The 2015 Canadian Grand Prix Preview

image

Montreal, Canada is the next stop on the F1 calendar, with this beautiful circuit, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

image

Nestled amongst some gorgeous scenery, this track has been a staple of the F1 calendar since 1978, and enjoys a good reputation among fans and drivers alike. It’s one of few tracks (especially clockwise ones) to have a left-hand turn for its very first corner, and this gives way to a sweeping right-hander and a fast curve.

This is a fast circuit, punctuated by several chicanes. Turns 3 and 4, 6 and 7 and 8 and 9 are all in FAC chicanes, though they can be taken quite quickly. Once through these, there is the huge L’Epingle hairpin, and then you’re on to one of the course’s two DRS zones.

At the end of the Casino Straight you come to one of this track’s defining features – the wall of champions.

It’s named as such because the chicane here has seen many drivers – including Formula 1 champions – hit the wall as they’ve exited the corner and tried to get a good run down the start-finish straight. Notable casualties include Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and Jensen Button, to name but a few.

image

image

image

Another novel feature of the circuit would be the wild life.

image

The track has seen some noteworthy races. In 1991 Nigel Mansell was set for victory here and was so assured that he started to wave to the crowd as he coasted round the final lap. In doing so he allowed his engine revs to fall and the car stalled. He wound up classified sixth – a far cry from a win!

2007 saw Lewis Hamilton pick up his first ever win, and in 2011 a rain-soaked race saw Jensen Button take an unlikely victory, following collisions, penalties and several pit stops

It was here in 2014 that Daniel Ricciardo took his maiden F1 win, taking advantage of technical hiccups for both Mercedes.

As far as 2015 is concerned, it’s hard to look past Mercedes once again. Rosberg’s somewhat fortuitous win in Monaco saw him close to with 10 points of Hamilton – can he get closer?

Back to F1 2015

Please follow and like us:
error2
fb-share-icon0
fb-share-icon20