Albon intent on repeating his result from last year's Montreal race
Williams driver Alexander Albon thinks that the changeable weather conditions could open up opportunities for the midfield teams this weekend while he also stressed that the Montreal circuit usually offers several overtaking spots.
Having scored his first point of the season in Monaco, the Thai driver is looking forward to racing on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve as he attempts to mimic last year's impressive race result.
"As we head to Canada this week, the team and I have fond memories from last year’s P7, with our first big points-scoring race of the season. I’m interested to see how the FW46 performs around this circuit, which always brings chances for good racing and overtaking.
Weather conditions are usually changeable in Montreal. A windy, rainy, cold day could be followed by sunshine on the other day. The prediction for this weekend's Montreal race is suggesting rainshowers at various points of the three days of the Canadian Grand Prix.
"The weather will play a factor in the opportunities that could arise, so hopefully as a team, we can maximise on this. Montreal is one of my favourite cities and I’m looking forward to heading back," said Albon.
His team-mate Logan Sargeant went on to claim that the 4.3km circuit that was built on a man-made island is among his facourite tracks due to its unique flow.
"I’m really looking forward to the Canadian Grand Prix. The track in Montreal is one of the best on the calendar with its combination of fast straights and tight corners that creates a good flow for racing.
"This event is known for its unpredictable weather conditions, which can create some exciting opportunities. Hopefully we can have a positive weekend as a team."
Williams Sporting Director Sven Smeets thinks that managing the tyres will be key to get the best out of the cars in qualifying as tyre warming usually causes headaches to drivers and engineers due to the lack of high-speed corners.
"After scoring our first points in Monaco, we’re very much looking forward to returning to Canada. It’s a fantastic event with a great atmosphere in the city that comes alive during F1 week.
"The track lends itself to real racing and great overtaking, but frequently changing weather conditions can often make it a very tricky weekend to manage. The track has also been completely resurfaced since we last visited, so we’ll all be discovering the grip level on Friday during FP1.
"Tyre warming will be crucial and race pace will be more rewarding than qualifying pace, so we’ll be focusing on having a good race car on Sunday. Last year we had a great race and scored some good points for the team, so we’ll try to repeat that result this weekend," Smeets concluded.
