I was at the GP last year. We had a baby 4 weeks back so we skipped this year. I think Canadian GP is one of the well organized GP on the calendar. Getting to the circuit is super easy and tons of...
I was at the GP last year. We had a baby 4 weeks back so we skipped this year. I think Canadian GP is one of the well organized GP on the calendar. Getting to the circuit is super easy and tons of activities to do around Montreal during this time of the year.
Congratulations on your baby! Getting my (slightly older) kid to join me in watching F1 on the weekends has been a great experience for us. I followed F1 for a few years in the 90s, and got back...
Congratulations on your baby! Getting my (slightly older) kid to join me in watching F1 on the weekends has been a great experience for us.
I followed F1 for a few years in the 90s, and got back into it in 2018 when F1TV launched. I have thought about going to a race, but I wasn't sure how the live experience compares to watching it at home.
Getting to walk through the starting lane while the cars and drivers are getting ready would be very exciting, but I assume that's not the typical experience. It looks like on most tracks you get a view of one section of the track, with cars continuously zooming past, which doesn't seem that exciting if you don't know what's going on the rest of the track. Do they have big video walls showing the feed from the rest of the track, with onboards and replays? Do people listen to commentary on their phones? Are there interesting things to do before or after the race?
For those of you who have been to Montreal (or another race), how was it?
I absolutely love watching F1 on Sunday mornings with my toddler. It’s a great excuse for extended snuggles and we can talk about the cars while he holds a Hot Wheels toy.
I absolutely love watching F1 on Sunday mornings with my toddler. It’s a great excuse for extended snuggles and we can talk about the cars while he holds a Hot Wheels toy.
Thanks! I have followed the sport for the same amount of time. I lost interest during the Mercedes hybrid era (I am a lifelong Tifosi, and it's been a painful experience lately, to say the least)...
Thanks! I have followed the sport for the same amount of time. I lost interest during the Mercedes hybrid era (I am a lifelong Tifosi, and it's been a painful experience lately, to say the least) :)
For the Canadian GP, I recommend Grandstands 11 and 12 because you have a great view of the start-finish straight heading into the first braking point into turn 1.
The next preference would be around GS24 (Lance Stroll GS). You still have a view as the cars are slowing down. They do have screens set up at different parts of the circuit, and you can refer to the track map as they mark where you can expect the big screens.
We "invaded the track" after the race, and you can walk across the pit lanes. If you're lucky, you might see a few drivers, but generally, it's just mechanics breaking everything down and getting ready to ship the equipment to the next race. I was surprised by how quick (and efficient) they are when taking things down.
Also, as you walk past the pit lane after the race, you can have a much closer look at the cars as they are held for inspection.
Good luck & I hope you and your kid can make it to a GP soon! It's ambitious, but we will try our best to make it with our 1 yr old daughter next year.
Thanks for all the detailed info! I bookmarked your post so I have it as a reference if I end up going to Montreal next year. If I see someone with a 1 year old with humungous ear protection...
Thanks for all the detailed info! I bookmarked your post so I have it as a reference if I end up going to Montreal next year. If I see someone with a 1 year old with humungous ear protection muffs, I'll say hi :-)
I didn't think about this until just now, but the Canadian GP should be pretty exciting in person this year with Lance actually having a decent chance to fight close to the front and justify the name of the grandstand. I was always an underdog fan so I'm all in on Alonso and Aston this year. I feel your pain about Ferrari though.
Welcome! Fee free to reach out if you have any other questions. Yeah, AM look like a strong package this year and I expect Alonso to be on the podium or at least top 5. AM is my second team too.....
Welcome! Fee free to reach out if you have any other questions.
Yeah, AM look like a strong package this year and I expect Alonso to be on the podium or at least top 5. AM is my second team too.. I got Seb’s AM hat last year as a souvenir because all the chatter around was that it would be his last F1 season. I do dig the AM green, and I might just pick up Alonso’s highlighter yellow/ green hat this year :)
Having been to a race I would say that the experience was great. Being able to see the speed of the cars and how quickly they turn into the corners will make you appreciate just what these drivers...
Having been to a race I would say that the experience was great. Being able to see the speed of the cars and how quickly they turn into the corners will make you appreciate just what these drivers do all the more. They do have video screens to help you see what's going on, and there is commentary at the track which comes over the speakers, usually (in the UK at least) if you bring a pair of wired earbuds you can tune into the frequency if that's what you would prefer. On race day there is more going on that just the F1 race, there's support races and fan zones (if you want to go to that I'd recommend a grandstand ticket just so that you definitely have a spot, and it's likely going to have a video screen directly in front of it) afterwards, at least for Silverstone there was a concert, I think they do those at all races these days but check your local track website that should have the details.
If you wanted something where you could wander around and see the track you might want to visit on a Friday or Saturday so that you can walk around during the practice session(s) and not worry about missing anything.
My brother and I have floated the idea of going to a GP one of these years soon - for both geographic and price reasons, Montreal would likely be the target.
My brother and I have floated the idea of going to a GP one of these years soon - for both geographic and price reasons, Montreal would likely be the target.
The tickets are still fairly priced compared to any U.S. GPs. However, my one recommendation would be to look into accommodations months before the race weekend.
The tickets are still fairly priced compared to any U.S. GPs. However, my one recommendation would be to look into accommodations months before the race weekend.
Every time I hear about this GP, it sounds amazing. It's too late this year for me, but I'm going to use this to say out loud I'll be there next year. Maybe I can drag my brother along too.
Every time I hear about this GP, it sounds amazing. It's too late this year for me, but I'm going to use this to say out loud I'll be there next year. Maybe I can drag my brother along too.
I am from the Massachusetts area, and Montreal is only a 4.5 hour drive for me. Still, it took me over 10 years to finally make it to my first-ever GP. I have been following the sport since the...
I am from the Massachusetts area, and Montreal is only a 4.5 hour drive for me. Still, it took me over 10 years to finally make it to my first-ever GP.
I have been following the sport since the early 90s, so it's never too late!
First time going and really excited! Bringing along a couple friends too. We’ll be towards the top of the Lance Stroll grandstand, I think it’ll be a nice view of the braking power and cool to...
First time going and really excited! Bringing along a couple friends too. We’ll be towards the top of the Lance Stroll grandstand, I think it’ll be a nice view of the braking power and cool to hear the drivers boot the throttle on the exit of the hairpin. Also looking forward to exploring Montreal, none of us have ever visited.
I am sure you will have a blast! Just keep your eyes open while you are walking around the city. We got lucky last year and ran into Carlos Sainz (we still think he took our dinner reservation...
I am sure you will have a blast! Just keep your eyes open while you are walking around the city.
We got lucky last year and ran into Carlos Sainz (we still think he took our dinner reservation spot at the restaurant, but we didn't mind :)) and also ran into Ross Brawn. I am not sure how long you have been following the sport, but for me, as a Ferrari fan from the 90s, he was one of the great minds behind Ferrari's dominance in the 2000s and was also the race engineer for Michael Schumacher during his Ferrari days. He later found Brawn GP, which later spun into now the Mercedes AMG.
I would totally geek out if I saw Ross Brawn! The Brawn GP story is still one of my favorites I’ve come across in the sport. I’ve only been following since early 2020, but have gotten really into...
I would totally geek out if I saw Ross Brawn! The Brawn GP story is still one of my favorites I’ve come across in the sport. I’ve only been following since early 2020, but have gotten really into the technical and historical side of F1 since then. Once I’m into something, I get really nerdy about it lol. I’ll keep my eyes peeled!
At first, I couldn't believe my eyes that it was him. He was strolling around with his wife/ partner and another couple. They were headed to get dinner, and nobody recognized him. He has also been...
At first, I couldn't believe my eyes that it was him. He was strolling around with his wife/ partner and another couple. They were headed to get dinner, and nobody recognized him. He has also been behind the scenes for quite some time, so most of the new F1 crowd probably didn't recognize him.
He gladly took a photo with us (he was pleasantly surprised that I recognized him). I told him how he and Schumacher were idols of the F1 sport while growing up, and I thanked him for all he has done for Formula 1 as a sport and later as a member of the FIA.
What a race for Albon. Hearing him talk about everyone putting so much work into the car, barely having enough parts, being so afraid to crash, and it working out and getting their best result in...
What a race for Albon. Hearing him talk about everyone putting so much work into the car, barely having enough parts, being so afraid to crash, and it working out and getting their best result in years. It’s why Formula 1 is such a special sport
So what are we thinking? Max P1 again by like 30seconds at least? I am hoping Checo and/or Alonso returns to the podium. Checo's not going to be the WDC -- Against Max, that was always quite...
So what are we thinking? Max P1 again by like 30seconds at least? I am hoping Checo and/or Alonso returns to the podium. Checo's not going to be the WDC -- Against Max, that was always quite optimistic -- but I could see him maintaining P2. If he keeps it together, anyway.
I'm not a Merc fan, but I'm certainly interested to see if this will be the start of a pattern of podiums, or if Barcelona was just another one-off for them. While I'm not sure we'll see close Max and Lewis battles anytime soon, at least they can potentially put some pressure on Max. Close the gap so that Max can't pit as comfortably or something.
I think the RBs will likely be the strongest car for the Canadian circuit. I would love to see Alonso back on the podium. I am not a big fan of Checo, and I think RB will wait until they hand him...
I think the RBs will likely be the strongest car for the Canadian circuit. I would love to see Alonso back on the podium. I am not a big fan of Checo, and I think RB will wait until they hand him a new contract. He is definitely NOT WDC material.
As a lifelong Tifosi, I was happy we were at least ahead of Mercs, but that hope has also faded away after the new upgrades (for Merc) and what seems to be like downgrades for Ferrari. Being a Ferrari fan's not been a fun time, yet here we are, hurting ourselves every weekend.
I'd love some rain to throw an interesting mix over the weekend. Last weekend I was there for the GP, and it rained on Saturday, which made the race on Sunday quite interesting as some cars started out of their true pace on the grid.
I don't understand Ferrari. No one does, right? Potentially not even themselves. But I do feel really badly for Charles (and Carlos, too). I just don't get it. He's clearly a WDC capable driver....
I don't understand Ferrari. No one does, right? Potentially not even themselves. But I do feel really badly for Charles (and Carlos, too). I just don't get it. He's clearly a WDC capable driver. Give the guy a decent car like he once had. Give him some decent strategy options. Give him the support so he can at least fight for a podium.
I'm not a Tifosi (Tifoso?), rather I'm Team RB (well, Team Honda is probably more apt), but it's still so disappointing to see.
Charles is probably one of the two drivers on the grid who can challenge Max in a similar capable car. Unfortunately, I don't think we will ever see them drive for the same team. RB is such a...
Charles is probably one of the two drivers on the grid who can challenge Max in a similar capable car.
Unfortunately, I don't think we will ever see them drive for the same team.
RB is such a well-oiled group. Max is a once-in-a-generation talent, and when you combine that with brilliant minds, I am not surprised how utterly dominant they have been lately. I think this will continue until the next big change, which isn't going to happen until 2026 (I think?).
Aah! I truly love how Honda overcame all the initial challenges and then delivered one of the best engines on the grid & then said Ciao.
So if you are team Honda, does it mean your loyalties change to Aston Martin starting 2026? :)
I think I'm going to have to. I do have a 2020 RB jacket that says Aston Martin and Honda. So I'm basically set, haha. Hopefully Alonso will still be around. Though I don't know if he'll want that...
So if you are team Honda, does it mean your loyalties change to Aston Martin starting 2026? :)
I think I'm going to have to. I do have a 2020 RB jacket that says Aston Martin and Honda. So I'm basically set, haha. Hopefully Alonso will still be around. Though I don't know if he'll want that "GP2 Engine!"
I like Pérez, but his performances usually aren’t that inspiring. Not sure how much of that is due to Verstappen being in incredible form. Who would you rather see in the second RB seat out of...
I like Pérez, but his performances usually aren’t that inspiring. Not sure how much of that is due to Verstappen being in incredible form.
Who would you rather see in the second RB seat out of interest?
Just knowing RB and the fact they have a sister team, I doubt they will put one of their junior drivers from the academy directly into RB (Max was an exception). I would love to see some new blood...
Just knowing RB and the fact they have a sister team, I doubt they will put one of their junior drivers from the academy directly into RB (Max was an exception).
I would love to see some new blood in that seat, given Max is already reaching veteran status. I'd say Lawson or maybe Yuki gets promoted to that 2nd RB seat in a couple of years.
Surely a win for Verstappen - the Red Bull is mighty with him at the wheel. I really hope for enjoyment’s sake and for Alonso that Aston Martin have made a good step, as they looked disappointing...
Surely a win for Verstappen - the Red Bull is mighty with him at the wheel. I really hope for enjoyment’s sake and for Alonso that Aston Martin have made a good step, as they looked disappointing in Barcelona.
I think Pérez will manage to maintain P2, but he need to find his form again as otherwise that is at risk if he keeps making mistakes.
I hate that you seem to be right by predicting a red bull 1-2, its so strange to me that the rest of the field seems so close but red bull cars are in their own league, then again I missed the...
I hate that you seem to be right by predicting a red bull 1-2, its so strange to me that the rest of the field seems so close but red bull cars are in their own league, then again I missed the Mercedes era because of school and uni so this might not be new to many
It’s very reminiscent of the Mercedes domination era! Back then it was clear Mercedes were hiding a lot of pace - there was one race (I think maybe Bahrain? Not sure which year, maybe 2017) where...
It’s very reminiscent of the Mercedes domination era! Back then it was clear Mercedes were hiding a lot of pace - there was one race (I think maybe Bahrain? Not sure which year, maybe 2017) where Hamilton and Rosberg really showed it by putting a huge margin between them and the rest of the field in so few laps.
I don’t think Red Bull have quite that advantage as Pérez isn’t always able to make the same impression. Verstappen is on another level.
I think I recall Alonso mentioning that Spain will “be his last time not on the podium” this season. Maybe I’m misremembering, but I feel like that implies AM is bringing upgrades that they expect...
I think I recall Alonso mentioning that Spain will “be his last time not on the podium” this season. Maybe I’m misremembering, but I feel like that implies AM is bringing upgrades that they expect a decent performance boost from. Would be cool to see them start nipping at RB’s heels more often, kind of like RB did to Merc before 2021. Time will tell!
Alonso podium for sure. I like Haas -- I like all the teams and drivers to some degree -- but I'm a McLaren fan more than has a Haas fan. I need Lando and/or Piastri to get some points. Also Yuki....
Alonso podium for sure. I like Haas -- I like all the teams and drivers to some degree -- but I'm a McLaren fan more than has a Haas fan. I need Lando and/or Piastri to get some points. Also Yuki. Guy's been robbed these last few races. Especially that last race with that incident with Zhou. I think Zhou did that to himself. Good driver, but he panicked, IMO.
I think Mercedes is definitely on an upward trajectory, and although Montreal doesn't seem like the type of circuit that specifically favours them (in Barcelona, they seemed at home in high speed,...
I think Mercedes is definitely on an upward trajectory, and although Montreal doesn't seem like the type of circuit that specifically favours them (in Barcelona, they seemed at home in high speed, winding corners), their car is a pretty solid all rounder with superb tire degradation.
If not on peak pace, Mercedes can definitely achieve a podium on consistency and strategy alone, since Stroll is not on his best game and Alonso would be left defending against what is arguably the best driver pairing on the grid right now.
But I wouldn't remove Ferrari from the equation, given they get their strategy/tire deg together and make the most out of low speed corner exits. However, that seems like a big ask at the moment, especially since the rain potential is going to throw a spanner in the works if it indeed does rain.
Barring more quali trouble, Checo is almost a guaranteed spot on the podium. Even if he does not qualify in the first row, the Red Bull has enough straight line speed and corner grip to overtake any competition on the main straight or the preceding corners following the opposite straight.
I'm sincerely hoping Williams gets something this week, but this is not a good circuit for low downforce cars, and they seem to have given up on 2023...
Yeah, I can't see anything other than a Verstappen win. As a Mercedes fan I would like them to kick on a bit more, last weekend was great but if Hamilton could get a win I'd be very happy....
Yeah, I can't see anything other than a Verstappen win. As a Mercedes fan I would like them to kick on a bit more, last weekend was great but if Hamilton could get a win I'd be very happy.
Unfortunately this track has that long straight so I don't think drs on the Red Bulls is going to be very effective.
Good to hear that Montreal is less affected by the wildfires and the race can go. Not that the FIA would cancel it short of the actual paddock being aflame. I wonder what the air quality will be...
Good to hear that Montreal is less affected by the wildfires and the race can go. Not that the FIA would cancel it short of the actual paddock being aflame. I wonder what the air quality will be like by the weekend and how that will affect the drivers or machinery.
Agreed. It was a pleasant surprise they cancelled the Imola race a few days in advance of it - clearly the right decision, but it really shows how many bad decisions the FIA has made that it was a...
Agreed. It was a pleasant surprise they cancelled the Imola race a few days in advance of it - clearly the right decision, but it really shows how many bad decisions the FIA has made that it was a surprise.
https://twitter.com/AlbertFabrega/status/1669455050081554432 https://twitter.com/AlbertFabrega/status/1669455050081554432 Couple of tweets from Fabrega showing an upgrade from Aston Martin. More...
Couple of tweets from Fabrega showing an upgrade from Aston Martin. More undercut underneath the sidepod, it's beginning to remind me a little bit of the the first car they launched back in 2022.
Was Ferrari just the best overall team during the race? Am I in a mirror world? In all seriousness, pretty solid race. I've learned to just ignore Verstappen. Solid chess match style battle...
Was Ferrari just the best overall team during the race? Am I in a mirror world?
In all seriousness, pretty solid race. I've learned to just ignore Verstappen. Solid chess match style battle between Alonso and Hamilton, hell of a run by Albon, madman driving from Norris in the last laps.
As a Ferrari supporter, I was glad they didn't screw up either driver's strategies. That's a win. The more significant takeaway was that the Ferraris weren't eating up the tires as they usually...
As a Ferrari supporter, I was glad they didn't screw up either driver's strategies. That's a win.
The more significant takeaway was that the Ferraris weren't eating up the tires as they usually do. They had a decent race pace throughout. I am happy with the 4th and 5th finishes (The fact Russell DNF'd makes it even better for Ferrari to stay in the constructor's fight.
If Ferrari has found an answer to improve their tire deg, I expect them to start working on improving the overall performance with the upgrades they brought in earlier.
A lot of Ferrari's strategic issues get rightfully mocked, but part of it is that there's simply no good strategy you can have when your car is evaporating tyres just to go the same pace as...
A lot of Ferrari's strategic issues get rightfully mocked, but part of it is that there's simply no good strategy you can have when your car is evaporating tyres just to go the same pace as competitors. Hopefully they're really focusing on that issue and can finally put it behind them.
As others have commented, massive effort by our Albono. When the Ferraris didn't pit during the safety car, I genuinely thought they'd be fucked considering how bad their tyre wear has been during...
As others have commented, massive effort by our Albono. When the Ferraris didn't pit during the safety car, I genuinely thought they'd be fucked considering how bad their tyre wear has been during previous races and yet somehow, it fucking worked. Glad to see them move up the grid after that horrible qualifying. Young rookie Fernando Alonso scoring another P2 is great to see too!
... and what the fuck was DeVries doing? Honestly...
I told my wife it was like shitty AI in racing games that stuck to their racing line no matter what, and will run into you or just stick to you to stick on the line. I know that it’s hard to see...
I told my wife it was like shitty AI in racing games that stuck to their racing line no matter what, and will run into you or just stick to you to stick on the line.
I know that it’s hard to see out the car but still, come on man…
Pretty good race overall, Ferrari actually had a good strategy that worked out for once. A shame they didn't let Sainz show his true pace. Albon was driving beautifully, the straightline speed of...
Pretty good race overall, Ferrari actually had a good strategy that worked out for once. A shame they didn't let Sainz show his true pace.
Albon was driving beautifully, the straightline speed of that Williams really was showing off.
Mercedes seem to have found (and more or less solved) the issues they were struggling with. Hopefully they can continue their development and keep fighting at the front.
Red Bull and Verstappen were as quick as we're already used to by now, Perez however isn't driving up to his standards. No clue what's going wrong there.
Last but not least, Norris, he did a great race! Showed some real balls going into the hairpin. The penalty however still isn't clear to me. Where did he show unsportsmanlike behaviour?
Norris' penalty seems so odd. Unsportsmanlike for going slow during the safety car period? He even said in his post race interview (paraphrased) "if I am within my delta, why does it matter? lots...
Norris' penalty seems so odd. Unsportsmanlike for going slow during the safety car period? He even said in his post race interview (paraphrased) "if I am within my delta, why does it matter? lots of cars speed up and slow down at different times, to keep their tyres in the window. if this is a penalty, then lots of cars should be getting penalized"
Apparently, he was 50km/h slower then Piastri through the same corner but again, if he's keeping to the 10 sec delta it just seems odd.
(Note: Norris is my favorite driver on the grid, so I do have a bias with him. Still doesn't make sense though.)
I just got a notification from the F1 app explaining the situation. It still doesn't make sense in my eyes. Drivers up and down the field have done this more than once, getting away with a...
I just got a notification from the F1 app explaining the situation. It still doesn't make sense in my eyes. Drivers up and down the field have done this more than once, getting away with a warning.
It almost looks like the stewards were trying to give out as few penalties as possible (Norris unsafe release, Hamilton unsafe release, Devries causing a collision,..) and then decided "you know what, we need to give one this race, let's give Norris 5 seconds for 'unsportsmanlike behaviour'".
(Note: I'm a Hamilton fan, but I like most of the drivers on the field)
Phenomenal quali. Really wish Albon's soft tyre gamble had happened in Q3 instead of 2, love to see the scrappy underdog team take a chance and kill it. Happy for Hulkenberg as well, and rooting...
Phenomenal quali. Really wish Albon's soft tyre gamble had happened in Q3 instead of 2, love to see the scrappy underdog team take a chance and kill it. Happy for Hulkenberg as well, and rooting for Alonso as always.
Definitely disappointed that Albono didn't have a chance to qualify higher after Piastri's crash. Still, the grid is pretty mixed up and that Hulkenberg P2 is massive! Grande Alonso putting it in...
Definitely disappointed that Albono didn't have a chance to qualify higher after Piastri's crash. Still, the grid is pretty mixed up and that Hulkenberg P2 is massive! Grande Alonso putting it in P3 has me excited for tomorrow too but I'm not expecting anyone else for a race win other than ol' Verstappen.
Our P2 boy Hulkenberg has just been called in by the stewards for a red flag infringement after Oscar Piastri's crash. Williams has been fined for failure to return tires pre-qualifying And just...
And just as I was writing this, Sainz gets a 3 grid position penalty after impeding Pierre Gasly, which led to him getting knocked out in Q1. This puts Sainz in P11 tomorrow. Not good for the Ferrari International Clown show.
I'm expecting a meh race for the lead if there's no rain tomorrow. Max is on his own formula right now. The Mercedes will take the remaining spots of the podium and we will see and interesting...
I'm expecting a meh race for the lead if there's no rain tomorrow. Max is on his own formula right now.
The Mercedes will take the remaining spots of the podium and we will see and interesting fight in the championship between Alonso and Hamilton for maybe the last time.
The Ferrari's will struggle and give us more meme material; Checo has a decent chance at P4; hopefully the McLaren's have a good race for once.
I'm hoping to be wrong cause I'm losing interest on Sundays.
Max is almost inevitable at this point. That Red Bull is reliable, doesn't chew up its tyres (50 laps in Monaco or something when the pit window was like 25 laps, no?) and it has Max Verstappen in...
Max is almost inevitable at this point. That Red Bull is reliable, doesn't chew up its tyres (50 laps in Monaco or something when the pit window was like 25 laps, no?) and it has Max Verstappen in its seat. I do agree with you on the Formula 1.25 fights being interesting. I really do hope Alonso gets that P2 tomorrow because after last weekend, he deserves it.
ferrari's genius strategies will be as good as always, looking forward to that.
Officially a 3 place drop for Hulkenberg. Still a pretty strong result for Haas, it's not like his position wasn't going to drop to 5th within 2 laps anyway.
Officially a 3 place drop for Hulkenberg. Still a pretty strong result for Haas, it's not like his position wasn't going to drop to 5th within 2 laps anyway.
Oh, what a terrible, terrible way to wake up. I know he wouldn't have maintained that P2 but maybe he could've kept it in the points. Oh well, maybe next time
Oh, what a terrible, terrible way to wake up. I know he wouldn't have maintained that P2 but maybe he could've kept it in the points. Oh well, maybe next time
Crazy how we saw Max for probably 7 total laps. Makes what he is doing really impressive especially when compared to Checo in the same car. Fantastic race by Albon. A lot of fun to watch and...
Crazy how we saw Max for probably 7 total laps. Makes what he is doing really impressive especially when compared to Checo in the same car. Fantastic race by Albon. A lot of fun to watch and awesome to hear how excited he was coming across the finish. Ferrari could have challenged for a podium if not for a nightmare quali. Norris deserves a better car. KMag HATES giving up positions on track. Stroll has to be better with that car. It was really fun weekend that resulted in some great battles. Good fun.
Not a bad race to be honest. Was going to be interesting, the pit strategy after a lot of the weekend was rained out. Albon had a stunner of a race, and I’ll raise my hand for thinking Ferrari had...
Not a bad race to be honest. Was going to be interesting, the pit strategy after a lot of the weekend was rained out.
Albon had a stunner of a race, and I’ll raise my hand for thinking Ferrari had fucked it once again.
I’m saying this as a Verstappen fan, but the races become much more interesting when you pretend he doesn’t exist lol. The upper midfield and midfield battles kinda make up for the lack of competition out front, IMO. The Ferrari/Merc/AM (+Perez?) battle and the rest of the pack battle is pretty fierce in their own right.
VER had to do some dangerous things on-track (with that little twitch he had towards the end of the race) to keep himself entertained.. lol! I wonder what he is thinking just going around the...
VER had to do some dangerous things on-track (with that little twitch he had towards the end of the race) to keep himself entertained.. lol! I wonder what he is thinking just going around the track all by himself.
I feel bad for him. As somebody who absolutely loves racing, I fear he might get bored of this and might consider moving on to other forms of racing.
Reminds me of the MSC days and the Ferrari dominant era.
I was at the GP last year. We had a baby 4 weeks back so we skipped this year. I think Canadian GP is one of the well organized GP on the calendar. Getting to the circuit is super easy and tons of activities to do around Montreal during this time of the year.
Anybody going to the GP this year?
Congratulations on your baby! Getting my (slightly older) kid to join me in watching F1 on the weekends has been a great experience for us.
I followed F1 for a few years in the 90s, and got back into it in 2018 when F1TV launched. I have thought about going to a race, but I wasn't sure how the live experience compares to watching it at home.
Getting to walk through the starting lane while the cars and drivers are getting ready would be very exciting, but I assume that's not the typical experience. It looks like on most tracks you get a view of one section of the track, with cars continuously zooming past, which doesn't seem that exciting if you don't know what's going on the rest of the track. Do they have big video walls showing the feed from the rest of the track, with onboards and replays? Do people listen to commentary on their phones? Are there interesting things to do before or after the race?
For those of you who have been to Montreal (or another race), how was it?
I absolutely love watching F1 on Sunday mornings with my toddler. It’s a great excuse for extended snuggles and we can talk about the cars while he holds a Hot Wheels toy.
Thanks! I have followed the sport for the same amount of time. I lost interest during the Mercedes hybrid era (I am a lifelong Tifosi, and it's been a painful experience lately, to say the least) :)
For the Canadian GP, I recommend Grandstands 11 and 12 because you have a great view of the start-finish straight heading into the first braking point into turn 1.
The next preference would be around GS24 (Lance Stroll GS). You still have a view as the cars are slowing down. They do have screens set up at different parts of the circuit, and you can refer to the track map as they mark where you can expect the big screens.
We "invaded the track" after the race, and you can walk across the pit lanes. If you're lucky, you might see a few drivers, but generally, it's just mechanics breaking everything down and getting ready to ship the equipment to the next race. I was surprised by how quick (and efficient) they are when taking things down.
Also, as you walk past the pit lane after the race, you can have a much closer look at the cars as they are held for inspection.
Good luck & I hope you and your kid can make it to a GP soon! It's ambitious, but we will try our best to make it with our 1 yr old daughter next year.
Thanks for all the detailed info! I bookmarked your post so I have it as a reference if I end up going to Montreal next year. If I see someone with a 1 year old with humungous ear protection muffs, I'll say hi :-)
I didn't think about this until just now, but the Canadian GP should be pretty exciting in person this year with Lance actually having a decent chance to fight close to the front and justify the name of the grandstand. I was always an underdog fan so I'm all in on Alonso and Aston this year. I feel your pain about Ferrari though.
Welcome! Fee free to reach out if you have any other questions.
Yeah, AM look like a strong package this year and I expect Alonso to be on the podium or at least top 5. AM is my second team too.. I got Seb’s AM hat last year as a souvenir because all the chatter around was that it would be his last F1 season. I do dig the AM green, and I might just pick up Alonso’s highlighter yellow/ green hat this year :)
Having been to a race I would say that the experience was great. Being able to see the speed of the cars and how quickly they turn into the corners will make you appreciate just what these drivers do all the more. They do have video screens to help you see what's going on, and there is commentary at the track which comes over the speakers, usually (in the UK at least) if you bring a pair of wired earbuds you can tune into the frequency if that's what you would prefer. On race day there is more going on that just the F1 race, there's support races and fan zones (if you want to go to that I'd recommend a grandstand ticket just so that you definitely have a spot, and it's likely going to have a video screen directly in front of it) afterwards, at least for Silverstone there was a concert, I think they do those at all races these days but check your local track website that should have the details.
If you wanted something where you could wander around and see the track you might want to visit on a Friday or Saturday so that you can walk around during the practice session(s) and not worry about missing anything.
My brother and I have floated the idea of going to a GP one of these years soon - for both geographic and price reasons, Montreal would likely be the target.
The tickets are still fairly priced compared to any U.S. GPs. However, my one recommendation would be to look into accommodations months before the race weekend.
Every time I hear about this GP, it sounds amazing. It's too late this year for me, but I'm going to use this to say out loud I'll be there next year. Maybe I can drag my brother along too.
I am from the Massachusetts area, and Montreal is only a 4.5 hour drive for me. Still, it took me over 10 years to finally make it to my first-ever GP.
I have been following the sport since the early 90s, so it's never too late!
First time going and really excited! Bringing along a couple friends too. We’ll be towards the top of the Lance Stroll grandstand, I think it’ll be a nice view of the braking power and cool to hear the drivers boot the throttle on the exit of the hairpin. Also looking forward to exploring Montreal, none of us have ever visited.
I am sure you will have a blast! Just keep your eyes open while you are walking around the city.
We got lucky last year and ran into Carlos Sainz (we still think he took our dinner reservation spot at the restaurant, but we didn't mind :)) and also ran into Ross Brawn. I am not sure how long you have been following the sport, but for me, as a Ferrari fan from the 90s, he was one of the great minds behind Ferrari's dominance in the 2000s and was also the race engineer for Michael Schumacher during his Ferrari days. He later found Brawn GP, which later spun into now the Mercedes AMG.
I would totally geek out if I saw Ross Brawn! The Brawn GP story is still one of my favorites I’ve come across in the sport. I’ve only been following since early 2020, but have gotten really into the technical and historical side of F1 since then. Once I’m into something, I get really nerdy about it lol. I’ll keep my eyes peeled!
At first, I couldn't believe my eyes that it was him. He was strolling around with his wife/ partner and another couple. They were headed to get dinner, and nobody recognized him. He has also been behind the scenes for quite some time, so most of the new F1 crowd probably didn't recognize him.
He gladly took a photo with us (he was pleasantly surprised that I recognized him). I told him how he and Schumacher were idols of the F1 sport while growing up, and I thanked him for all he has done for Formula 1 as a sport and later as a member of the FIA.
Just looking at the location of the circuit, the fact that it’s easy to get to really surprises me. Austin, TX (COTA) is terrible getting in and out.
Definitely one of the best circuits in terms of the logistics of getting in and out.
What a race for Albon. Hearing him talk about everyone putting so much work into the car, barely having enough parts, being so afraid to crash, and it working out and getting their best result in years. It’s why Formula 1 is such a special sport
Enjoyed Albon's race a lot.
He was so happy at the end, haha.
What a race by Alex Albon. That Williams is so fast on the straight.
Definitely DOTD for today's race!
So what are we thinking? Max P1 again by like 30seconds at least? I am hoping Checo and/or Alonso returns to the podium. Checo's not going to be the WDC -- Against Max, that was always quite optimistic -- but I could see him maintaining P2. If he keeps it together, anyway.
I'm not a Merc fan, but I'm certainly interested to see if this will be the start of a pattern of podiums, or if Barcelona was just another one-off for them. While I'm not sure we'll see close Max and Lewis battles anytime soon, at least they can potentially put some pressure on Max. Close the gap so that Max can't pit as comfortably or something.
More potential for a rainy race this weekend. Montreal Weather.
I think the RBs will likely be the strongest car for the Canadian circuit. I would love to see Alonso back on the podium. I am not a big fan of Checo, and I think RB will wait until they hand him a new contract. He is definitely NOT WDC material.
As a lifelong Tifosi, I was happy we were at least ahead of Mercs, but that hope has also faded away after the new upgrades (for Merc) and what seems to be like downgrades for Ferrari. Being a Ferrari fan's not been a fun time, yet here we are, hurting ourselves every weekend.
I'd love some rain to throw an interesting mix over the weekend. Last weekend I was there for the GP, and it rained on Saturday, which made the race on Sunday quite interesting as some cars started out of their true pace on the grid.
I don't understand Ferrari. No one does, right? Potentially not even themselves. But I do feel really badly for Charles (and Carlos, too). I just don't get it. He's clearly a WDC capable driver. Give the guy a decent car like he once had. Give him some decent strategy options. Give him the support so he can at least fight for a podium.
I'm not a Tifosi (Tifoso?), rather I'm Team RB (well, Team Honda is probably more apt), but it's still so disappointing to see.
Charles is probably one of the two drivers on the grid who can challenge Max in a similar capable car.
Unfortunately, I don't think we will ever see them drive for the same team.
RB is such a well-oiled group. Max is a once-in-a-generation talent, and when you combine that with brilliant minds, I am not surprised how utterly dominant they have been lately. I think this will continue until the next big change, which isn't going to happen until 2026 (I think?).
Aah! I truly love how Honda overcame all the initial challenges and then delivered one of the best engines on the grid & then said Ciao.
So if you are team Honda, does it mean your loyalties change to Aston Martin starting 2026? :)
I think I'm going to have to. I do have a 2020 RB jacket that says Aston Martin and Honda. So I'm basically set, haha. Hopefully Alonso will still be around. Though I don't know if he'll want that "GP2 Engine!"
I like Pérez, but his performances usually aren’t that inspiring. Not sure how much of that is due to Verstappen being in incredible form.
Who would you rather see in the second RB seat out of interest?
Just knowing RB and the fact they have a sister team, I doubt they will put one of their junior drivers from the academy directly into RB (Max was an exception).
I would love to see some new blood in that seat, given Max is already reaching veteran status. I'd say Lawson or maybe Yuki gets promoted to that 2nd RB seat in a couple of years.
I'm definitely rooting for Yuki - such a shame last race that he lost the points he fought so hard for.
Surely a win for Verstappen - the Red Bull is mighty with him at the wheel. I really hope for enjoyment’s sake and for Alonso that Aston Martin have made a good step, as they looked disappointing in Barcelona.
I think Pérez will manage to maintain P2, but he need to find his form again as otherwise that is at risk if he keeps making mistakes.
I hate that you seem to be right by predicting a red bull 1-2, its so strange to me that the rest of the field seems so close but red bull cars are in their own league, then again I missed the Mercedes era because of school and uni so this might not be new to many
It’s very reminiscent of the Mercedes domination era! Back then it was clear Mercedes were hiding a lot of pace - there was one race (I think maybe Bahrain? Not sure which year, maybe 2017) where Hamilton and Rosberg really showed it by putting a huge margin between them and the rest of the field in so few laps.
I don’t think Red Bull have quite that advantage as Pérez isn’t always able to make the same impression. Verstappen is on another level.
I think I recall Alonso mentioning that Spain will “be his last time not on the podium” this season. Maybe I’m misremembering, but I feel like that implies AM is bringing upgrades that they expect a decent performance boost from. Would be cool to see them start nipping at RB’s heels more often, kind of like RB did to Merc before 2021. Time will tell!
I certainly hope so!
Would love an Alonso podium, maybe some points for Haas too?
Alonso podium for sure. I like Haas -- I like all the teams and drivers to some degree -- but I'm a McLaren fan more than has a Haas fan. I need Lando and/or Piastri to get some points. Also Yuki. Guy's been robbed these last few races. Especially that last race with that incident with Zhou. I think Zhou did that to himself. Good driver, but he panicked, IMO.
I think Mercedes is definitely on an upward trajectory, and although Montreal doesn't seem like the type of circuit that specifically favours them (in Barcelona, they seemed at home in high speed, winding corners), their car is a pretty solid all rounder with superb tire degradation.
If not on peak pace, Mercedes can definitely achieve a podium on consistency and strategy alone, since Stroll is not on his best game and Alonso would be left defending against what is arguably the best driver pairing on the grid right now.
But I wouldn't remove Ferrari from the equation, given they get their strategy/tire deg together and make the most out of low speed corner exits. However, that seems like a big ask at the moment, especially since the rain potential is going to throw a spanner in the works if it indeed does rain.
Barring more quali trouble, Checo is almost a guaranteed spot on the podium. Even if he does not qualify in the first row, the Red Bull has enough straight line speed and corner grip to overtake any competition on the main straight or the preceding corners following the opposite straight.
I'm sincerely hoping Williams gets something this week, but this is not a good circuit for low downforce cars, and they seem to have given up on 2023...
Yeah, I can't see anything other than a Verstappen win. As a Mercedes fan I would like them to kick on a bit more, last weekend was great but if Hamilton could get a win I'd be very happy.
Unfortunately this track has that long straight so I don't think drs on the Red Bulls is going to be very effective.
Session - Date - Local Time
FP1 - 16Jun - 1:30 pm
FP2 - 16Jun - 5:00 pm
FP3 - 17Jun - 12:30 pm
Quali - 17Jun - 4:00 pm
Race - 18Jun - 2:00 pm
Good to see P2 for my boy Alonso. Some great moves from Lando, despite the penalty. Overall incredible race from Albon.
Good to hear that Montreal is less affected by the wildfires and the race can go. Not that the FIA would cancel it short of the actual paddock being aflame. I wonder what the air quality will be like by the weekend and how that will affect the drivers or machinery.
Agreed. It was a pleasant surprise they cancelled the Imola race a few days in advance of it - clearly the right decision, but it really shows how many bad decisions the FIA has made that it was a surprise.
https://twitter.com/AlbertFabrega/status/1669455050081554432
https://twitter.com/AlbertFabrega/status/1669455050081554432
Couple of tweets from Fabrega showing an upgrade from Aston Martin. More undercut underneath the sidepod, it's beginning to remind me a little bit of the the first car they launched back in 2022.
https://twitter.com/AlbertFabrega/status/1669392505467437064
Alpine have brought 2 different front wings.
https://twitter.com/AlbertFabrega/status/1669340010439639042
I almost missed the rear wing thread.
https://twitter.com/AlbertFabrega/status/1669366519443095554
There's also a new wall on the exit of turn 2 so drivers are going to have to be more careful with how they go through that on the first lap.
https://twitter.com/AlbertFabrega/status/1669305881329123330
Weekend weather forecast: Forecasts confirms chance of rain: medium for Friday, high for Saturday and low for Sunday. Lower temps for the race 21C
https://twitter.com/AlbertFabrega/status/1669741339074785282
Williams has also brought an update. It looks a little bit like an alpine.
https://twitter.com/AlbertFabrega/status/1669723153877151746
https://twitter.com/AlbertFabrega/status/1669723936781631489
https://twitter.com/AlbertFabrega/status/1669724612840529921
All the details of every upgrade the teams have brought this weekend. It doesn't look like Ferrari is included so I don't think they've changed anything, which is surprising as it would mean they haven't even changed the rear wing or brought any other track specific change.
https://twitter.com/AlbertFabrega/status/1669764600198316038
The reason FP1 restart was delayed so long was due to a CCTV issue at the circuit.
Edit: I'm just going to make this a mega comment of all Fabrega tweets that I find interesting/useful
Was Ferrari just the best overall team during the race? Am I in a mirror world?
In all seriousness, pretty solid race. I've learned to just ignore Verstappen. Solid chess match style battle between Alonso and Hamilton, hell of a run by Albon, madman driving from Norris in the last laps.
As a Ferrari supporter, I was glad they didn't screw up either driver's strategies. That's a win.
The more significant takeaway was that the Ferraris weren't eating up the tires as they usually do. They had a decent race pace throughout. I am happy with the 4th and 5th finishes (The fact Russell DNF'd makes it even better for Ferrari to stay in the constructor's fight.
If Ferrari has found an answer to improve their tire deg, I expect them to start working on improving the overall performance with the upgrades they brought in earlier.
A lot of Ferrari's strategic issues get rightfully mocked, but part of it is that there's simply no good strategy you can have when your car is evaporating tyres just to go the same pace as competitors. Hopefully they're really focusing on that issue and can finally put it behind them.
As others have commented, massive effort by our Albono. When the Ferraris didn't pit during the safety car, I genuinely thought they'd be fucked considering how bad their tyre wear has been during previous races and yet somehow, it fucking worked. Glad to see them move up the grid after that horrible qualifying. Young rookie Fernando Alonso scoring another P2 is great to see too!
... and what the fuck was DeVries doing? Honestly...
Dev locking up on the inside leaving Kevin with nowhere to go except off the road with him was so unfortunate :(
I told my wife it was like shitty AI in racing games that stuck to their racing line no matter what, and will run into you or just stick to you to stick on the line.
I know that it’s hard to see out the car but still, come on man…
Due to the FP1 having basically no running FP2 will be 90 minutes
Good, I was out running errands so didn’t miss much :)
Pretty good race overall, Ferrari actually had a good strategy that worked out for once. A shame they didn't let Sainz show his true pace.
Albon was driving beautifully, the straightline speed of that Williams really was showing off.
Mercedes seem to have found (and more or less solved) the issues they were struggling with. Hopefully they can continue their development and keep fighting at the front.
Red Bull and Verstappen were as quick as we're already used to by now, Perez however isn't driving up to his standards. No clue what's going wrong there.
Last but not least, Norris, he did a great race! Showed some real balls going into the hairpin. The penalty however still isn't clear to me. Where did he show unsportsmanlike behaviour?
Norris' penalty seems so odd. Unsportsmanlike for going slow during the safety car period? He even said in his post race interview (paraphrased) "if I am within my delta, why does it matter? lots of cars speed up and slow down at different times, to keep their tyres in the window. if this is a penalty, then lots of cars should be getting penalized"
Apparently, he was 50km/h slower then Piastri through the same corner but again, if he's keeping to the 10 sec delta it just seems odd.
(Note: Norris is my favorite driver on the grid, so I do have a bias with him. Still doesn't make sense though.)
I just got a notification from the F1 app explaining the situation. It still doesn't make sense in my eyes. Drivers up and down the field have done this more than once, getting away with a warning.
It almost looks like the stewards were trying to give out as few penalties as possible (Norris unsafe release, Hamilton unsafe release, Devries causing a collision,..) and then decided "you know what, we need to give one this race, let's give Norris 5 seconds for 'unsportsmanlike behaviour'".
(Note: I'm a Hamilton fan, but I like most of the drivers on the field)
Phenomenal quali. Really wish Albon's soft tyre gamble had happened in Q3 instead of 2, love to see the scrappy underdog team take a chance and kill it. Happy for Hulkenberg as well, and rooting for Alonso as always.
Definitely disappointed that Albono didn't have a chance to qualify higher after Piastri's crash. Still, the grid is pretty mixed up and that Hulkenberg P2 is massive! Grande Alonso putting it in P3 has me excited for tomorrow too but I'm not expecting anyone else for a race win other than ol' Verstappen.
Our P2 boy Hulkenberg has just been called in by the stewards for a red flag infringement after Oscar Piastri's crash.
Williams has been fined for failure to return tires pre-qualifying
And just as I was writing this, Sainz gets a 3 grid position penalty after impeding Pierre Gasly, which led to him getting knocked out in Q1. This puts Sainz in P11 tomorrow. Not good for the Ferrari International Clown show.
I'm expecting a meh race for the lead if there's no rain tomorrow. Max is on his own formula right now.
The Mercedes will take the remaining spots of the podium and we will see and interesting fight in the championship between Alonso and Hamilton for maybe the last time.
The Ferrari's will struggle and give us more meme material; Checo has a decent chance at P4; hopefully the McLaren's have a good race for once.
I'm hoping to be wrong cause I'm losing interest on Sundays.
Max is almost inevitable at this point. That Red Bull is reliable, doesn't chew up its tyres (50 laps in Monaco or something when the pit window was like 25 laps, no?) and it has Max Verstappen in its seat. I do agree with you on the Formula 1.25 fights being interesting. I really do hope Alonso gets that P2 tomorrow because after last weekend, he deserves it.
ferrari's genius strategies will be as good as always, looking forward to that.
Tsunoda and Stroll were also handed 3 place grid penalties for impeding Hulkenberg and Ocon respectively. Stroll will start 16th and Tsunoda 19th.
Officially a 3 place drop for Hulkenberg. Still a pretty strong result for Haas, it's not like his position wasn't going to drop to 5th within 2 laps anyway.
I would have guessed "within 2 turns", to be honest. Alonso, Hamilton, AND Russell on his butt would have been tough.
Oh, what a terrible, terrible way to wake up. I know he wouldn't have maintained that P2 but maybe he could've kept it in the points. Oh well, maybe next time
Bottas' tires falled off at the end, shame he lost the position to Stroll. But I'm happy he scored a point!
Crazy how we saw Max for probably 7 total laps. Makes what he is doing really impressive especially when compared to Checo in the same car. Fantastic race by Albon. A lot of fun to watch and awesome to hear how excited he was coming across the finish. Ferrari could have challenged for a podium if not for a nightmare quali. Norris deserves a better car. KMag HATES giving up positions on track. Stroll has to be better with that car. It was really fun weekend that resulted in some great battles. Good fun.
Good friend of mine has tickets to be in the paddock for Quali. If I think of it I'll try and post some photos as he sends them
Not a bad race to be honest. Was going to be interesting, the pit strategy after a lot of the weekend was rained out.
Albon had a stunner of a race, and I’ll raise my hand for thinking Ferrari had fucked it once again.
I’m saying this as a Verstappen fan, but the races become much more interesting when you pretend he doesn’t exist lol. The upper midfield and midfield battles kinda make up for the lack of competition out front, IMO. The Ferrari/Merc/AM (+Perez?) battle and the rest of the pack battle is pretty fierce in their own right.
VER had to do some dangerous things on-track (with that little twitch he had towards the end of the race) to keep himself entertained.. lol! I wonder what he is thinking just going around the track all by himself.
I feel bad for him. As somebody who absolutely loves racing, I fear he might get bored of this and might consider moving on to other forms of racing.
Reminds me of the MSC days and the Ferrari dominant era.