake system.

SUSPENSION

Set-up is geared towards aero efficiency on the straights and maximising traction out
of the slow speed corners.

The ideal Montreal set-up also demands good traction and a car that can cope with
the bumpy track surface. If the car is bouncing through the air then you’re losing grip,
so the focus is on trying to keep the wheels in contact with the ground by softening
up the suspension to improve ride over the bumps. Running softer suspension also
gives the drivers good mechanical grip through the chicanes where it’s important
to be aggressive because that is where the key to fast laps is to be found.

In terms of traction out of the low-speed corners, the teams will be keen to avoid
high levels of rear tyre degradation. To ensure good traction teams will likely
compromise mid-corner performance of the car in order to have better traction
and protect the rear tyres. This almost inevitably causes more understeer on
corner turn-in, but it’s about making the right compromise for a set-up that will
work for the whole race.

PIRELLI TYRE PREVIEW

Like Monaco, Canada isn't a conventional racing circuit, and once more the three softest compounds in the P Zero Formula 1 range have been selected: the hard is the C3, the medium is the C4, and the soft is the C5. But that's where the similarities end. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve - named after Canada's most celebrated driver - holds a unique challenge, on only the second appearance this year for the softest C5.

Montreal is a semi-permanent track with smooth asphalt, using roads in the Parc Jean Drapeau that are open to the public for recreational activities during the rest of the year. This means that it's especially 'green' and slippery at the start of the grand prix weekend, with a high degree of track evolution as the surface gets rubbered in.

Canada is all about traction and braking, so getting heat into the front tyres is part of the challenge. There is no much run-off, so safety cars are a reasonably common occurrence, which of course can affect strategy.

Weather is variable, but cool temperatures and rain are quite common at this time of the year (in 2011, red flag interruptions because of rain let to the longest grand prix in F1 history, lasting more than four hours). As a result of the cool weather and track conditions, some degree of graining can be expected, especially at the start of the weekend.

Unlike Monaco, there's plenty of opportunity to overtake in Canada, with a much higher average speed, long straights, and plenty of heavy braking areas. This makes it a very tough circuit on brakes: something that the teams always have to look out for.

There was a mix of strategies used last year, with most drivers choosing a one-stopper, also influenced by an early safety car. The top two at the end (and on the grid) didn't start the race on the softest available compound, and that might be the case again this weekend. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) and Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) began on the ultrasoft - the approximate equivalent of the current C4 - before switching to the supersoft, which has been deleted from this year's line-up.

Unlike Monaco, when the teams stocked up on the softest compound, the harder compounds have also been selected for Montreal. In particular, Ferrari has chosen five sets of the medium tyre: more than any other team on the grid. This could indicate that some teams are planning to use these in Q2 and to start the race.

Canada is one of Pirelli's two grand prix title sponsorships this year, alongside France. The Italian firm will also be present at the official Formula 1 Fan Festival, which takes place in Chicago on Saturday during the Canadian Grand Prix weekend.

Pirelli recently completed a successful two-day test of the 2020 prototype wet weather tyres in Paul Ricard, France, with Ferrari and Red Bull. The next (slick tyre) 2020 development test isn't due to take place until after the Austrian Grand Prix.

Mario Isola: "Broadly speaking, our nomination for Canada is about the same as last year, when the hypersoft also made its second appearance of the year after Monaco. The main difference is that the hardest compound available this weekend is a bit harder than last year, and there is no equivalent of the supersoft in the 2019 range, so the choices are more spread out. While we have the same nomination as Monaco, a few of the teams have compared Montreal more with Baku - where we made a harder selection - because of the higher speeds, longer straights, and the challenge of balancing tyre temperatures across the front and rear of the car. Montreal is also a race that contains plenty of variety, in terms of strategy, on-track action and weather. The teams always go into it not knowing quite what to expect, so it's especially important to accumulate as much tyre data as possible in order to be able to make an informed reaction to changing circumstances."

HISTORY
Wins Driver Years won
7 Michael Schumacher 1994, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004
6 Lewis Hamilton 2007, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017
3 Nelson Piquet 1982, 1984, 1991
2 Pedro Rodríguez 1963, 1964
Jacky Ickx 1969, 1970
Jackie Stewart 1971, 1972
Alan Jones 1979, 1980
Ayrton Senna 1988, 1990
Sebastian Vettel 2013, 2018

Current drivers who have won in Montreal:
Raikkonen
Hamilton
Kubica
Vettel
Riciardo

(Note : No race in 2009)

Seven wins (1994, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004)
Lewis Hamilton: Two wins (2007, 2010)
Kubica, did score his and BMW's only ever race win here when he and Heidfeld finished 1-2.

Teams who have won more than once in Montreal:

Wins Constructor Years won
14 Ferrari 1963, 1964, 1970, 1978, 1983, 1985, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2018
13 McLaren 1968, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1999, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012
7 Williams 1979, 1980, 1986, 1989, 1993, 1996, 2001
4 Brabham 1967, 1969, 1982, 1984
3 Mercedes 2015, 2016, 2017
2 Lotus 1961, 1962
Tyrrell 1971, 1972
Benetton 1991, 1994
Red Bull 2013, 2014

Prior to F1, The Canadian Grand Prix was first staged at Mosport Park in
Bowmanville, Ontario as a sports car event ......


The early Canadian Grand Prix
was one of the premier events of the new Canadian Sports Car Championship, a
series which had been created alongside the Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport in
1961. Several international sports car as well as Formula One drivers
participated in the event. For the first five years, pre its F1 status, the event
was won by drivers with either prior Formula One experience, or would enter
the championship after winning the Canadian Grand Prix. In 1966 the
Can(adian)-Am(erican) Challenge Cup ran the event, with American Mark
Donohue winning.

In 1967 the F1 fraternity took over the Canadian GP..... and it has been part of
the Formula 1 World Championship since 1967 with a couple of minor
interruptions..

Before the days of the Montreal track, back in the late 1960s, the rivalry
between French and English speaking Canada meant that the country's Grand
Prix had two homes: Mosport Park one year and Mont-Tremblant the next.

Gurney-Eagle-Weslake Mosport 1967
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The first Canadian F1 GP, at Mosport in 1967 saw Jack Brabham the winner,
steering one of his own team cars to victory. Mont Tremblant, in Quebec,
hosted its first race in 1968. Denny Hulme took victory in his McLaren, but the
fact that only seven cars finished the race highlighted the unsuitable nature of
the punishing track surface. The venue staged just one more GP in 1970, won by
Jacky Ickx. (pic below)

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Mont-Tremblant was deemed too dangerous and the race moved full time to
Mosport Park.There have been an additional 10 Canadian F1 GP's prior to
Montreal, 8 at Mosport Park and 2 at Mont-Tremblant.

The Canadian Grand Prix then continued at Mosport Park until 1977, the only
break being due to financial problems in 1975. Among the names to win at the
track were Jackie Stewart (twice), Emerson Fittipaldi, James Hunt and Jody
Scheckter becoming the final Mosport winner.

Usual story with the small thumbnail images.... Click on them for larger version. ;)

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Mosport's most famous race was undoubtedly the 1973 event, which saw a pace
car on track for the first time during a Grand Prix. It followed a collision
between the Tyrrell of Francois Cevert and Scheckter in treacherous, wet
conditions. Scheckter's team mate Peter Revson then came from almost a lap
behind to take victory. Mosport frankly had become too dangerous, and F1 had
outgrown it.

Hill, Mosport 1973
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Our own Larry Perkins, Brabham 1976 Mosport Park.
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In 1977 the French Canadians, motivated by the incredible success of Gilles
Villeneuve, decided it was about time they built a race track. Building a new
circuit simply wasn't feasible, however, as time and money were against them.

Their solution was simple and effective. Taking the Ile Notre-Dame, they
connected all the island's roads and made a circuit. The island had been the
home of the 1967 World Fair (Expo'67) and was full of futuristic looking
buildings. It was, everyone agreed, a perfect venue for a Grand Prix. $2m
was spent on upgrading the circuit to Formula One standards, connecting all
the island's roads to make a track that could satisfy Formula One racing’s
exacting standards.

They succeeded. With a mixture of long straights and tight chicanes, it quickly
became one of the most popular tracks on the calendar - a claim it can still
make today. Although a stone’s throw from the bustle of downtown Montreal,
the circuit’s location on the man-made island in the St Lawrence seaway is
relatively tranquil, with slippery conditions on the opening day (due to the
track’s infrequent use) and rogue groundhogs among the regular hazards
for drivers. The first race was held there in October 1978.

So, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is one of Formula One’s longest serving race
tracks, having hosted its first Grand Prix in 1978. The 2010 event will be the
31st time Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has welcomed Formula One.


Gilles Villeneuve, in his first season with Ferrari, was yet to win an F1
race, but at his home Grand Prix he took a memorable debut victory.

The season had been dominated by Team Lotus with the ground-effect Lotus 79
and Mario Andretti had been crowned World Champion at Monza, although, on
the same day, his team mate Ronnie Peterson had been involved in a huge crash
and died the following day.

The F1 teams had gone to Watkins Glen where Carlos Reutemann won for Ferrari
and expectations were high that perhaps the local hero might even win his home
race. There were 73,000 people there to cheer him on. The race was dominated by
Peterson's replacement at Lotus, Jean-Pierre Jarier, who led 49 of the 70 laps but
then the Lotus failed him and Villeneuve went through to win amid scenes of mass
rejoicing.

Gilles Villeneuve, Canadian GP Winner 1978
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Villeneuve almost won again in 1979, but after a close tussle, Alan Jones won the
race for Williams,
but the racing was overshadowed by Niki Lauda's decision to
retire from the sport. The 1980 race witnessed another victory for Jones and this
time he took the World Championship despite a collision with Nelson Piquet, his
championship rival at the start of the race. The accident triggered a multiple crash
which caused the race to be red-flagged. One of the victims was Mike Thackwell -
who became the youngest ever GP starter that day - but covered only a few
hundred meters.

He avoided the crash but both his Tyrrell team mates were involved and there
was no spare car for the restart. Later in the race Renault's Jean-Pierre
Jabouille suffered serious leg injuries when his car suffered a suspension
failure and crashed heavily.

The autumn date meant that the weather could not always be guaranteed and in
1981 the race took place in torrential rain with Jacques Laffite winning for
Ligier thanks to Michelin wet tyres and the easy-to-handle Matra V12 engine.

Villeneuve as usual kept the crowds amused, it looked like Villeneuve would get
another chance to score the top step of the podium, but a collision between his
Ferrari and Arnoux's Renault meant he could only manage third in what was an
an uncompetitive Ferrari.

I have actually posted this already by popular demand but here it is again anyway,
A great video clip, the FIA review, of Canada 1981 is HERE

Actually there were two Villeneuves entered in the race....
Siegfried Stohr decided that
he no longer wanted to be an F1 driver and a deal was struck for Riccardo Patrese to be
partnered at Arrows in Canada by Jacques Villeneuve Senior (Gilles older brother, and
JV's Uncle) He DNQ'd. (pic below)

Gilles brother Jacques Villeneuve (Snr) Canada 1981, Arrows,
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Alan Jones announced that he was retiring from Formula 1 and there were rumors that
Mario Andretti would do the same.

For 1982 the race was scheduled for June but it was to be sad affair because a
month before the event Gilles Villeneuve died in a qualifying crash at Zolder. The
track was renamed in his honour prior to the GP being held.
His Ferrari team
mate Didier Pironi put his car on pole position but stalled at the start and was
hit from behind by the Osella of Riccardo Paletti. The young Italian suffered
multiple injuries and died later in hospital.

The race was won by Piquet in a Brabham-BMW, the first win for the Munich
company's turbocharged engine.


The following year, 1983, the name Villeneuve returned to the Montreal entry list with
Gilles brother Jacques again attempting, and unfortunately failing,
to qualify in a Ram March. Rene Arnoux was more successful, winning for Ferrari.

BMW would win again in 1984 while Ferrari won with Rene Arnoux in 1983 and
with Michele Alboreto in 1985. The 1986 race provided a victory for Nigel Mansell's
Williams-Honda.

In 1987 the race fell victim to a dispute between the F1 authorities and the
local organizers which had clashing sponsorship deals with beer companies
Molson and Labatt. The dispute led to the removal of the Canadian Automobile
Sports Club as the national sporting authority of Canada but the race was back
on again in 1988, after the track had undergone considerable modifications,
including a partially redesigned circuit and new garages.

Ayrton Senna took the first of two Montreal victories in 1988.The Brazilian's
1990 triumph came at the expense of team mate Gerhard Berger, who jumped
the start and was handed a one-minute time penalty. Berger made amends with
victory in 1982.

The race continued to throw up the occasional surprise with Thierry Boutsen
winning in the wet in 1989, leading home team mate Riccardo Patrese for a
Williams one-two after a rain-swept race.

Boutsen, Patrese on the podium in 1989, with De Cesaris 3rd in the Dallara.

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Nelson Piquet took an unexpected victory for Benetton in 1991 (his last ever GP
win)..... On course to a comfortable win, an over-exuberant Nigel Mansell
accidentally switched off his Williams’ engine while waving to the crowd on
the final lap
and Benetton’s Nelson Piquet passed him to pick up the winner’s
trophy.

1993 saw Alain's Prost's only Canadian triumph, also at the wheel of a Williams.

The 1995 race was another surprise with Jean Alesi inheriting victory after
after Michael Schumacher suffered a gearbox problem that dropped him to
fourth in his Benetton. Alesi famously ran out of fuel on his victory lap but was
given a lift back to the pits by the defeated Schumacher. It was a double
celebration as it was also Alesi’s 31st birthday.
Jean was driving the number 27
Ferrari, the same car number which carried Gilles Villeneuve into the hearts of
the Canadian Formula One fans. It was quite an emotional win.... Alesi's win at
Montreal was voted the most popular race victory of the season.


Schumi gives Alesi a lift back to pitlane
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In 1996 there was much excitement as Gilles Villeneuve's son Jacques became a
Williams driver but he was beaten by his team mate Damon Hill that day. In 1997
and 1998 the race belonged to Michael Schumacher (although he was lucky to win
in '97 after the race was stopped because of a serious accident which
left Prost's Olivier Panis with serious leg injuries).

In 1999, however, it became well-known for crashes involving former World
Champions.
Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve all crashed
into the same wall which had the slogan Bienvenue au Québec (Welcome to
Quebec in English) on it. The wall became ironically known as the "Wall of
Champions". Ricardo Zonta also was involved in a crash with The wall. He was,
at the time, the reigning FIA GT sports car champion. In recent years,
Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button, Nico Rosberg and Juan Pablo Montoya have
also fallen victim to the wall. So in 1999 Schumacher made a rare error and
crashed, leaving victory to go to his title rival Mika Hakkinen.

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Schumacher made up for it by winning in 2000 and in 2001 there was the first
sibling 1–2 finish in the history of Formula 1, as Ralf and Michael Schumacher
topped the podium, Ralf on the top step.
2001 was also noted for Jean Alesi
achieving Prost's best finish of the season..... he celebrated his fifth place by
doing several donuts in his vehicle, and throwing his helmet into the crowd.

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Michael won again in 2002, and in doing so notched Ferrari's 150th GP win.

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The Schumacher brothers would finish 1–2 in the 2003 race as well with Michael also
winning in 2004. However, the outright lap record went to Rubens Barrichello,
behind the wheel of his Ferrari in 2004 at 1:13.622.

Kimi Raikkonen won for McLaren in 2005, Fernando Alonso winning for Renault in ’06
(also Michelin’s 100th Grand Prix victory)

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The 2007 race was the site of rookie Lewis Hamilton's first win. On lap 67,
Takuma Sato, in his under funded Super Aguri, overtook the McLaren of
Fernando Alonso, to cheers around the circuit, just after overtaking Ralf
Schumacher and having overtaken Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen earlier in the race.

Super Aguri celebrate - Canada 2007
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The race also saw a horrific incident involving Robert Kubica. The following year,
2008, Robert returned to somewhat fortunately win the race, after Heidfeld was
ordered to let Robert, on a different strategy to pass him. Of course that race
is more remembered by Lewis Hamilton ramming the back of Raikkonens Ferrari

in pitlane as Kimi and Robert were stopped at the pit exit red light awaiting the SC
to pass. All of the F1 championship contenders, save Massa, who could only manage
fifth, went out resulting in a most unusual top eight and Kubica’s first Formula 1
Grand prix race win.

BMW 1-2 2008
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Jacques Villeneuve never won at the track, and Gilles remains the only Canadian driver
to have won ....... but some of the great drivers of the sport have
taken the spoils here. Michael Schumacher holds the record of having won
seven times in Canada.


Five drivers have won their first race at this track:

Gilles Villeneuve (Ferrari, 1978);
Thierry Boutsen, (Williams-Renault, 1989);
JeanAlesi (Ferrari, 1995);
Lewis Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes, 2007)
Robert Kubica (BMW, 2008).


Winners


Year Driver Constructor Location
2018 Germany Sebastian Vettel Ferrari Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
2017 United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
2016 United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
2015 United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
2014 Australia Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull-Renault
2013 Germany Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault
2012 United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes
2011 United Kingdom Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes
2010 United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes
2009 Not held
2008 Poland Robert Kubica BMW Sauber Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
2007 United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes
2006 Spain Fernando Alonso Renault
2005 Finland Kimi Räikkönen McLaren-Mercedes
2004 Germany Michael Schumacher Ferrari
2003 Germany Michael Schumacher Ferrari
2002 Germany Michael Schumacher Ferrari
2001 Germany Ralf Schumacher Williams-BMW
2000 Germany Michael Schumacher Ferrari
1999 Finland Mika Häkkinen McLaren-Mercedes
1998 Germany Michael Schumacher Ferrari
1997 Germany Michael Schumacher Ferrari Report
1996 United Kingdom Damon Hill Williams-Renault
1995 France Jean Alesi Ferrari
1994 Germany Michael Schumacher Benetton-Ford
1993 France Alain Prost Williams-Renault
1992 Austria Gerhard Berger McLaren-Honda
1991 Brazil Nelson Piquet Benetton-Ford
1990 Brazil Ayrton Senna McLaren-Honda
1989 Belgium Thierry Boutsen Williams-Renault
1988 Brazil Ayrton Senna McLaren-Honda
1987 Not held
1986 United Kingdom Nigel Mansell Williams-Honda Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
1985 Italy Michele Alboreto Ferrari
1984 Brazil Nelson Piquet Brabham-BMW
1983 France René Arnoux Ferrari
1982 Brazil Nelson Piquet Brabham-BMW
1981 France Jacques Laffite Ligier-Matra Circuit Île Notre-Dame
1980 Australia Alan Jones Williams-Ford
1979 Australia Alan Jones Williams-Ford
1978 Canada Gilles Villeneuve Ferrari
1977 South Africa Jody Scheckter Wolf-Ford Mosport Park
1976 United Kingdom James Hunt McLaren-Ford
1975 Not held
1974 Brazil Emerson Fittipaldi McLaren-Ford Mosport Park
1973 United States Peter Revson McLaren-Ford
1972 United Kingdom Jackie Stewart Tyrrell-Ford
1971 United Kingdom Jackie Stewart Tyrrell-Ford
1970 Belgium Jacky Ickx Ferrari Mont-Tremblant
1969 Belgium Jacky Ickx Brabham-Ford Mosport Park
1968 New Zealand Denny Hulme McLaren-Ford Mont-Tremblant
1967 Australia Jack Brabham Brabham-Repco Mosport Park
1966 United States Mark Donohue Lola-Chevrolet Mosport Park
1965 United States Jim Hall Chaparral-Chevrolet
1964 Mexico Pedro Rodríguez Ferrari
1963 Mexico Pedro Rodríguez Ferrari
1962 United States Masten Gregory Lotus-Climax
1961 Canada Peter Ryan Lotus-Climax


Wall of Champions
The final corner of Circuit Gilles Villeneuve became well known for crashes involving former World Champions. In 1999, Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve all crashed into the same wall which had the slogan Bienvenue au Québec (Welcome to Quebec) on it. The wall became ironically known as "Wall of Champions". The wall also was involved in a crash with Ricardo Zonta, who was, at the time, the reigning FIA GT sports car champion. In recent years, Formula One 2016 World Champion Nico Rosberg, CART Champion Juan Pablo Montoya, Formula Renault 3.5 Champion Carlos Sainz Jr. and 2009 Formula One World Champion Jenson Button have also fallen victim to the wall.[8] In 2011 Friday practice the wall claimed 4-time F1 Champion Sebastian Vettel.[9]

Before the wall was named it also claimed victims such as 1992 World Sportscar Champion and long-time F1 driver Derek Warwick who spectacularly crashed his Arrows-Megatron during qualifying for the 1988 Canadian Grand Prix.

Memorable Montreal moments

1973: First use of a Safety Car in F1, which did not go as planned. Full story of that ocassion follows next

1978: Local legend Gilles Villeneuve takes his maiden win in the inaugural grand prix at the circuit that would eventually be named after him.

1980: Title rivals Alan Jones and Nelson Piquet clash at the first start, and Jones gets the trophy when the engine in Piquet's spare car blows in the re-run race.

1981: Amid a downpour, Villeneuve somehow wrestles a Ferrari running without a nose section for half the race to third place.

1991: Nigel Mansell famously allows his car to stall while waving to the crowd to celebrate victory rather too soon. A delighted Piquet grabs the win for Benetton.

1992: Mansell's dominant run is ended when he crashes at the chicane, for which he blames Ayrton Senna. Gerhard Berger wins.

1995: In a race of huge attrition, Jean Alesi scores what would be his only grand prix win.

1997: New Canadian hero Jacques Villeneuve crashes out early, Michael Schumacher loses the lead to David Coulthard but regains it when the McLaren's clutch dies in a pit stop moments before Olivier Panis suffers a leg-breaking crash that causes a red flag.

1998: Schumacher wins despite a penalty for taking out Heinz-Harald Frentzen and a driving standards spat with Damon Hill. Villeneuve blows his chance with a wild move for the lead, and Alex Wurz comes from last to fourth in his spare car after rolling at the first start.

1999: As driver after driver hits the 'champions' wall' at the chicane, including leader Schumacher, Mika Hakkinen is handed a win.

2001: Ralf Schumacher beats Michael Schumacher in the first family one-two in F1 history.

2003: The brothers swap round as Michael holds off Ralf, Juan Pablo Montoya and Fernando Alonso in a grandstand finish.

2007: Amid utter chaos, including Kubica's ferocious crash, Hamilton keeps his head and becomes a grand prix winner for the first time. Sato was driver of the day though with a series of stunning passes in the Super Aguri overtook the McLaren of Fernando Alonso, to cheers around the circuit, just after overtaking Ralf Schumacher.
Sato picked up 5 places in the field in the last 15 laps to finish sixth. Sato was
voted "Driver of the Day" on the ITV website over Lewis Hamilton's first win.


2008: Kubica puts 2007 behind him by leading a brilliant BMW Sauber one-two, in what would be the team's only win. Lewis Hamilton managed to put himself and Raikkonen out of the race when Lewis failed to stop at the pitlane exit and ran hard into the back of Raikkonen, stopped alongside Kubica awaiting the green light.
Certainly the most plotless thing I have ever seen in F1, a record possibly held by DC running into the pitwall in Adelaide.....

2010: Unusually high Bridgestone tyre wear leads to a barnstorming race full of overtaking among the leaders, ending up with Hamilton and Jenson Button in a McLaren one-two.



First Safety Car in F1......

I mentioned previously that the 1973 Canadian GP saw the first ever Safety Car
in F1......That first SC in F1 is a story in itself, and one that is hilarious and
worth telling here......


It was a somewhat farcical event..... far from the specialised car we have today
with all the 21st century trimmings and communications. The car was a Porsche
914 road car IIRC, with a couple of yellow flags strapped to the rear bumper.

Remember this was before the days of two way radio.....

Image

When Jody Scheckter and Francois Cevert collided, the Porsche 914 was
ordered to pick up the leader, with FOCA representative Peter Macintosh in
the car. However, what had started as a wet race had become dry, and it was
around the same time that everyone dived into the pits for slick tyres. As the
cars came round the safety car pulled out looking for the leader, waving cars
past until the car they had been told to go in front of appeared. It never did.

Unknown to the SC driver the leaders mostly pitted for slicks, and the SC
unable to see clearly, had waved the new leaders past..... thus giving them
in effect a lap over the competition, as they came round and joined the rear of
the train of cars!.

Back then, in the days of lap charts by hand, this was a nightmare situation, and
in no time everyone's charts were a useless mess. The result was argued over
and although an official result was issued, a few team owners claimed they were
robbed!


I mentioned the 1981(very) wet race in the History part of the preview..... and posted the official FIA review video of the race. Sorry it is a repeat, but its well worth a watch.

It is a full normal start (as if today) No safety car starts back then. You will see in it that Villeneuve damaged his nose early in the race, but continued until it was becoming dangerous. He was AFAIK told to stop to have it removed by authorities, but Gilles had his own idea, bouncing the kerbs hard enough until it dislodged and came off thus meaning he did not have to stop. With no nose cone he still managed to come home in 3rd place. :cloud9: Image Image

Canadian GP 1981 - FIA annual review clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezloB-EdRfc

Whilst I am in Gilles Mode, here is another little tale of Gilles, as told by famed GP journo Nigel Roebuck....

Quoted without permission from Nigel Roebuck's Grand Prix Greats

During practice at Dijon in 1981, Gilles crashed at the Courbe de Pouas, an undulating, flat-in-fourth right hander, with no run-off worth mentioning. During the lunch break I found him dabbing a cut on his jaw:

"Bloody catch fencing pole cracked my helmet and broke the visor ..."

"You overdid it ?" I asked. "Just ran out of road ?"

"No, no," he grinned. "I ran out of lock !" "The car is really bad through there - an adventure every time. Go and have a look this afternoon and you'll see what I mean."

I did. I watched the Cosworth-engined Williams and Brabhams droning through on their rails, and waited.

At its clipping point, at the top of a rise, the Ferrari was already sideways, its driver winding on opposite lock. As it came past me, plunging downhill now, the tail stayed out of line, further and further, and still Gilles had his foot hard down. As he reached the bottom of the dip, I knew the position was hopeless, for now it was virtually broadside, full lock on, Villeneuve's head pointing up the road, out of the side of the cockpit.

Somehow, though, the Ferrari did not spin, finally snapping back into line as it grazed the catch fencing, then rocketing away up the hill. For more than a hundred yards, I swear it, the car was sideways at 130 mph.

"That's genius," said David Hobbs, watching with me. "Are you seriously telling me he's won two Grand Prix in that?"

WEATHER

Finish up with the weather forecast..... Montréal weather for Thursday through Sunday looks great. Very little chance of rain, high temps of 22 C and partly sunny/cloudy skies.


MONGOL INVASION.


Yes the Mongols are present in Canada....

Image

https://www.facebook.com/mongols13canada/
Last edited by Everso Biggyballies 4 years ago, edited 1 time in total.

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#2

Post by erwin greven »

:jaw:
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#3

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Hehehe the idea of posting a preview of the race was to spark some interest and discussion of the event. Doesn't seem to have worked. :sorrow: Just about sums up F1 atm.

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#4

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Sad to read that we seem to be heading for another Merc whitewash, with Binotto stating that in effect Ferrari have run out of development ideas and will be bringing nothing of note new to Canada or the next races. It seems that the engine upgrade and aero developments have been a disappointment.
"We know we're not competitive enough right now and, for the time being we haven't got any more changes coming on the car that will have a significant effect on the problems we have encountered since the start of the season," he said.

Ferrari believes its key problem is that it cannot get this year's tyres in their working range because its car does not generate enough peak downforce.

It has begun a push at its Maranello factory to investigate new concepts that could help, but that work is still in its early stages.

Binotto warned after the last race in Monaco "I don't think that there will be any magic solution in Canada" but was optimistic that the fact "Montreal is a different track, different configuration, different compounds, different set-up" might work in Ferrari's favour.

He also underlined that Montreal was "not the last race", emphasising that Ferrari still had time to turn its campaign around.

Ferrari may have a better chance of taking the fight to Mercedes in Montreal because the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve's long straights are perfectly suited to the Italian team's straightline advantage.

But the lack of high-energy corners may cause some difficulties for Ferrari, especially if the temperature is cooler.

Asked by Motorsport.com if he felt Canada offered cause for optimism, Binotto said: "I think it's very difficult to judge.

"I think we will be in a better shape compared to Barcelona, but I think they [Mercedes] have still got the best car and the strongest car at the moment.

"I think they are still the ones that should be ahead but maybe the gap will be closer. If there's any opportunity we will be ready to take it."
https://au.motorsport.com/f1/news/ferra ... n/4427187/

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#5

Post by Vassago »

Everso Biggyballies wrote: 4 years ago Hehehe the idea of posting a preview of the race was to spark some interest and discussion of the event. Doesn't seem to have worked. :sorrow: Just about sums up F1 atm.
Well, I hope there will be some excitement since CGV is like my Top 3 track in F1.

Then again, Latifi will drive Kubica's car in FP1. I wonder how far off Russell he ends up :haha:
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#6

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Vassago wrote: 4 years ago
Well, I hope there will be some excitement since CGV is like my Top 3 track in F1.
Yeah me too. I always enjoy Canada even though it is a 3.00am start for me. I always watch it live, and this year will be no exception. :smiley:

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#7

Post by kals »

This thread is missing many things...

1) An onboard lap


And yes, it's me driving, I do miss the hairpin and get overtaken by a cyclist. :oops:

2) Poutine


You call this a Canadian GP thread without cheese curds and gravy topped french fries? :evil:

3) NHL


Go Canadiens!!

4) South Park


But at least the Mongols got a mention
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#8

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

:haha: :haha: My apologies for my oversight! Thanks for covering my omissions.. :)

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#9

Post by Mawerick »

kals wrote: 4 years ago This thread is missing many things...
Forgot the most important thing.

"It’s a Mickey Mouse circuit. To have a race at a track like this is an insult to Grand Prix racing."
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#10

Post by Circuitmaster »

I find the lack of Tim Hortons in this thread highly disturbing
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#11

Post by kals »

Circuitmaster wrote: 4 years ago I find the lack of Tim Hortons in this thread highly disturbing
Please accept this box of Timbits as our sincere apology :sorrow:

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Post by PTRACER »

Everso Biggyballies wrote: 4 years ago Hehehe the idea of posting a preview of the race was to spark some interest and discussion of the event. Doesn't seem to have worked. :sorrow: Just about sums up F1 atm.
It was a good try. An epic start to the thread. Canadian GP has long been one of my favourites, even when it's crap (which it has been the last few seasons...) I still watch it.
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#13

Post by XcraigX »

I am excited for this race as it seems to represent the only realistic chance of Ferrari being competitive with Mercedes. Hopefully it's not the continued pattern of domination.
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#14

Post by JOC1991 »

That's an amazing preview, thanks. Amazed to read that Sato got driver of the day on the ITV F1 website. I didn't have any internet back then so that's new info for me :)

Expecting another Mercedes 1-2, but I hope we can see some great action like Bahrain...
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#15

Post by kals »

Rich Energy has asked Haas to remove its controversial stag logo from the Formula 1 team's cars at this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix.

The logo, which previously featured on the Haas cars and its drivers' helmets, is at the centre of a legal dispute between Rich Energy and bicycle manufacturer Whyte Bikes in relation to copyright infringement.

Last month, Whyte Bikes successfully won its legal action against Rich Energy, which centered on the use of an almost identical stag logo that the bike company has established.

The case has opened the door for Whyte to lodge an injunction against Rich Energy to make it cease using the logo, as well as be award potential damages or a share of profits.

The matter is set to return to court this month for a ruling on the next steps.

While the logo remained on the Haas cars in Monaco (above), Rich Energy announced that it had asked for it to be removed ahead of the on-track action beginning in Canada.

In a tweet the company stated: "We have asked our partners [Haas] to remove stag element from car this weekend.

"Whilst we own the stag trademarks & registrations worldwide Inc Canada we don't want any media circus for team whilst we contest baseless case with [Whyte Bikes] & win."

Speaking in Monaco immediately after the ruling, Haas boss Gunther Steiner had made it clear that his team was not directly involved in the legal action but would follow any requests from Rich Energy relating to it.

Steiner said: "We were told [that] when we need to change something they will tell us.

"For sure we check that everything is ok and we are doing everything they tell us.

"We don't have a problem with the logo, Rich Energy has a problem with the logo, so I don't know if they need to change it or if there is another solution."

The Rich Energy logos were on the Haas cars on Thursday in Montreal, and it remains unclear if they will be removed in time for opening practice.
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