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Race Preview: Canada; Round 6
Topic Started: Jun 6 2007, 04:34 PM (195 Views)
Paul_Murtagh
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After a surprisingly controversial Monaco Grand Prix, the teams make their annual trek across the Atlantic ocean with the first stop being at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on a man-made island in the middle of the Ill-Notre Dame at Montreal. The circuit, first used in 1978 and named after arguably Canada’s greatest sporting son, has never failed to disappoint and always throws up exciting races. Who can forget Gilles first F1 win in 1978? Or Nigel Mansell slowing down just a few hundred yards from victory in 1991? Or Jean Alesi’s emotional maiden win in the Ferrari in 1995? These races have been written into F1 folklore and this year promises to be just as exciting with the lead of the championship being so closely fought.

The circuit itself may look bland on a map, but ask any F1 fanatic what they think of Montreal and they would tell you F1 would be a duller place if it wasn’t on the calendar. With its long straights and tight corners it puts a tremendous strain on the brakes, with 5 major breaking points on the track. It is also, surprisingly, a temporary road course, despite its look, meaning that the track becomes less dusty and gains more grip as the weekend goes on. And with it being a temporary track the walls are close to the edge of the track and are ready to catch out those who lose their concentration. These include the famous ‘Welcome to Quebec’ wall at the exit of the final chicane – otherwise known as the Wall of Champions - which has claimed over the years drivers such as Jacques Villeneuve (twice), Damon Hill, Ricardo Zonta, Jenson Button, Nick Heidfeld, Alexander Wurz and even seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher

We go to Canada with the McLaren drivers jointly leading the championship, but Alonso heads the standings on the count-back rule having won two grand prix so far. His faultless drive to victory last time out at Monaco showed that he is still hungry to retain his title as he looks to become the first driver to win consecutive championships with different teams since the great Juan Manuel Fangio. His team-mate Lewis Hamilton made his first mistake in the Principality, crashing into a barrier in practice. Then he was told to hold behind his illustrious team leader, which he had no bones in letting the world know his frustrations about after the race. It was the first cracks we had seen from the young Brit in his fledgling F1 career and now he must show that it was only a small blip and not the beginning of a downward spiral. And the accusations of race-fixing, when Ron Dennis asked his drivers to hold position, can’t have helped the team’s Canadian preparations either.

Ferrari will be wanting to get back on terms with the Anglo-German squad after what was a disappointing Monaco race for them. Although Massa finished in third he was over a minute behind the McLarens at the finish – light years in F1. And Kimi Raikkonen could only manage a single point after making a rookie mistake in qualifying when he clipped the barrier at the exit of La Piscine (Swimming Pool) complex. With Montreal yet another circuit that can punish the smallest error he will have to make sure he keeps his concentration. And you get the feeling that if either Ferrari cannot match or beat McLaren this weekend then it could be curtains for their championship charges in both the driver’s and constructor’s championships.

Away from the top 2 and BMW Sauber cemented their third place in the constructor’s with a 5th and 6th place finish last time out, with Kubica yet again ahead of Heidfeld. It is becoming an interesting battle between the two, but unlike the McLaren duo where there is some tension, these two drivers seem to enjoy the competition to the delight of BMW boss Mario Thiessen. Renault showed signs of progress at Monaco with a strong drive from Fisichella to fourth, and Honda showed a huge improvement, but sometimes the tight twisty circuit can mask a team’s true problems. This weekend will show just how big of a step they have made compared to the other teams. And a special mention should go to Adrian Sutil. The Spyker driver topped the timesheets in wet Monaco practice in a car that has spent nearly all season at the back of the grid, and has outshone his more experienced team-mate Christijan Albers so far. Could he be Germany’s next F1 megastar?

Are we going to have yet another mad Montreal? Or will it become another procession like Australia, Spain and Monaco? The ingredients are there for the former, with both the McLaren drivers wanting to pull clear at the top, Ferrari wanting to get back on terms with their rivals, Honda wanting to continue their improved form, and the likes of Red Bull, Williams and Toyota wanting to join the ranks of regular points scorers. After 68 laps of one of the most testings circuits of the year we will find out.

Facts and Stats:

No. of GP’s at circuit: 28 (up to 2006)
Circuit Length: 2.71 miles/ 43.61 kilometres
No. of Turns: 15
No. of Laps: 68
Lap Record: Rubens Barrichello (BRA), Ferrari (2004) – 1min 13.622secs
Most successful driver: Michael Schumacher (GER) – 7 wins

Current Driver Record:

Rubens Barrichello – 14 races, 38 points
Giancarlo Fisichella – 11 races, 34 points
Kimi Raikkonen – 6 races, 29 points, 1 win
Ralf Schumacher – 10 races, 21 points, 1 win
Fernando Alonso – 5 races, 15 points, 1 win
David Coulthard – 13 races, 14 points
Felipe Massa – 4 races, 9 points
Jenson Button – 7 races, 6 points
Mark Webber – 5 races, 6 points
Jarno Trulli – 10 races, 5 points
Nick Heidfeld 7 races, 3 points
Alex Wurz – 4 races, 3 points
Takuma Sato – 4 races, 0 points
Christijan Albers – 2 races, 0 points
Vitantonio Liuzzi – 1 race, 0 points
Nico Rosberg – 1 race, 0 points
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