What's at stake at Montreal?

The F1 circus has crossed the Atlantic for its by-now traditional North American campaign: Montreal this weekend and then Indianapolis the following one. These two tracks are rather special in that they require a low downforce set-up and good mechanical grip. Here is a quick summary a few days before the Canadian event.

In the last few weeks the F1 paddock has noticed signs of improvement coming from the ING Renault F1 Team. The cars demonstrated progress in Barcelona followed by confirmation of an improvement in form in Monaco. As the Montreal weekend is about to begin a certain optimism reigns in the Anglo-French team’s camp. During the tests on the Paul Ricard circuit just before the race in the Principality Giancarlo Fisichella was very competitive. The R27 in low downforce mode for the first time was right on the heels of Kimi Raïkkönen’s Ferrari, an encouraging sign. In addition, the Gilles Villeneuve circuit is one of Fisi’s favourites.

Two weeks ago in Monaco, McLaren gave its rivals no quarter with pole, a one-two in the race and the fastest lap. This has given the team a big lead in the constructors’ championship with 20 points in hand over Ferrari. It would, however, be premature to conclude that the silver cars have closed the gap to the Ferraris that won the first three races of the year. Firstly, the Monaco circuit is completely atypical to act as a reference point when assessing the form of the various protagonists. And secondly, Montreal is a circuit that requires high top speed, a Ferrari characteristic. The Scuderia has stated that it will be back at the front and the North American campaign is crucial to its 2007 hopes, as the Italian team has to come back to Europe having closed the gap to McLaren.

The next two races are very demanding in terms of reliability. The Canadian layout emphasizes heavy acceleration from low speed and the brakes are also put to a severe test. The drivers using the same engine as in Monaco will have to keep a close eye on its behaviour. Generally, the circuit is the scene of several shunts as the walls are very close to the track. Reliability has played a crucial role so far this season. What used to be McLaren’s weakness had become its main strength while the opposite is true for Ferrari this season!

It is difficult to know what the weather has in store for practice and the race. Yesterday rain poured down on Montreal and the conditions will be very similar today. The forecast changes from one day to the next for the weekend. Sporadic showers are expected and the temperatures may vary considerably; it will also be windy. All this adds just a little more uncertainty to a weekend that generally provides more than its fair share of upsets!