(Motorsport-Total.com) – Three weeks after the events in Miami, the Canadian Grand Prix marks the second North American visit of Formula 1 on one of the most unique and secretly popular tracks on the calendar. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve may not offer a high-speed fireworks display of fast corners, but with its unpredictable weather, long straights, and mercilessly close walls, the race has already produced more than enough classics.
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For the first time in its history, a sprint weekend will also be held in Montreal – and rain also seems to be on the horizon. Against this backdrop, here are five things to pay special attention to in Montreal.
Ed Hardy: Will Russell strike back as last year’s winner?
The current picture in the Formula 1 World Championship probably does not quite optimally reflect the internal team duel at the dominant Mercedes duo of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell. The two occupy the first two places in the overall standings, with Antonelli, after three consecutive wins – in Shanghai, Suzuka, and Miami – already 20 points ahead of his more experienced teammate with 100 points.
Antonelli is the only driver who has been on the podium at every Grand Prix this season, after finishing second behind Russell at the season opener in Melbourne. Russell, in turn, has since achieved one second place and two fourth places. On paper alone, Antonelli has been the better driver so far and rightly enters this weekend in Canada as the favorite for the title with the bookmakers – but the author of these lines sees it quite differently.
Miami is simply a fear track for Russell, who has problems with the low grip level there, as could already be observed last year. In 2025, when the Briton was still clearly ahead of his rookie teammate, he lost out to him in qualifying both in the sprint and the main race in Miami. That Russell was beaten last time was therefore by no means surprising.
Fans should therefore expect the 28-year-old to strike back highly motivated in Canada, for two reasons: First, he celebrated a lights-to-flag victory from pole position here in 2025, and second, Miami was the first time this year that Antonelli had the upper hand throughout the entire weekend, after Russell was plagued by bad luck in Shanghai and Suzuka.
From the author’s point of view, nothing has really shifted since the winter tests, and last year taught us that a title fight always proceeds in waves.
Filip Cleeren: Will Mercedes bring back dominance with the upgrades?
This, of course, only applies if Mercedes can manage everything according to their own ideas in Canada – as was the case in the majority of the races so far this season. In Miami, McLaren was able to significantly reduce the lead of the Brackley team thanks to the first part of a two-stage upgrade package, when current world champion Lando Norris won the sprint race from pole position.
Mercedes, on the other hand, held back most of its innovations for Montreal, which makes Antonelli’s dominant lights-to-flag victory in the main race in Miami all the more impressive in retrospect – and more threatening for the competition.
Both teams are now bringing a series of upgrades to Canada. McLaren has already announced “new components on the floor, chassis, front and rear wings, bodywork as well as the halo and roll bar.” According to our information, this is still a significant package, although not quite as massive as the update in Miami.
Mercedes has not yet laid its cards on the table, but it can be assumed that the Silver Arrows will be strong on a track where Russell won from pole position last year with the previous model.
Federico Faturos: Can Alpine maintain the midfield lead?
Alpine had already proven in China and Japan that the team has the necessary pace to lead the midfield battle this season. In Miami, however, the team seemed to have an almost surprising lead over the direct competition.
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The team easily got both cars into the top 10 in both qualifying sessions, while Franco Colapinto finished the race in a strong seventh place – with a solid 20-second lead over the next midfield contender. Meanwhile, Pierre Gasly’s true potential remained in the dark, as his race ended in the first laps after contact with Liam Lawson.
It is clear: Alpine’s outstanding weekend in Miami coincided with the introduction of a large upgrade package. Further development steps are expected for Montreal, while rivals like Haas plan to bring major updates for the Canada weekend.
This raises an exciting question before the fifth round: In a season where teams are unlocking performance at a rapid pace under the massive new regulations, there is no guarantee that Alpine can maintain this level of performance. However, if this succeeds in Canada, the Enstone-based team could establish itself permanently as the benchmark in the midfield.
Jose Carlos de Celis: Will Aston Martin experience a déjà vu in Canada?
It probably came as a surprise to many when Aston Martin – after a one-month racing break – was the only team not to list any updates in the document published by the FIA (Automobile World Federation) before each Grand Prix in Miami.
The team and its engine partner Honda instead focused on eliminating vibrations caused by the power unit and improving drivability. But while they apparently got the vibrations under control, another problem with the gearbox became all the more apparent. The result was similar overall: Aston Martin currently seems to be able to compete only with newcomer Cadillac.
Fernando Alonso dampened any optimism before the media when he virtually confirmed that there will be no change in his team’s prospects for at least another two months. He does not expect any significant progress before the summer break.
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Now Aston Martin and Honda have continued to work on the car’s stability and have gained additional experience on the test bench in Japan. Canada could thus offer a first opportunity to at least focus on extracting more power from the faulty package – which in itself would be a step forward. Can the stop-and-go track with its focus on traction benefit the team?
It remains to be seen whether the team will introduce aerodynamic changes or if the upgrade sheet will again remain completely empty. If the latter is the case, we will have to see whether the progress in energy deployment and drivability is enough to see light at the end of the tunnel – or whether Canada will be the next difficult patch for Aston Martin, Alonso, and local hero Lance Stroll.
Ben Vinel: Does the weather play a decisive role?
The year 2026 brings the earliest Canadian Grand Prix in the history of Formula 1: The race takes place already on May 24 – the previous “record” was June 2, 1991. Spring can still be quite cool in this part of the world, but the forecast for this weekend looks decent: Temperatures between 15 and 19 degrees Celsius are expected for the Grand Prix sessions.
It should also remain largely dry – but with an important caveat: Rain is forecast for Sunday. That could spice things up considerably and give us a first impression of how the 2026 cars perform in the wet. Statistically, only one of the past ten races in Montreal took place on a wet track – the 2024 edition, which Max Verstappen won.
Anyway: The proverbial freezing cold of the very first Grand Prix, when it was held on October 8, 1978, at a shady five degrees Celsius and Gilles Villeneuve won, will not be an issue this weekend. Some mornings will come quite close to that mark, but the action on the track is scheduled late enough in the day.
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