Canadian GP preview: Can anyone stop Hamilton in Montreal?

Red Bull and Ricciardo set for true title contention test 

Daniel Ricciardo turned in a masterclass performance across the Monaco Grand Prix weekend to claim a redemptive victory around the streets of Monte Carlo, despite being severely handicapped by a serious engine issue. In doing so, the Australian has joined Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian on two wins apiece from the opening six races of 2018.

With just 38 points separating the top three in the drivers’ standings, Ricciardo has given himself a chance of a title shot, as long as Red Bull can continue to provide him with a competitive and reliable machinery. Montreal - the scene of Ricciardo’s maiden F1 win - will prove an important race in Red Bull’s hopes of making it a three-way battle this year. 

If the team can pull off a genuine challenge to rivals Mercedes and Ferrari around a circuit dominated by long straights, then that will bode well for Ricciardo’s chances later in the year. However, an expected grid penalty looms for the Red Bull driver following his engine problems in Monaco, which looks set to put him on the back-foot this weekend. Watch out for some classic Ricciardo passing manoeuvres on Sunday as he bids to recover through the field.

Can anyone stop Hamilton’s dominance in Montreal?

The Mercedes driver and reigning F1 world champion is something of a modern-day master around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, having amassed a remarkable six pole positions and six grand prix wins around the circuit at which he claimed his first-ever F1 win. Aside from Ricciardo’s victory in 2014, Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes have ruled supreme in Montreal during the V6 hybrid era, with the Briton looking to make it four wins on the bounce this weekend.

Another Canadian Grand Prix win would move him level with seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher’s record-tally of seven wins at the venue, as Hamilton continues to etch his name into the F1 record books. You would be hard-pressed to pick another pre-race favourite heading into the weekend on form alone around the Notre Dame Island street circuit. Hamilton will be aiming to leave Canada with a bigger margin than the current 14-point total he holds over chief title rival Vettel. 

Honda, Renault set for timely engine boosts 

F1 engine suppliers Honda and Renault will be looking to make performance gains this weekend with the introduction of significant upgrades to their respective power units in Montreal. Honda is looking to make cautious progress with its engine as Toro Rosso looks set to benefit, while Red Bull is yet to confirm its engine plans for the upcoming race with the prospect of grid penalties already lingering over the team.

However, Renault is optimistic its dubbed ‘B-spec’ power unit will help the team make vital gains to close the gap to Mercedes and Ferrari. Customer team McLaren is also set to take on the engine upgrade as it looks to reduce the six-point deficit to the French manufacturer in the battle over fourth place in the contructors’, though Fernando Alonso is already bracing himself for a tough weekend. Mercedes and Ferrari are also expected to bring small updates to their respective engines. 

Drivers under pressure to perform 

Max Verstappen heads to Canada on the back of recent criticism following a mistake-ridden start to 2018. A costly crash at the end of FP3 - his sixth incident in six races - prevented Verstappen from challenging Ricciardo for pole and victory in Monaco, though the youngster recovered to score points in a relatively-calm race. Eyes will be on the Dutchman to see whether he can avoid drama on a weekend he could have a chance to cut the gap to his teammate in the standings, having so far recorded less than half of the Australian’s points total. 

Haas’ Romain Grosjean and Toro Rosso’s Brendon Hartley will also arrive in Montreal under the spotlight, with both drivers’ futures under scrutiny after their performances in the opening six rounds. Grosjean will be keen to put an end to his current pointless streak as he bids to move on from his worst-ever start to an F1 season, while Hartley is being out-performed regularly by teammate Pierre Gasly, who scored a brilliant seventh in Monaco. The Kiwi has just one point to Gasly’s 18 so far this year.

Return of the Hypersofts 

Pirelli’s fastest-ever F1 tyre will make its second appearance of the season at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, following its race-weekend debut in Monaco. The compound proved a big hit over one lap in qualifying, as Ricciardo stormed to pole with a new track record, though drivers and teams reporting severe graining issues throughout the race as the pink-walled tyre fared less well with regards to degradation than expected. 

Mercedes was the most high-profile team to report struggles, with Hamilton opening his pit-to-car radio on a number of occasions during the race as he repeatedly complained about tyre-life. Drivers previously only tested the compound during pre-season and in-season testing in Spain, with the Haas squad admitting it needs to better understand the tyre if it is to avoid a repeat of its below-par Monaco performance.