Preview
MONTREAL PREVIEW: Talking points ahead of Round 4
Spring break is over and the roar of racing returns as F1 ACADEMY makes its mark in Montreal for the first time, with Canada becoming the 12th country to feature on the series’ calendar.
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve hosts a bumper weekend of action, whilst the title pendulum could take another swing as Ferrari’s Maya Weug and Mercedes’ Doriane Pin are separated by only a point at the top of the Drivers’ Standings.
Let’s take a look at what’s to play for as they hit the halfway mark…
WHO’S DONE THEIR HOMEWORK?
Bracing themselves for their toughest test yet, there’s no doubt the drivers and teams have been hard at work back at their factories. Unfamiliar territory for all involved, the field will be on a completely equal playing field and they’ll be hoping that their simulator work translates into on-track success.
Fortunately, the rain should stay at bay for the races, but even so, the weekend remains no less challenging. With only one 40-minute Free Practice before diving straight into Qualifying, time will be of the essence to pin down their setups for both Qualifying and the races.
The circuit itself has shades of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit and the Miami International Autodrome in its style, with the barriers never far away to keep the drivers on their toes. The stop-start layout features plenty of areas to catch them out if they’re not on high alert and beware the falling foul of the ‘Wall of Champions’ on the exit of the final chicane at Turns 12 and 13.
CAN CHAMBERS AND PALMOWSKI MAKE IT A FOUR-HORSE TITLE RACE?
Grabbing the headlines, Weug and Pin have crafted out places as this season’s leading protagonists. The Ferrari driver’s 64-point haul so far gives her a one-point advantage over the Mercedes junior, but you’d be remiss to rule out third-place Chloe Chambers and Alisha Palmowski in fourth.
Palmowski will be hoping her bold livery change courtesy of Red Bull Racing and 1Password makes as big of an impression on track as it has done off-track this weekend. As the highest-placed rookie, her rivals won’t be underestimating her, particularly given Teams’ Standings leaders Campos Racing, who have been the ones to beat across the first three rounds.
The top four are all covered by 20 points, but Chambers, who turns 21 on Saturday, is the only driver yet to secure a win. As the Red Bull Ford driver looks set to line up on pole for Race 1, could she deliver the best birthday present in Montreal? By contrast, Standings leader Weug will be on the backfoot as she qualified in 10th, with Palmowski and Pin completing the top three.
THREE CHANCES AT GLORY
They say the best things come in threes and that’s certainly the case for the fans in Montreal. They’ll be treated to three F1 ACADEMY races at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, with all three races lasting for 30 minutes plus one lap.
In the first of two races on Saturday, Race 1’s grid will be established using the final starting grid from Race 2 in Miami, with Montreal’s Wild Card driver permitted to start from the back of the grid. Points will be awarded to the top 10 drivers, with 25 points for the winner down to a point for P10.
Business resumes with Race 2, with the grid set by reversing the top eight drivers from Qualifying. Only the top eight classified drivers will receive points on a sliding scale from 10 points to winner, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point for P8.
The drivers’ fastest laps in Qualifying will set the grid for Race 3, with points again going to the top 10 drivers. The driver shown on pole position on the final starting grid for Race 3 will receive two points, whilst one point will be awarded to the driver who achieves the fastest lap in Race 1 and Race 3, provided she classifies in the top 10. Additionally, one point will be awarded to the driver who achieves the fastest lap in Race 2, provided she finishes in the top eight.
WHO’LL BE F1 ACADEMY’S NEXT WINNER?
So far this season, four different drivers have stood on the top step — with Pin the only repeat winner after victories in Shanghai Race 2 and Race 1 in Miami. Interestingly, no driver has won from further back than sixth on the grid.
Of the top-five drivers in the Standings, Chambers and Tommy Hilfiger’s Alba Larsen are both yet to score a win, although the Red Bull Ford driver did come close by leading Race 2 in Jeddah before receiving a penalty for forcing Weug off the track. Silverware currently remains elusive for Larsen, with the Dane’s P4 finish in Shanghai Race 2 being her best result of her rookie campaign.
Looking further down the order, sixth-placed Ella Lloyd has one win to her name, but the McLaren driver is eager to deliver on Grand Prix Sunday. However, competition isn’t far behind, with both Tina Hausmann and Nina Gademan wanting to record their first podium of the year and Emma Felbermayr looking to put her strong one-lap pace to good use in the reverse grid race.