Метка: Canadian GP

Hulkenberg wants Haas review into ‘unhealthy’ F1 Canada car issue


The German failed to progress from Q1, qualifying only 19th in what was a far departure from his previous efforts this season.

A bold gamble on full wet tyres saw both Hulkenberg and team-mate Kevin Magnussen scythe through the field and into the top 10 in the opening eight laps of Sunday’s race, though both drivers ultimately fell back through the field as conditions improved.

But Hulkenberg said: «The missed opportunity was [Saturday] and generally all weekend.

«The problem we’ve had on my car — that somehow it’s not fully healthy, I think, on the aero side or somewhere.

Nico Hulkenberg, Haas VF-24

Nico Hulkenberg, Haas VF-24

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

«I still feel after the race that I have a problem with it, that is not fully at 100% where we’re supposed to be. But you know, obviously, you do what you can with what you have.

«But obviously, also not having the Friday, not having time to react after that is… it’s just altogether a difficult weekend with the circumstances.»

Calling for a review of the issues to find a solution ahead of the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix, Hulkenberg added: «The whole weekend, especially on my side of the garage, and from lap one, I didn’t feel right and happy with the car and we need to investigate what was going on because that really compromised our weekend.

«Everything that happened, and then quali, cost us a better result because I’m sure with a better quali that we normally have, if we start further ahead, we would have scored points. So it’s kind of a missed opportunity.»



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Sauber fix for F1 struggles «not rocket science»


The Hinwil-based outfit is the only team not to score points in the current campaign, having seen its qualifying performances drop since the start of the season.

Bottas had been running well in mixed conditions in Montreal before pitting «one lap too early» to switch to slicks as the track surface dried, eventually finishing 13th, 10 seconds adrift of Pierre Gasly in the last of the points-paying position.
With five cars retiring — three of which were regular points finishers in Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez — an opportunity was missed for Sauber to get on the scoreboard, especially with rivals Alpine securing two top-10 spots.

«We still have work to do,» said Bottas.

«We need to keep bringing upgrades and make the car faster. It is not rocket science, we just need more bits.»

On whether an update package was on its way for the Spanish Grand Prix, the Finn replied: «We have small things but a very high downforce track, a different track to here. I think it is going to be close, as we have seen. The next step is to get back to Q2 and then we can fight a bit better.»

Team-mate Zhou Guanyu endured a testing weekend with his struggles behind the wheel of the C44, which included two red flag-inducing incidents in practice.
Valtteri Bottas, Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber C44

Valtteri Bottas, Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber C44

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

His fortunes didn’t turn around in time for qualifying and with a back-row start facing him, he joined Bottas in commencing the race from the pitlane.

Eventually finishing as the only driver lapped by race-winner Verstappen, the Chinese driver conceded: «Just struggling across the different compounds. At the halfway stage of the race, I was a bit out of the race anyway, so a bit lonely.

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«We have something already planned back at the factory to check everything, make sure we are starting a little bit more from scratch. These two weekends, I feel like something is not clicking right and this weekend, all these mistakes, they never happened before.

«So we try to understand all of our issues and have some plans for the next race.»

Asked if it was just the rear of the car he was lacking confidence with given his crashes earlier in the weekend, Zhou said: «It is everywhere, to be honest, just four-wheel sliding. There is not a massive limitation, we are just lacking grip. It is quite simple but not an easy one to get progress.»



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Was Magnussen’s Canadian GP assessment correct after early heroics?


From 14th on the grid, Magnussen found the extreme wet tyre particularly potent in the first six laps when the circuit was at its most slippery, and carved his way up to fourth by the end of lap three.

That put him in touching distance of the top three but, as the circuit began to dry out, the crossover point between intermediates and wets began to close in.

In measuring Magnussen’s early tours versus those of Oscar Piastri, whom the Dane had passed for fourth, that crossover point arrived on lap six: Magnussen set a 1m34.673s, Piastri a 1m33.060s, which prompted Haas to bring Magnussen in on the following lap for intermediates.

So, one might think that it was the right call for Magnussen to come in — he’d now started lapping slower than the cars ahead. A slow pitstop rather hurt his chances and cost him track position, but he shook out in 13th nonetheless to at least make a position.

«It was looking good,» he explained post-race. «We took the right choice on the full wets — but then I think we pitted off onto the inter too early because we ended up having to take another inter. We could have stretched that full wet, to then go on to the inter and stay on it instead.

«On top of that, we had a very slow pit stop. It felt like we had some opportunity there — but didn’t get anything out of it.

«We didn’t try and take any crazy gamble or anything. We just did what we felt was right for the conditions. And it looked okay, so I think we did the right thing there to begin with but — then didn’t back it up with the right decisions thereafter.»

Haas tried to go longer with Nico Hulkenberg’s stint, and the German hung on until lap 12 having made his own ascent up the field to seventh. After the sixth-lap cross-over, Hulkenberg was lapping between 1-1.5 seconds slower than Daniel Ricciardo behind, before the Australian eventually took back control of eighth on lap 11.

Alex Albon, Williams FW46, Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-24, Logan Sargeant, Williams FW46

Alex Albon, Williams FW46, Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-24, Logan Sargeant, Williams FW46

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

But Hulkenberg was battling a car he noted was «not fully healthy», so it stands to reason that Magnussen might have been able to have gained a few tenths over his team-mate’s range of times in the 1m34s. It seemed like Haas had timed its Magnussen stop to limit the damage of the time taken to pit while the field spread was sufficient, but the slow stop cost about five to six seconds and the timing meant that Magnussen needed to stop again under the safety car.

It was expected that rain was due before the race’s mid-point, although answering Magnussen’s suggestion will be made with the benefit of hindsight. Perhaps hanging it out until lap 15 would have negated the need for an extra stop under the safety car for new inters, that call-in eventually shuffling Magnussen down back to 14th.

Let’s take a look at how the wet tyre strategy could have played out, without that seventh-lap stop, and we’ll do the same for Hulkenberg and his lap 12 pitstop — although his lap times will require less in the way of extrapolation.

At the end of lap six, Magnussen was 4.76s clear of Piastri. Assuming he could continue at the same pace, Piastri would have needed two or three more laps to mount a pass on pure pace, although the need to back off onto the wet parts of the circuit might have hindered that slightly.

Regardless, Magnussen was not really racing the McLaren driver; this is purely an experiment to determine if Haas could have managed points. Thus, comparing the laps of Ricciardo, Lance Stroll, Charles Leclerc, and Yuki Tsunoda is perhaps more worthwhile as a point of reference.

Here’s what we’ll do: ‘tare’ Magnussen at the end of the second lap, and work out the relative gaps of those cars who battled for points at the lower end of the top 10. Next, his recorded lap time from lap seven will be deleted and the delta over his previous lap extrapolated to the end of the lap. He was approximately 0.36s up before the braking zone for Turns 13/14, so we’ll take that off his sixth-lap 1m34.673s.

For ease, we’ll transpose in Hulkenberg’s lap times from lap eight to lap 11; although he was over a second slower per lap than Magnussen, this was due to him spending longer in traffic. By the time Hulkenberg had got up to seventh he was more consistently in the 1m34s after the battling Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton pulled clear, which is much more representative of the wet tyre pace, although his calculated 12th lap is much slower given his weird approach to the hairpin.

We’ll apply that to his own times but, for Magnussen, we’ll instead more steadily degrade his times in line with the drying track performance. It’s hard to know what the performance deltas per lap will be, as Pirelli does not so readily supply that information, but estimating is half the fun.

Here’s where we are when we build up the lap time picture with conservative estimates for laps 12-15. (All figures in seconds)

Lap Magnussen Ricciardo Stroll Leclerc Tsunoda Hulkenberg
2 (delta) 0 4.291 5.428 7.908 9.01 6.155
3 96.134 100.559 100.688 99.247 99.935 96.651
4 93.993 97.504 97.302 97.813 97.475 95.053
5 94.529 97.388 97.044 96.358 95.882 96.104
6 94.673 96.684 96.655 96.3 96.646 96.178
7 94.313 93.997 93.695 94.541 94.176 96.158
8 94.17 93.341 93.549 93.768 93.491 94.17
9 94.267 92.518 92.85 92.791 92.88 94.267
10 94.671 93.382 92.786 92.094 92.028 94.671
11 94.672 93.504 94.245 94.16 94 94.672
12 94.872 90.514 91.2 93.158 93.494 96.172
13 95.072 90.251 90.255 90.52 90.362 95.072
14 95.272 88.964 89.446 89.171 89.622 95.272
15 95.472 88.743 89.017 88.868 89.266 95.472
SUM 1232.11 1221.64 1224.16 1226.697 1228.267 1246.067
GAP 0 -10.47 -7.95 -5.413 -3.843 13.957
GAP to P1 54.594 44.124 46.644 49.181 50.751 68.551
STOP 79.594 44.124 46.644 49.181 50.751 93.551

Based on the lap deltas, Magnussen appears to fall 10 seconds behind Ricciardo which puts him 13th before his stop — exactly where he ended up after his pitstop. Hulkenberg is a further 14 seconds behind his own team-mate, although this gains him one position and puts him 18th — marginally ahead of Zhou Guanyu. This is all pre-pitstop however and, assuming a 25-second stop, both Haas drivers would end up some way adrift at the back — Magnussen is 79.594s off the lead, with Hulkenberg 93.551s away.

Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-24, Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38

Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-24, Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

Fresh intermediates for 10 laps would reward them with some lap time, although their real-world pace on fresh inters was not much quicker overall than that of Logan Sargeant’s. And, if the plan is to save tyres to ensure they’re in decent nick for the second downpour, it’s hard to see it changing. So, assuming pace is stagnant, the gaps will remain the same.

However, this is the key bit: how much do they get back from not stopping under the lap 25 safety car?

Three drivers stayed out on the same set of inters during the safety car: Tsunoda, Valtteri Bottas, and Esteban Ocon. Collating an average of their lap 25 times, we get a ‘stay out’ lap of a 1m52.613s, over 10s quicker versus the pit-in time that the Haas drivers actually managed (2m09.198 for Magnussen, 2m03.974 for Hulkenberg).

But that 10 seconds isn’t enough to bring the Haas duo back into play — an end-of-lap 15 stop appears to be too late. The two basically lose a pitstop by staying on the wets for longer as the intermediates are several seconds per lap quicker, and they would need to gain that back plus change for staying out.

What about stopping on lap 12 and staying out under the safety car?

Lap Magnussen Ricciardo Stroll Leclerc Tsunoda Hulkenberg
2 (delta) 0 4.291 5.428 7.908 9.01 6.155
3 96.134 100.559 100.688 99.247 99.935 96.651
4 93.993 97.504 97.302 97.813 97.475 95.053
5 94.529 97.388 97.044 96.358 95.882 96.104
6 94.673 96.684 96.655 96.3 96.646 96.178
7 94.313 93.997 93.695 94.541 94.176 96.158
8 94.17 93.341 93.549 93.768 93.491 94.17
9 94.267 92.518 92.85 92.791 92.88 94.267
10 94.671 93.382 92.786 92.094 92.028 94.671
11 94.672 93.504 94.245 94.16 94 94.672
12 94.872 90.514 91.2 93.158 93.494 96.172
SUM 946.294 953.682 955.442 958.138 959.017 960.251
GAP 0 7.388 9.148 11.844 12.723 13.957
GAP TO P1 34.843 42.231 43.991 46.687 47.566 48.8
+L12 STOP 59.843 42.231 43.991 46.687 47.566 73.8

After his actual stop, Hulkenberg emerged onto the track in 19th place. The lap before the safety car, he was nine seconds behind Bottas who did not stop. Assuming the same gap, albeit one that was compressing as the safety car started to back up the field, Hulkenberg could at best have hoped to sit 16th as the stops shook out, still behind Bottas who ultimately did not register any points.

Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-24 battles with Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24

Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-24 battles with Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

It might have worked out for Magnussen, however; an end-of-lap-12 stop would have put him somewhere between the Saubers, although fresh intermediates might have got him ahead of Bottas and knocking on the door of Gasly. That puts him in Ocon territory when the stops come, offering a shot at ninth or 10th when the race shakes out into its final order.

Perhaps, then, Magnussen has a point — literally and figuratively. Had his stint on the extreme wet been extended by five laps and not hindered by slow pitstops, he’d have likely presented a much more compelling prospect to add to Haas’ points tally for the season.

But, to quote Italian celebrity chef and TV personality Gino D’Acampo: if his grandmother had wheels, she’d be a bike. Extrapolating from incomplete data, especially in a wet race, is often folly — but Haas might have been better served to keep Magnussen on the wets for a few more laps…



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Wolff warns FIA the «ship has sailed» for F1 2026 engine tweaks


Amid the backdrop of the FIA admitting that its draft 2026 technical rules are going to need refining to make cars faster, one possibility that has emerged to help things is in tweaking the engines.

As part of a push to secure the headline 50-50 split of power input from the ICE and electrical energy, fuel flow limitations have been imposed.

So, one easy way to deliver more power and reduce the reliance on battery energy would be to increase these limits.

Speaking at the Canadian Grand Prix, the FIA’s single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis suggested that the manufacturers could be open to modifications.

“If there are some tweaks needed, I’m quite confident the PU manufacturers would help and be collaborative,” he said.

Under the terms of the F1’s 2026 power unit regulations, however, any change requires unanimous support of the manufacturers who have committed to enter.

And even before any suggestions of potential changes have been seriously considered, some car makers have made clear there is no room for manoeuvre because work is so far advanced on the 2026 engines.

Watch: The Future of Formula One — First Look at The 2026 F1 Regulations

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said: “On the power unit side, the ship has sailed.

“There are teams that feel they are on the back foot, and there are other teams that will feel, and OEMs, that they have done a good job. That’s the normal kind of wrestling on regulations.

“I think on the chassis side there are tweaks that are possible that we need to do. But, on the engine side, the process is far too advanced.” 

Alpine team principal Bruno Famin admitted it would be difficult to make changes now, with manufacturers having already worked on the new power units for several years.

“We need to be careful because on the chassis side, almost nothing is done — because there is no regulation,” he said. “But on the PU, we have two years of work.”

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, whose squad will be powered by its own engine from 2026, felt there was still time to make meaningful changes – but was aware of Mercedes’ resistance.

Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing, in the team principals Press Conference

Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing, in the team principals Press Conference

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images

«There is always one that doesn’t want to change,» he said. «But that is down to the FIA. As I say, it is never too late.

«They have all the knowledge and simulations. You have got to look at what is best for F1 at the end of the day and what will produce the best racing. So, trust in them and FOM to make the right calls. Whether that is required or not, they have got all the knowledge to know.»

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How Red Bull has taken another leap with F1’s rear wing trend


The semi-detached rear wing tip solution is one example of this right now – as rivals clearly saw the potential on offer when Aston Martin and Alpine simultaneously debuted original versions of the two slightly different solutions in Monaco last year.

All teams have been in search of means to recover some of the losses that the regulations imposed on them at the rear, as the endplate and flap juncture are very different when compared with how they were shaped in the past.

This was for good reason though, as teams had become extremely adept at managing the tip vortex to increase downforce and reduce drag. While good for car performance, this was troublesome for a trailing car as it had an impact on the overall wake profile.

Designers cannot unlearn what they already know though and they quickly realised that if they could unravel some of the limitations that the regulations seemed to impose on then, while introducing some of their old ideas in a new way, they could recoup some lost performance.

Just over a year on from the arrival of these two solutions, there’s still a healthy dose of development being carried out on the now quite divergent development branches that have emerged.

Alpine A523 rear wing side comparison

Alpine A523 rear wing side comparison

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

The main route that’s been taken by most of the teams has the Alpine design at its core, with a metal bracket angled in opposition to the endplate and inboard of the juncture.

However, as the teams have iterated their designs, there’s been a move towards an elongated lower tip, which is drawn down over the bracket and mainplane’s edge. There has also been a reshaping of the tip section to provide assistance to the upper flap.

These optimisations, along with a remodelling of the endplate cutout, are all designed to help with the trade-off between creating more downforce and reducing drag, while being mindful of how powerful DRS is when deployed.

Sauber mono pillar, Monaco vs Canada

Sauber mono pillar, Monaco vs Canada

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Sauber introduced new rear wings into its pool at both Monaco and Canada, as the team made the switch from a double mounting pillar arrangement to a single element.

Interestingly, the Swiss-based outfit hedged its bets, as the solutions, which are on either end of the downforce spectrum, have two different semi-detached tip sections. The higher downforce variant follows in the footsteps of the Aston Martin design, while the lower downforce offering follows the Alpine lineage.

Meanwhile, Mercedes is another interesting case study, as it pursued the Aston Martin direction during 2023 but made the switch to the Alpine concept for 2024 (inset, below).

Mercedes W15 rear wing 
 Imola comparison

Mercedes W15 rear wing Imola comparison

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

The German manufacturer introduced an all-new variant into the mix at Imola, as it developed a forward reaching, outboard-mounted solution.

The overarching goal of the design is clear, as it looks to trade drag for the given downforce level of the wing in use. However, it is a more creative interpretation, which is only natural given the time with which the designers have now had with these regulations and this particular design feature.

Red Bull also made changes to the RB20’s rear wing design in Canada, as it continues to hunt for ways to improve efficiency, which is especially important given that the chasing pack are now hot on its heels.

Red Bull RB20 rear wing tip

Red Bull RB20 rear wing tip

Photo by: Uncredited

Its latest design was quite interesting though, as it added a small vane on the top corner of the mainplane and endplate juncture that was also angled parallel to the tip section’s mounting bracket.

The new vane also sits inline with the lower tip of the tip section (see inset), which was also modified as part of the overhaul and will take advantage of the vane. These both alter the behaviour of the airflow in that region.

Keen to ensure that the wing was performing as its simulation tools had predicted, Red Bull doused the RB20’s rear wing elements in flow-vis paint during Free Practice 1, with the streamlines created in the oil-based paint providing a snapshot into the airflow’s behaviour over those surfaces.

Red Bull Racing RB20 rear detail

Red Bull Racing RB20 rear detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

It’ll be interesting to see if, how and when the other teams begin to apply a similar logic to their own semi-detached tip section solutions, given every single team on the grid has either had or is currently running one.

Watch: Canadian GP Race Review — Wet and Wild Vs Cool and Calm



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Mercedes late-race pace proves Canada F1 victory wasn’t thrown away


Lando Norris had fought his way to the front in mixed conditions early in the race, working his way past eventual race winner Max Verstappen and polesitter George Russell.

But Norris and the team turned down the option to immediately respond to the first safety car of the race, after Logan Sargeant shunted his Williams at Turn 6, and instead toured slowly behind Bernd Maylander’s Mercedes while his rivals opted to switch tyres.

By the time Norris stopped a lap later, he found himself back behind the Red Bull and Mercedes.

Asked whether there was any reason other than the timing of the first pitstop that contributed to Norris missing out on a second win of the season, Stella replied: «Not later in the race.

«I think later in the race, things unfolded… Mercedes should have finished ahead of Lando.

«So if anything, we maximised what was available after the safety car. Without the safety car, then I think Lando could have accumulated such a large advantage that then we could have tried to make it to the end on the dry tyres.»

Andrea Stella, Team Principal, McLaren F1 Team, in the Team Principals Press Conference

Andrea Stella, Team Principal, McLaren F1 Team, in the Team Principals Press Conference

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

But suggesting even a large gap wouldn’t have guaranteed victory as the track dried out, Stella added: «I think Mercedes, they could have caught up — because they were a few tenths of a second faster than us.

«We really needed a decent advantage to make it safely to the end. But obviously, this is a little bit academic because in a race like this [with] two or three safety cars… you have to assume they will happen and also, the weather was around.

«We knew that it was going to be a race decided by various scenarios and ultimately, I think we are happy with the results.»

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Norris had stretched out a sizeable gap over Verstappen and Russell in the first stint, with the McLaren coming alive around 15 laps in.

The Briton and team-mate Oscar Piastri began lapping over a second faster than the squad’s rivals as the track dried and everyone remained on intermediates.

Strategy was complicated by the threat of further rain just before the midway point of the race and when explaining how his drivers extracted so much performance, Stella referred to the second weather front.

«We knew that it would not have been easy to make it to the rain expected around lap 30 initially, it would have been difficult for the intermediate tyres to survive that long,» he explained.

«So because we had no pressure, we started to save the tyres very, very early, even when [it] kind of wasn’t necessary, trying to find the cold patches or wet patches to make sure that the tyres stayed in good condition for when the track would have been more challenging.

«There’s no magic, it’s just the position we were in the first stint meant that we could apply this strategy with no loss — because we didn’t have pressure from behind.»

Watch: Canadian GP Race Review — Wet and Wild Vs Cool and Calm



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Aston Martin cautious over return to form despite strong F1 Canada result


In a wet-to-dry Montreal classic, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll finished sixth and seventh respectively, both drivers executing a solid race to finish behind the inherently quicker cars from Red Bull, Mercedes and McLaren.

It was a big boost for the Silverstone-based squad after going backwards during the first third of the 2024 season relative to its nearest rivals. RB appeared to have leapfrogged it in the pecking order, but by outscoring the Faenza team by 10 points in Montreal, Aston has strengthened its grip on fifth place.

But ahead of a return to more traditional European venues like Barcelona, the Red Bull and Silverstone, Aston Martin is not getting ahead of itself on whether or not it has solved the tricky handling characteristics and changing balance of its AMR24, which will be much more exposed on high-downforce circuits with longer and faster corners.

«It would be premature to say we have understood everything,» team principal Mike Krack cautioned.

«I think we have a lot of work to do still. But obviously, it was a step in the right direction this weekend.

«There are different and difficult circuits coming up, so we need to sit down and see what is the best possible package for the races to come, because they will be very intense.»

Stroll was convinced Aston’s Montreal performance was track-specific because of its emphasis on aerodynamic efficiency and performance in slower corners.

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

«The track definitely suited our car» he said. «We’re quick in a straight line, not so much downforce, efficient, good DRS switch, all these things, which is good for Canada.

«The car is still maybe going to be more difficult come Barcelona and Budapest and these kind of long corners.»

«We capitalised on a weekend where the car was pretty strong all weekend. And we’ll see in Barcelona, a very different kind of track, what we can do there. I think we are [solving our issues] but it’s not an overnight change.»

Alonso teased new upgrades for his Spanish GP home race that he hopes will further turn around Aston’s fortunes, although he too feared Barcelona would be a more difficult weekend for his squad.

«On paper, we were happier with Montreal than Barcelona, we think that this track was going to be better for us but let’s see if we have a nice surprise,» he added.

«I know the team is also working very hard to bring some new things for Barcelona, so it’s going to be a very interesting weekend. Let’s see if we can score points again with both cars, which obviously is the thing that we are looking at at the moment.

«The last few months were very productive for us in terms of understanding the cars so I’m very confident.»



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Canadian GP promoter promises «serious» contractor review following F1 issues


F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali addressed complaints raised by the teams over flooded hospitality units and leaking roofs during the rain-hit race.

Team personnel, guests and media were also dismayed at the lack of suitable parking provisions, with only a muddy track linking an overflow car park to the paddock.

Domenicali apologised to team principals at a meeting at the track on Saturday morning for the working conditions, which are at odds with their ambitions for the race.

A statement from the organisers sent to Autosport said: “Regarding [the car park] and egress, we sincerely apologised and understand the frustration that this has caused, we acknowledge that what transpired is unacceptable and put in mitigation measures for the Sunday including an alternative route.

“We are well aware that leaky tents and media booths are not up to the standard we wish to uphold and will be having serious follow-ups with the third parties involved.”

The promoter also responded after a breakdown in communication left some race fans unable to enter the track on Friday.

A number of spectators were wrongly told that both practice sessions had been cancelled due to the heavy rain.

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images

The promoter blamed the local transport authority Société de transport de Montréal [STM] for the incorrect information.

A statement added: “Regarding the Friday pre-FP1 storm, there was never any communication from the promoter that the sessions were cancelled.

“We communicated to fans in grandstands to evacuate the grandstands due to weather but asked those in suites or permanent buildings to stay put.

“We temporarily stopped fans from entering the circuit for security reasons as they were safer in the subway, their cars, or the casino.

“We understood later in the day that the public transit authority, the STM took it upon themselves to announce a cancellation without our knowledge or consent.

“As soon as the weather front had passed, and it was safe to do so we allowed fans back into the grandstands and back on-site.”

The Canadian Grand Prix has a deal to remain on the calendar until 2031 and, this year, enjoyed a record attendance of 350,000 spectators over the three days.



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Mercedes set for Spanish GP floor upgrade as new F1 front wing delivers hope


The German manufacturer delivered its most competitive weekend of the year in Montreal last weekend as George Russell took pole position and came home third.

But the result was probably not as good as the team could have hoped for, with the pace of its W15 having been super strong at various points of the weekend.

A new front wing that Mercedes introduced to help complement a recent upgrade appears to have transformed the balance characteristics of its car and suggested that the squad had finally started to unlock the secrets of the current ground effect machinery.

Watch: Canadian GP Race Review — Wet and Wild Vs Cool and Calm

With plans for more developments including a new floor set for the next race in Spain, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff admitted there was a sense that his squad was finally moving away from the difficulties it had in the past of improvement not delivering what had been hoped for.

“I think definitely, since Imola, we’ve taken the right steps and put parts on the car that are working, something that we were struggling in the past couple of years,” he said.

“Now directionally we seem to be adding performance every weekend and we have new stuff coming also, new parts coming in Barcelona that should help us. So I would very much hope that we can continue this positive trajectory.”

While much of the focus of the step forward that Mercedes has made has surrounded a new philosophy of front wing, Wolff says that the improvements to the car are much more involved than that.

Mercedes W15 nose and front wing detail

Mercedes W15 nose and front wing detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

He adds the progress has been helped by a raft of changes and an improved understanding of flow structures, that is helping it unlock what is needed.

“Sometimes when you bring a highly-visible part like a bodywork or front wing, this is pretty much the talk of what has changed the performance,” he said.

“But the truth is we have, over the last three races, brought so many new parts, visible and invisible for the eye, that have contributed milliseconds to more performance.

“I think this is where those marginal gains then have that positive effect. That was just a huge effort of the factory, so I think the wheel has started to get some real motion on it.”

Russell’s pace at times during the Canadian GP put him on a par with Red Bull and McLaren for the win, but a couple of mistakes proved costly in dropping him back.

While there was a sense of disappointment about the final result, with both Mercedes drivers unhappy about their own performances, Wolff said the negative sentiments were actually a sign of how far the team had come.

“I think when you finish third and fourth where we have been coming from, then it’s a positive race,” he said. “Three and four is much better than we had previously in the last few races. So that’s good.

“But I think both drivers saw that there was more because we could have maybe gained a position or two, and that’s why there is a kind of negative sentiment that prevails.

“But if you would have given them third and fourth before the weekend, probably, they would have taken it.»

Asked after the race if he felt Mercedes had a car to win, Wolff said: “Maybe for a few minutes, we dreamt about it, but in reality, probably not.”



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