01/06/2015
NEWS STORY
The next pit stop on Formula One's world tour is Montreal, for Round 7 of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, the Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada 2015. And it's a firm favourite - for the fans and teams alike. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a real handful of a racetrack, low downforce with long straights, big braking areas and plenty of challenges to keep the drivers on their toes. 'The Wall of Champions' has a long and distinguished history of catching out even the very best of drivers, as they seek out the sweet spot between 'brief kiss' and 'wide berth' that is so key to a quick lap here.
Will Stevens: "After the luxury of a couple of races at tracks I'm quite familiar with, it's a step back outside the comfort zone for Montreal and the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. I'm pleased with the way I acclimatise to new circuits, although this is certainly one to be respected as it's pretty unique; a lot of fun but with more than its fair share of challenges. It has that street circuit feel like Monaco, because the walls are so close, but the similarity ends there and it's a track where we really have to look after the brakes. And of course, the right hand side of the car at 'The Wall of Champions'! Avoiding that will be my first objective, but bigger picture, I hope to have a stronger race than I experienced in Monaco but another great team result with both cars taking the chequered flag."
Roberto Merhi: "The races are coming thick and fast now and it feels like we are in a good rhythm, which certainly made a difference for me in Monaco. I was very happy with my performance there. I'm looking forward to Canada next, as the track looks pretty challenging but also a lot of fun; a real adrenaline rush. The mix of long straights and really slow sections is interesting and I know the weather can play a big part in mixing things up a bit. I hear great things about Montreal also; plenty of events for the fans and a fantastic city to experience. Monaco gave me a real boost, so I can't wait to be back in the car at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, picking up where I left off there in performance terms and extracting as much as possible from the current package."
John Booth, Team Principal: "It's a real treat to have a race like Canada taking place hot on the heels of Monaco. Two fantastic Formula One destinations, but two very different racetracks as we switch from very high downforce to low downforce specification for the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. This track is all about power and brakes, as the long straights see drivers touching 335km/h and on full throttle for over 50 per cent of the lap, before giving way to some very slow sections, with some turns being taken at sub-100kmh. At the hairpin, they're braking hard down to 60km/h. There's also the 'Wall' to think about, so it's a real challenge for the drivers to put together a quick and clean lap here. Coupled with the fantastic street parties and incredible atmosphere in downtown Montreal, this is a great race for the fans and, naturally, one where we hope to extend our run of two-car finishes. We look forward to seeing what Will and Roberto can do here."