Built on a man-made island, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve first hosted the Canadian Grand Prix in 1978 (where Gilles Villeneuve took the win). Known for its power-hungry long straights and sharp turns, the circuit is a favorite of drivers and fans alike. This weekend, in a bid to create more variability in strategy, we will see the second appearance of Pirelli’s Hypersoft tire compound.
The weekend Toro Rosso Honda fans have been waiting for for months has arrived! Honda is set to introduce its long-anticipated engine upgrade which some pundits suggest could bring a massive 40hp increase (~25hp seems to be a safer bet), but there’s more, as Red Bull will be watching the performance of this upgrade very carefully to help its upcoming decision whether to switch from Renault to Honda power next year. Normally, Toro Rosso Honda would be considered lucky to get one car in the points on a circuit like this; however, if the engine upgrade delivers as anticipated, both cars could easily be in the points.
Elsewhere on the grid, it’s tough to predict whether Mercedes or Ferrari will have the edge so expect a close fight for the top spot. Red Bull will have their work cut out for them if they are to catch the top two on this circuit. From there, we can expect Renault, Haas, and Force India in a close battle to be the “best of the rest”. Following that group will likely be McLaren which could struggle to score points with its draggy chassis; Sauber may even challenge them. Williams should round out the order at the back of the pack.
US TV SCHEDULE
Practice 1 – Friday, June 8 10:00 AM –
ESPNU
/ ESPN3
Practice 2 – Friday, June 8 2:00 PM –
ESPNU
/ ESPN3
Practice 3 – Saturday, June 9 11:00 AM –
ESPNEWS
Qualifying – Saturday, June 9 2:00 PM –
ESPNEWS
Race – Sunday, June 10 2:00 PM –
ABC
CIRCUIT
INFORMATION
Lap data
Lap length: 4.361km (2.71 miles)
Race laps: 70
Race distance: 305.27km (189.686 miles)
Pole position: Left-hand side of the track
Lap record*: 1’13.622 (Rubens Barrichello, 2004)
Fastest lap: 1’12.275 (Ralf Schumacher, 2004, qualifying two)
Maximum speed: 309kph (192.004 mph)
DRS
zone/s (race): Pit straight and back straight
Distance from grid to turn one: 260m
Car performance
Full throttle: 59%
Longest flat-out section: 1190m
Downforce level: Medium
Fuel use per lap: 1.5kg
Time penalty per lap of fuel: 0.03s
Strategy
2017 tyre choices: Soft, Supersoft, Ultrasoft (2016 same)
*Fastest lap set during a Grand Prix
Data sources:
FIA
, Williams, Mercedes
2017 RESULTS
Laps: 70
Pole: 1:11.459, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
Fast race lap: 1:14.551, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
Podium
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
3. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull
CURRENT
STANDINGS
Drivers
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
AMG
Petronas, 110
2. Sebastian Vettel, Scuderia Ferrari, 96
3. Daniel Ricciardo, Aston Martin Red Bull Racing, 72
4. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
AMG
Petronas, 68
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Scuderia Ferrari, 60
6. Max Verstappen, Aston Martin Red Bull Racing, 35
7. Fernando Alonso, McLaren Renault, 32
8. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault Sport F1, 26
9. Carlos Sainz Jr, Renault Sport F1, 20
10. Kevin Magnussen, Haas, 19
Constructors
1. Mercedes
AMG
Petronas, 178
2. Scuderia Ferrari, 156
3. Aston Martin Red Bull Racing, 107
4. Renault Sport F1, 46
5. McLaren Renault, 40
6. Force India, 26
7. Toro Rosso, 19
8. Haas, 19
9. Alfa Romeo Sauber, 11
10. Williams Martini Racing, 4
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