Can Max Verstappen find a way back into the championship fight or will it be fought between the two McLaren drivers now?
Here are the talking points for this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix.
Piastri versus Norris for the title?
With a dozen laps to go at the last round, the championship situation appeared set. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris had seen off the threat from Verstappen; the leading two title contenders would leave Spain separated by 10 points, with Verstappen a further 25 adrift.
Then came the Safety Car and the unravelling of Verstappen’s afternoon. It meant he arrives in Canada with a 49-point deficit – the best part of two grands prix wins – to leader Piastri. With 407 points available, it’s certainly possible he could overturn that gap, but the McLaren drivers have collected points so regularly it looks decidedly unlikely.
The championship fight therefore increasingly looks like an all-McLaren affair, and one which Piastri is taking control of. Norris may be well within range in points terms, but much of that difference is down to how much Piastri’s error in Melbourne cost him. He hasn’t failed to finish on the podium since then and now has five victories to Norris’s two.
F1 has seen some tremendous championship fights between McLaren drivers in the past. As it looks increasingly likely they will have this one to themselves, Norris must find a way to stop his junior team mate running away with it.
Surrendering an advantage
F1 teams have known for years they must take it upon themselves to order their drivers to surrender any positions they have gained or maintained either by leaving the track or forcing a rival off it. If they fail to do so, they risk a penalty.
Ferrari got the call right at Imola when they told Charles Leclerc to give up his position to Alexander Albon. But Red Bull got it wrong at Catalunya, instructing Verstappen to let George Russell by after their driver went off at turn one. The stewards noted later they decided to “take no further action in relation to that incident” and Verstappen was therefore within his right to keep the position.
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Will this make Verstappen less inclined to follow his team’s judgement in the future? Other drivers may also now be more circumspect of surrendering a position to a rival.
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve’s chicane-heavy layout offers no shortage of opportunities for similar disputes. Turns one, eight and 13 in particular can easily be short-cut. The cost of getting these calls wrong is high and the decision places considerable strain upon the trust between driver and race engineer.
Stroll returns?
Lance Stroll achieved his best result in his home race with seventh place last year, since when he’s become Canada’s most experienced F1 driver. However his participation this weekend was thrown into doubt after he missed the previous race on health grounds.
The circumstances of Stroll’s sudden withdrawal from the Spanish Grand Prix have been the subject of considerable speculation. What is known is Stroll failed to report to be weighed immediately after he was eliminated in Q2, as required by the rules. It later transpired this happened because he sought medical assistance due to pain in his right wrist, which he injured in early 2023.
Aston Martin is yet to confirm whether he will participate this weekend, but he appears likely to. This is his home event and he will be especially keen to compete. Moreover, the team’s reserve driver Felipe Drugovich is on duty at Le Mans this weekend.
But how serious are the latest complications regarding Stroll’s injury and are they likely to interfere with his ability to drive in the future? And is there any substance to reports claiming Stroll lost his temper in the team’s garage at Catalunya between his Q2 exit and withdrawal from the event?
Antonelli’s point-less spell
Mercedes’ rookie driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli made an impressive start to the season over the opening rounds where most of the tracks were new to him. But if he hoped to turn track familiarity to his advantage over the last three events it did not turn out that way: he suffered two race-ending technical failures (more than many drivers experience in a season these days) and compromised his weekend in Monaco by crashing in qualifying.
As Ferrari appear to be gradually finding their form, Mercedes need both their drivers scoring to keep up in the constructors’ championship. Will Antonelli’s luck change?
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Crowd concerns
Last year’s Canadian Grand Prix did not go entirely smoothly off the track. Several fans found their route into the circuit was blocked at a bridge which should have offered an access point. Others made their way onto the track on the cool-down lap at the end of the race which prompted an investigation by the race promoter.
There were also reports of problems with the car parks during the rain-affected meeting and teams’ hospitality units flooding. The promoters will be hoping for a smoother event this year.
Verstappen’s ban threat
The most obvious talking point to come out of last weekend’s race was the penalty which has left the reigning world champion one minor infraction away from picking up an automatic ban. If Verstappen transgresses this weekend he could find himself barred from participating in his team’s home event at the Red Bull in two weeks’ time.
Of course, Verstappen went eight rounds at the beginning of the season without collecting a single penalty point, so he’s entirely capable of riding this out. Whether his rivals regard this as an opportunity to provoke him into a costly mistake is another matter.
Are you going to the Canadian Grand Prix?
If you’re heading to Canada for this weekend’s race, we want to hear from you:
Who do you think will be the team to beat in the Canadian Grand Prix? Have your say below.
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