Red Bull signs Sergio Perez to ’26
Posted on June 5, 2024 Tags: Canada Grand Prix
Daniel’s F1 Future Looking Grim
My thanks to Pirelli.com, PlanetF1.com
THE ORACLE RED BULL website heralding Wednesday’s news that its Mexican gun Sergio Perez has committed his future to the Team with a two-year extension to his existing contract is a crushing blow to Daniel Ricciardo.
And it’s a peculiar twist of fate that this weekend marks the 10th anniversary of Daniel’s maiden Formula One win at the 2014 Canadian Grand Prix – for Red Bull Racing!
On June 8 that year Daniel drove the race of his life to take the win from Mercedes gun Nico Rosberg with Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel third. Starting from sixth on the grid, Daniel demonstrated his remarkable skills and determination to secure his first F1 victory.
But back to the present, and Sergio
Despite his horror crash at Monaco last up, 34-year-old Sergio Perez has performed well for Red Bull since joining the Team at the end of 2020.
Sergio finished the 2023 season second in the Drivers’ Championship, the first time the Team had ever achieved a one-two finish in the Championship. His points tallies have contributed to two Constructors’ World Championships for Oracle Red Bull Racing.
Sergio has become the most successful Mexican in F1 history and his support is massive.
‘Curioser and Curioser’
It’s curious that this has happened just days after Daniel’s RB boss Laurent Mekies said the Aussie’s input into the team has been massive and “a huge asset” in 2024, despite his struggle to get points on the board.
Speaking to PlanetF1.com, Mekies said the Aussie’s had been extremely non-emotional about his recent performance.
“Daniel specifically, in the context of the projects, where the team needs to go and helping identify the gaps, it hugely helps to have somebody like Daniel that won eight races, has been at a few teams and knows where the board can be and where the board needs to go.
“He’s been completely rational, looking at it with us saying ‘this is what I can do, this is what I cannot do with the car. This is why I can’t do that in the corner. This is what I need to do in that corner.’
“And it’s been a learning as much for us and it was for him and we have stuff coming onto the car, short term, long term to try to [use that] learning from the requests he has made and that will eventually allow him to express himself at his best.”
New Track Surface for Montreal
While the time difference between Australia and Monaco was ideal, the Canadian Grand Prix is anything but. If fact the Montreal event – Round 9 of the 24-race schedule – is set for Monday 02.00 in Perth.
Located in the province of Quebec, Montreal is the cultural capital of French Canada and has been one of the vast country’s largest cities for most of its history.
The Canadian track, a semi-permanent circuit built on the manmade island of Notre-Dame, was created originally for Expo ’67.
This year the entire track has been resurfaced and the kerbs have been replaced.
On paper, the track’s existing characteristics of low abrasiveness and therefore reduced grip was expected to remain the same.
However real indications had to wait, as Pirelli engineers were only able to carry out their first measurement tests on Wednesday this week to confirm their early predictions.
John Lennon’s song Give Peace a Chance was written in Montreal during his ‘bed-in’ at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel on June 1st, 1969.
Lowest Average Speeds
While F1 returns to North America after two European rounds in Imola and Monaco, it’s a case of status quo when it comes to Pirelli’s tyre compound choice.
Montreal is the third in a row to feature the three softest compounds in the 2024 range – the C3 as Hard, C4 as Medium and C5 as Soft.
Stability under braking and traction coming out of the chicanes and the slowest corners, which include the hairpin leading onto a very long straight, are the keys to being competitive, as is a car that can change direction quickly.
Gilles died in a horror crash, aged 32
The 4.361km Montreal circuit, named in honour of local hero Gilles Villeneuve, boasts six lefthand corners and eight to the right and it has one of the lowest average speeds of the season.
Quebec’s Gilles Villeneuve was a Canadian racing driver who spent six years in F1 racing for Scuderia Ferrari, winning six Grands Prix and earning widespread acclaim for his performances.
Gilles finished second, his highest finish, in the 1979 Formula One World Championship – four points behind teammate Jody Scheckter.
Gilles died in a 230 km/h crash resulting from a collision with the March car driven by Jochen Mass during qualifying for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder, aged 32.
Wall of Champions
Unlike Monaco, overtaking is possible here, especially at the end of the straight leading to the final chicane, the exit to which features the aptly named “Wall of Champions”.
It copped the moniker after three world champions – Damon Hill, legend Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve – all ended their races there in 1999, crashing into the wall on the outside of the turn.
Born in Quebec in 1971, Jacques Villeneuve (above) is the son of Gilles Villeneuve. Jacques won the 1997 Formula One World Championship with the Williams team. He also competed for other F1 teams, including BAR, Renault, Sauber, and BMW Sauber. In 1995 he won the Indianapolis 500 and the PPG Indy Car World Series, becoming the youngest winner of the IndyCar championship. He also won the 1995 Champ Car series.
But many other first-rate drivers have come to grief at Quebec’s infamous turn.
New Surface poses additional Challenges
Pirelli has warned teams of the likelihood that graining might also occur, especially on Friday and particularly with the softer compounds.
The tyres are subjected to very low lateral forces, although the longitudinal ones are greater, but overall, Montreal is one of the easiest tracks of the season on tyres.
As usual, setting a quick time in Montreal qualifying involves getting very close to the barriers and walls, while making best use of the kerbs.
And for that to happen, drivers need as many laps as possible to gain confidence on a new surface they’ve never experienced before. As with any virgin surface, the slightest error is severely punished. Especially the case this year at the turn 4/5 chicane, where the old tarmac run-off area has been replaced with grass.
And that’s always a trial for even the most seasoned of F1 drivers and is likely to bring the Safety Car into play.
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
While most Montréalers revelled in delightful 32C sunshine earlier this week, there was disappointment perhaps (but no real surprise) at the forecast for this week’s Canadian F1 Grand Prix.
Remember, the country experiences a fierce winter and, for most of the year, the island track is only used by people on foot or cyclists. So lap times generally drop significantly as the cars rubber-in the surface.
Traditionally the weather is always very changeable in June, and a cold, rainy, windy day can be followed by sunshine and warmth – with temperatures varying considerably in the space of a single day.
Not unlike Melbourne, perhaps!
But weather’s always a factor wherever we are. And it seems Canada’s largest province is living up to that for this week’s event.
2024 marks the 53rd Canadian GP
The Canadian Grand Prix first appeared on the Formula 1 World Championship calendar in 1967 and three circuits have hosted it.
Apart from the current venue, the race has featured eight times at Mosport, and twice at Mont-Tremblant, also in Quebec – Canada’s largest province. Mosport, now known as Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – is a legendary motorsport venue located in Clarington, Ontario – the province which is home to near 40% of the country’s population.
In the 52 editions of the race the most successful drivers are Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton, who have both won it seven times. They also share the pole award with six apiece.
McLaren rules the roost among the Constructors’ Championship with 13 wins and 11 poles, while Ferrari has the most podium finishes 37.
Canadian Grand Prix
NB: WST (PERTH) Time
Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve | 08 – 10 Jun
P1 Saturday 8th June 01:30
P2 Saturday 8th June 05:00
P3 Sunday 9th June 00:30
Qualifying Sunday 9th June 04:00
Race Monday 10th June 02:00
EDITED by AC
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