(Motorsport-Total.com) – According to Simone Berra, Pirelli’s Formula 1 chief engineer, we could expect an extremely spectacular race at the Canadian Grand Prix: “Everything comes together,” he said to our sister portal Motorsport.com.
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“We have cold temperatures and a low-energy track. If it rains here, it will really get complicated. According to the forecast, they expect eleven or twelve degrees Celsius air temperature. And if it should rain, the track temperature would be quite comparable.”
With these conditions, it is difficult to get the Pirelli tires into the legendary operating window. “It will be even more difficult with the intermediates, but somewhat easier with the full wets,” said Berra.
“The compound has a smaller operating window, so I think the full wet tires will have fewer problems there.” Berra also emphasizes that the tires were not designed for such cold temperatures.
Just like in Miami, the FIA and Pirelli have decided to raise the temperature of the tire blankets to 70 degrees Celsius. For full wet tires, this value is 40 degrees Celsius. According to Berra, reaching the correct temperature could take up to five laps.
“If you lose temperature and can’t find a way to build it up or rebuild it, then you have a problem,” said the engineer. “You get problems and have no grip. Basically, you can’t use [the intermediates] at these cold temperatures.”
In the short term, this problem cannot be solved according to Pirelli. Even higher temperatures under the tire blankets would only be a temporary help. Accordingly, drivers like Max Verstappen react skeptically to the situation.
No chance in the rain?
“When the tires are cold, it feels like driving on ice,” he said. “Full wet tires work a bit better, but that was the case during my test in Barcelona. There you can basically generate more heat through the corners. That will probably be difficult here.”
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While Barcelona, with its many corners, is considered an outstanding test track, the street circuit of Montreal presents a completely different challenge. Either the field shoots through tight chicanes or engages in duels on the long straights.
“I just hope the weather doesn’t get too bad,” said Verstappen. “If the tires don’t work properly, that causes a lot of chaos. I think we already have enough to do.”
Problems in the rain due to new engines
Added concerns about the new engines, as Oscar Piastri emphasizes: “These engines don’t like it when you don’t drive consistently,” said the McLaren driver. “And in the rain, it’s practically impossible to be consistent. There will probably be problems across the whole field, but we’ll see what we can do.”
Despite thousands of engineers, they do not know exactly what the race on Sunday will look like, explains the 2025 World Championship third-place finisher.
“The cars don’t work in the rain as they should,” Verstappen explains on this topic. “You have less downforce and the hybrid engine is harder to control than a V8. In the rain, the response is worse, especially with the current engine formula. So yes, it will be much more difficult.”
The race starts at 10 p.m. German time. With George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, once again both Mercedes are in the front row.
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