Fiona Mansell
The 2024 Canadian Grand Prix at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal was a wet and wild race, marked by dramatic turns and uncertain strategies.
Free Practice One
Heavy rain affected the racing from the start, leading to a delayed start for FP1. The first 25 minutes saw no on-track action as the pit lane was closed while marshals worked to clear standing water from the track. When the session finally began, the drivers ran on wet and intermediate tyres before switching to slicks as the track dried.
A red flag briefly halted the session after Zhou Guanyu crashed at Turn 5, though he was uninjured. It was the first crash of a drama-filled weekend.
Lando Norris showed promise as he set the fastest time with a lap of 1:24.435 for McLaren. Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc from Ferrari followed in second and third place, respectively.
However, Mercedes began to demonstrate pace as they built on their existing momentum and upgrades introduced in Monaco. They began climbing back to the top, with driver Lewis Hamilton placing fourth.
Many people watched Alpine as their reserve driver, Jack Doohan, replaced Esteban Ocon in FP1. It comes after they announced he will part ways with the team at the end of the season. However, due to the bad weather, Doohan, Alex Albon, and Zhou Guanyu didn’t record lap times .
Free Practice Two
“the Red Bull team seemed to be losing the clear dominance they once had.”
FP2 saw better weather conditions and more consistent running, with lap times significantly improving as the track continued to dry and more teams moved onto slick tyres.
Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso topped the timesheets with a lap time of 1:15.810. Mercedes driver George Russell placed second, demonstrating once again the progress the upgrades brought. Canadian driver and local favourite Lance Stroll in the other Aston Martin placed third.
Free Practice Three
FP3 saw Lewis Hamilton deliver a standout performance, setting the fastest time with a lap of 1:12.549. Hamilton’s fastest lap was a substantial improvement over his competitors, with a 0.374-second advantage over championship leader Max Verstappen. This signalled a strong pace from Mercedes as they headed into qualifying.
George Russell also displayed impressive form, finishing third, just 0.034 seconds behind Verstappen, indicating Mercedes’ potential this weekend.
“This rare occurrence of identical lap times added to the excitement of the session.”
However, McLaren and Aston Martin are still shown to be good competitors. Stroll and McLaren driver Oscar Piastri rounded out the top five in FP3, showing strong performances from both teams. Alonso, Norris, and Max Verstappen also consistently secured fast lap times throughout the practice. However, the Red Bull team seemed to be losing the clear dominance they once had.
Ferrari faced challenges, with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finishing tenth and twelfth, respectively, unable to break into the top spots. This was only the start of Ferraris’s misfortune this weekend.
Qualifying
The 2024 Canadian Grand Prix qualifying session delivered thrilling action and surprising outcomes. Russell secured a pole position for Mercedes, with a lap time of 1:12.000, identical to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. However, because Russell set his time first, he claimed pole position for Sunday’s race. This rare occurrence of identical lap times added to the excitement of the session.
Norris put in a stellar performance for McLaren, placing third, just 0.021 seconds behind the leading pair, while his teammate Oscar Piastri secured fourth place. Daniel Ricciardo had his best qualifying of the season, taking fifth place for RB Visa Cash App, a response to recent criticism from former champion Jacques Villeneuve.
The session saw struggles for some notable drivers and teams, with a shock exit of both Ferraris eliminated in Q2, finishing 11th and 12th, marking a disappointing outing for the Scuderia.
“The wet weather saw some uncertain strategies, as both Haas cars started on the wet tyres”
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez had another tough qualifying session, being knocked out in Q1. This continued a streak of challenging qualifying sessions for the Mexican driver. Rounding out the top ten were Fernando Alonso in sixth, Lewis Hamilton in seventh, Yuki Tsunoda in eighth, Lance Stroll in ninth, and Alex Albon in tenth.
Race Day
The 2024 Canadian Grand Prix was a thrilling spectacle. After a battle for first place between Verstappen, Russell, and Norriss throughout the race, Max Verstappen secured the victory for Red Bull, extending his lead in the championship.
For a brief time, Norris took the lead. However, an unfortunate safety car and a delayed pitstop saw him drop into second. Despite starting from pole, George Russell finished third.
The wet weather saw some uncertain strategies, as both Haas cars started on the wet tyres while the rest of the grid started on the intermediate tyres. Kevin Magnussen soared through the track, climbing the grid and reaching fifth place. Eventually, his hard work was undone by a slow pitstop and some strategy failures from the American team.
The race was marked by several incidents and retirements, including Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz from Ferrari, highlighting the unpredictability and challenges of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
The weather conditions added to the complexity, demanding strategic prowess from teams. Perez also retired in the Red Bull after damage to his rear wing.
Verstappen’s win reinforced his dominance, emphasising Red Bull’s superior form this season. McLaren and Mercedes displayed strong performances, with Norris and Hamilton continuing to challenge the frontrunners.
However, the Tifosi were left disappointed after a point-less weekend. This race sets the stage for an exciting continuation of the season, with the competition heating up and teams pushing their limits to close the gap to Red Bull.
READ NEXT:
-
SUSIE WOLFF SEEKS LEGAL ACTION FOLLOWING CONFLICT OF INTEREST INVESTIGATION
-
EXPLAINING THE QATAR GRAND PRIX CONTROVERSY
-
F1’S TOP TEN DRIVER TRANSFER SHOCKS
Featured image courtesy of Photoshoot4You on Pixaby. No changes were made to this image. Image licence found here.
Fiona.mansell
Fiona is now undergoing a master's degree in 'Visual Journalism' in Cardiff after recently graduating with first-class honours in 'Performance and Media.' Most of her writing focuses on her passion for motorsport.