Canadian grand prix betting tips
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All eyes will be on Montreal as we reach a third of the way through what has already been a fascinating Formula One season. A marvellous Monte Carlo Grand Prix has seen Nico Rosberg’s seemingly handsome lead at the top of the standings cut to just 24 points after Lewis Hamilton ended his recent nightmare spell with a second win in Monaco.
It was career win number 44 for car number 44 and, with the Brit’s spirits raised again, Rosberg will have to keep a firm eye on his rear-view mirror in Canada.
Betsafe have teamed up with leading race experts PlanetF1 to bring you a comprehensive guide for round seven of the championship and help you finish top of the podium in Montreal with a winning bet!
Mayhem in Monaco
Hamilton may well have found himself singing “what a difference a day makes” after he ended his miserable start to the season with victory in Monaco, eight years on from his first success at the iconic street circuit.
Twenty four little hours on from more engine problems threatening to ruin yet another weekend, the three-time world champion was looking to the skies and counting his blessings at the top of the podium.
Rain on race day in Monaco always equates to mayhem, but for once Hamilton had it all his own way. He thrived in the testing conditions and quickly showed his superiority over Rosberg, who admitted he had a “complete lack of confidence” in pushing his car to the limit without it resulting in a DNF next to his name.
The decision to let Hamilton past so he could challenge then race leader Daniel Ricciardo was a necessary one, but his pride would have no doubt been dented as he watched his team-mate sail by..
The strategy to keep Hamilton out on the ‘extreme’ wet tyres for longer than everyone else proved to be a masterstroke, but he was helped largely by the pit lane problems of old coming back to haunt Red Bull and, more specifically, Ricciardo, who had a race win cruelly taken away from him by a breakdown in communication over which tyres he should have switched to.
Even when the Aussie did manage to get close to Hamilton, the usual smile would have been well and truly wiped off his face as the stewards opted not to investigate the Brit cutting.
And to add to Rosberg’s woes, he was passed by Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg on the final lap to finish seventh and was consequently robbed of another two points in the title race. Hulkenberg’s team-mate Sergio Perez showed his class with a sixth career podium finish in third, while Ferrari endured another mixed day with Sebastian Vettel finishing fourth and Kimi Raikkonen forced to retire
What To Expect in Montreal?
Montreal is where we will really see if Rosberg is made of championship material. Everything was going his way after the first four races, but now the pressure is cranking up with Hamilton back to winning ways and a resurgent Red Bull also in his slipstream. If another big chunk is taken out of his lead in Canada then the European leg of the F1 calendar will look a far more daunting prospect.
There could be a response, too, from Ferrari, who are coming under increasing pressure from the Italian media after falling behind Mercedes and Red Bull in the last two races. Rumours of another engine upgrade for Canada are gathering momentum, with team boss Maurizio Arrivabene promising “you will see another Ferrari” after a poor showing in Monaco.
McLaren-Honda also took a step forward with another double-points finish in Monte Carlo. It was only the third time that Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button have both finished in the top 10 since the reunion with Honda at the start of 2015 and, should another rain-affected race occur, the duo will be hopeful of being even more competitive in Montreal.
Montreal Circuit
Make no mistake about it: the Canadian Grand Prix is a big deal. The race marks the unofficial start of the summer in Canada and the whole race weekend at Île Notre Dame represents the country’s biggest tourist event of the year. After being booted off the calendar in 2009, attendances have since risen again and this year’s race is the second of a 10-year agreement with Formula One
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has been the home of the Canadian Grand Prix since 1978 and although there are none of the tight twists and turns of Monaco to negotiate this time, there is still little margin for error. The lack of run-off areas and the close proximity of the barriers means that the long straights which dominate the circuit act as an enticing trap.
Drivers can reach speeds of up to 330km/h once they have navigated the slow bends, but the 4.361km circuit can lull you into a false sense of security and straight into the world-famous ‘Wall of Champions’ located on the final corner. 1999 is the prime example, with Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve all crashing into the same wall. Many big names have fallen victim to it since.
There are 70 pulsating laps standing between the drivers and glory, with the total race distance coming in at 305.27km.
Previous Winners and Track Suitability
the Canadian Grand Prix has been known to throw up a number of shock winners over the years. The 2011 race is part of F1 folklore, not just because it became the longest Grand Prix in history thanks to a lengthy rain delay – but because Jenson Button came from last place to win.
That was one of 13 victories for McLaren in Canada, a joint record held with Ferrari whose last success came in 2004 when a certain Michael Schumacher landed a record seventh win. Next on the all-time list is Hamilton with four wins, and he will return there as the man to beat having finished on top of the podium stand last year.
Red Bull have also enjoyed recent success in Montreal, winning two consecutive races in 2013 and 2014 to end McLaren-Mercedes’ dominance at the track. Vettel has experienced the winning feeling here, so too has Ricciardo, who will be hoping to have his big grin firmly back on his face again after the two disasters in Spain and Monaco.
About Mark Scott
Mark Scott is a contributor for PlanetF1, the definitive site for Formula One news, features, galleries and live coverage.
