It’s officially time to raise the curtain on the highly anticipated Canadian Grand Prix weekendninth round of the 2024 Formula One World Championship. On the Montreal track, named after Gilles Villeneuve, a weekend of capital importance for the entire championship. Not so much for the well-known beauty of the track on the island of Notre Dame, but for the answers that will be given on the Canadian asphalt.
After Lando Norris’s victory in Miami (and his splendid race in Imola) and that of Charles Leclerc in Monte Carlo, Red Bull wants to set the record straight and send a message to everyone. Max Verstappen’s RB20 (provided that Sergio Perez does not decide to emerge from his torpor) wants to return to dominating the scene, on a track that could favor it but which, at the same time, could also give important chances to its rivals.
Work will begin at 7.30 pm Italian time with the first free practice session, while the second will begin at 11.00 pm in the late afternoon in Quebec (it will be 5.00 pm). Two more important hours await us on the track. As mentioned, Max Verstappen wants to return to dictating the pace in the highest category of motorsport and will be able to exploit his RB20 especially in T3, the one with the highest speeds. He will have to pay close attention, however, in the chicanes of T1 and T2 and, above all, on the Canadian curbs which, as we know, are poorly digested by his Red Bull.
On the other hand, Ferrari and McLaren are hunting for confirmation. After having shone on slow tracks like Monte Carlo or medium-slow tracks like Imola, they want to demonstrate that they can also aim for success in Montreal, a track that offers very high speeds, heavy braking and where traction (where the RB20 excels) makes the difference. Charles Leclerc, fresh from his home victory, wants to continue his “magic moment”, right on the track named after the Ferrari legend, Gilles Villeneuve.
