Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are planning to build off of their spectacular performance in Catalunya when they head to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve for this year’s Canadian Grand Prix.
Following their 2-3 finish, the Silver Arrows have moved ahead of Aston Martin in the constructor standings, but they still have a lot of ground to cover to overtake Red Bull, who are way out front because of the dominance of Max Verstappen.
Can Mercedes gather more momentum in Montreal to put up a fight against Red Bull? Or will other teams like Aston Martin and Ferrari find their way back into the mix?
Here are the latest Canadian Grand Prix 2023 updates, courtesy of SBOTOP.
Mercedes buzzing with confidence
The energy has shifted at Mercedes following their double podium finish last time out. And given his history here at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, the Silver Arrows have reasons to be confident this weekend.
Their upgrades, including ditching their zero-sidepod design, have worked wonders for Mercedes. So what’s only left for them to improve on is their pace, since Verstappen finished 24 seconds ahead of Hamilton at the chequered flag in Catalunya.
“We’re only like three tenths off each lap. I was around three or four tenths off Max in Barcelona, which was the closest I think we’ve ever been this year,” said Hamilton.
The hope is that Catalunya is not going to be a one-off for Mercedes since the track in Montreal doesn’t exactly suit the W14 as currently constructed.
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has more low-speed corners and straight-line portions that will certainly favour Red Bull’s cars because of their pace. However, the rainy forecast this weekend might change everything.
Furthermore, Hamilton shed light on his extension talks with the Silver Arrows, saying that there had been progress regarding a new deal. There are rumours that Hamilton is reportedly close to signing a new multi-year contract with the team, which would see him earn at least £50 million a year.
“It’ll get done when it’s done. If that’s next week, if that’s in a month’s time, as long as it gets done, I’m not really bothered,” said Hamilton.
Aston Martin biting more than they can chew
The Canadian Grand Prix is considered a home race for the Stroll family, and they have set the ambitious goal of achieving a double podium finish for the first time this season.
But that might be too much of an ask because Fernando Alonso has been the only standout performer for Aston Martin this year, finishing within the Top 3 in five out of seven races thus far, while teammate Lance Stroll’s highest finish was only P4 during the Australian Grand Prix.
After missing out on the Spanish Grand Prix podium, Alonso said that it was going to be the last race that they weren’t in the Top 3. However, his history at the Canadian Grand Prix doesn’t offer a positive outlook, as his last podium at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve was in 2013.
History
Lewis Hamilton has a great chance here in Montreal, as the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has been a happy hunting ground for him. The seven-time world champion is the active driver who has the most wins here, with seven, level with the great Michael Schumacher.
After the race was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Max Verstappen won his first Canadian Grand Prix last year, making him the first Red Bull driver to win the event since Daniel Ricciardo in 2014.
Victory for Verstappen this weekend will put him alongside the late Ayrton Senna in the record books with 41 wins, with just Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher, and Lewis Hamilton left to catch.
What are the odds?
Wouldn’t you know it? Max Verstappen is the favourite to take the victory in Montreal, as the Dutchman is priced at 1.36 over 3.00 compared to any other driver in the 1X2 market. He’s also installed at 1.25 when being compared to his Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez, in the driver head-to-heads at 3.32.
But right behind Verstappen is the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, who are priced at 1.60 and 1.65, respectively. Meanwhile, Sergio Perez is still in the mix at 1.97, while Fernando Alonso is another podium contender at 2.20.
Moreover, the Canadian Grand Prix 2023 odds aren’t optimistic on Ferrari once more, as they are priced at 3.08 in the team head-to-heads, with their drivers Carlos Sainz Jr. and Charles Leclerc pegged at 2.88 and 3.32, respectively.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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