F1 Canada Grand Prix Preview: Welcome Back to The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

Red Bull Looks to Win Montreal for First Time in Eight Years

The Canadian Grand Prix is back! After a two-year hiatus, Formula One returns to Montreal Island for Canada’s Grand Prix. In this span, things have changed a lot in the world of F1 as Lewis Hamilton, the last driver to win the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, is a longshot as he and Mercedes are nowhere near Red Bull – the outright favorites – in the standings.

2022 F1 Canadian Grand Prix Information

  • Race: Canadian Grand Prix
  • Location: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
  • Day/Time: Sunday, 3:00 p.m. ET
  • Television: ABC

Red Bull Looks to Cruise Through

After a rough start to their 2022 season, Red Bull is now squarely in the driver’s seat. Five first-place finishes for the constructor have them ahead by a whopping 80 points. The Formula One betting odds now have them as heavy favorites to win the Constructors Championship. Max Verstappen has won four of the last five races despite only gaining pole position once.

His teammate, Sergio Perez, is his biggest rival at this point. Red Bull’s duo is one and two in the standings and separated by 21 points. Perez has won only one race but has finished second four times. He’s also one of only two drivers in the top five to finish every race. Car breakdowns have become an issue for Ferrari hence why they are behind just Haas as the most likely constructor to have its first retirement.

But Red Bull has not won in Montreal since Daniel Ricciardo was behind the wheel in 2014. The Australian is now with McLaren and his old teammate, Sebastian Vettel is with Aston Martin. As a longshot to win via the Canada Grand Prix odds, you can’t underestimate the two-time (three-time had it not been for a penalty) Canadian Grand Prix winner.

LeClerc Can’t Translate Qualifying Success

Charles LeClerc has not won a race since the Australian Grand Prix back in April. But he sure is owning the qualifying track. The Monegasque has finished with pole position four straight times and six out of eight times overall. But since the Miami Grand Prix, he’s been stricken with bad luck with his car breaking down in Spain and Azerbaijan and a pitstop kerfuffle costing him the podium in his home country.

“It hurts,” LeClerc began as he was asked about his car’s engine failure in Azerbaijan. “We really need to look into that for it not to happen again. I can’t really find the right words to describe this. It’s very, very disappointing. I don’t know, we really need to look into it.”

The Canada Grand Prix odds have favored LeClerc to once again be the fastest in practice and in qualifying. He is tied with Perez behind Verstappen for setting the fastest lap in the race itself. As for his teammate, Carlos Sainz, he’s fared slightly better race-wise. He finished on the podium in Miami and Monaco though he has yet to win the pole position. He’s a distant fourth for most Canada GP odds.

Wall of Champions Continues to Test the Best

Every track in the Formula One calendar offers its set of challenges. The return to Montreal means the “Wall of Champions” is back. The infamous designation refers to the wall coming off the last chicane, specifically in 1999. Three F1 champions Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher, and local hero Jacques Villeneuve (son of Gilles Villeneuve) all crashed into the wall on three separate occasions.

The safety car was deployed a then-record four times on this track. Over a decade later, it would become five times as Jensen Button, who crashed into the Wall in 2005, would win the race. And in 2018, Sebastian Vettel would capture his second and final checkered flag despite previously crashing in 2011 on turn 13.

Of the active champions racing the Canada Grand Prix this Saturday, Fernando Alonso is tied with Verstappen, Hamilton, and Vettel at 20-1 to be the first to retire. Only Vettel has experienced crashing into the wall.

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