Why Pirelli brings softest compounds for new Montreal track surface

4.361 kilometers long and named in memory of Gilles Villeneuve, the track is made up of six left and eight right corners and is among those with the lowest average speed of the entire season. Stability when braking and traction when exiting chicanes and slower corners – there is also a hairpin to tackle before a very long straight – are fundamental to being competitive, as is agility when changing direction. Unlike Monaco, overtaking is possible in Montreal, especially at the end of the straight leading to the last chicane, at the exit of which is the Wall of Champions which took on this name after, in the 1999 edition, three world champions – Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve – ended their race by crashing into the protective barriers.

One of the new features this year will be the asphalt, completely redone as well as the curbs have been replaced. On paper, the characteristics of low roughness and, therefore, reduced grip should have been maintained and the first counter-proof will come from the measurements that the Pirelli technicians will carry out on Wednesday. It should be kept in mind that the trail is usually only used by Montrealers for walking or cycling; therefore, each year the lap times drop very significantly as the cars run. It is also possible that, especially on Fridays, graining may occur, particularly on softer compounds. The lateral forces exerted on the tires are very limited while the longitudinal ones are more significant but, by far, Montreal is one of the kindest events with the tires of the entire season.

Even if not at the levels of Monaco, even in Montreal the lap time in qualifying is secured by filing every possible space in the passages near the protective barriers and in the passages on the curbs, so another important factor is the confidence of the drivers which is regained lap after lap. Obviously, every mistake can be paid dearly, even more so this year given that in one of the points where it was easier to go off the track – the chicane between turns 4 and 5 – the escape route is now grass while previously it was on asphalt.

The 2023 edition saw all the dry compounds as protagonists, with a mix of strategies between drivers who chose the double pit stop (like the three on the podium) and those who instead focused on the single stop, trying to extend it as much as possible the first stint. It should in fact be considered that the appearance of the safety car is very frequent and therefore a longer first part of the race offers greater possibilities of minimizing the time lost for tire changes

Another traditional unknown of the event in Quebec is linked to the weather conditions, which are very changeable even at the beginning of June. Not only can you go from cold and windy rainy days to sunny and hot ones but even within the same day there can be significant temperature variations.

The Canadian Grand Prix has been part of the premier motor racing competition since 1967 and has been hosted on three different tracks. In addition to the current one, it has in fact been raced eight times in Mosport, Ontario, and twice in Mont-Tremblant, just under 150 kilometers north of Montreal, also in Quebec. In total, 52 editions were held and two drivers – Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton – share the record of successes with seven victories each and also pole positions (six each). Among the manufacturers, McLaren is the queen of victories (13) and pole positions (11) while Ferrari excels in terms of podium placings (37).

Minimum pressures at the start (slick tyres)
Front: 23.5 psi
Rear: 20.5 psi