It’s dry & sunny in Montreal, not like yesterday’s Quali sessions.
The track is “green”, i.e. there’s no rubber down after all the rain, and the cars were set up for wet Quali, so it’s going to be interesting to see the various strategies
Provisional grid: VER, ALO, SAI, HAM, MAG, SCH, OCO, RUS, RIC, ZHO, BOT, ALB, PER, NOR, LEC*, GAS, VET, STR, LAT, TSU*
*Penalties for LEC and TSU (for engine changes) will drop them to P19 and P20 respectively
McLaren changed NOR’s engine overnight but it’s an older power unit so no penalty
Pit lane is open; cars can do installation laps (i.e. return to the pits) and then head to the grid
RIC is pushed back into the garage – does he have a problem?
Ferrari have painted their grid spots red in memory of Gilles Villeneuve
Martin Brundle’s grid walk is much more relaxed – fewer people who are there to be seen (but don’t you dare talk to me!)
Grid: VER, ALO, SAI, HAM, MAG, SCH, OCO, RUS, RIC, ZHO, BOT, ALB, PER, NOR, GAS, VET, STR, LAT, LEC, TSU
So both Canadians are on the penultimate row
VER leads everyone away on the formation lap
Everyone has a free choice of tyres because Quali was wet
The front 10 are all starting on the medium compound
VER has reached Turn 8 but the back markers are still in Turn 1 – I guess VER hasn’t been told to ease off because the pit lane isn’t allowed to communicate with the driver on the formation lap
01/70: VER clearly ahead into Turn 1
MAG putting HAM under pressure
RUS inside SCH into the hairpin, taking P7
02: VER, ALO, SAI, HAM, MAG, OCO, RUS, SCH, RIC, ZHO, PER, ALB, BOT, NOR, VET, STR, LEC, GAS, TSU, LAT
BOT punted a bollard out of the way
Looks like MAG has some front wing damage
03: DRS enabled
SAI tucked up behind countryman ALO
SAI takes P2
04: VER fastest lap 1:18.818
HAM closing on ALO
GAS has been told to lift & coast
05/70: VER, SAI, ALO, HAM, MAG, RUS, OCO, SCH, ZHO, RIC
VER f/lap 1:18.393
RUS inside MAG to take P5
06: SAI f/lap 1:18.214
Black & orange for MAG telling him to fix his wing
GAS & VET pit; both switched from medium to hard tyres
ZHO takes P9 from RIC
07: SAI f/lap 1:17.974
Replay of GAS heading for the pit lane, nearly rear-ended STR
08: VER f/lap 1:17.828
MAG pits to replace his front wing
LEC has caught a DRS train
PER slowing; his engine sounds horrible; he pulls off-track and parks
09: SAI f/lap 1:17.466
Yellow flag as the marshals look at PER’s car
VSC deployed so they can remove the Red Bull
10/70 [VSC]: VER and HAM pit; both switch to hard tyres
11[VSC]: SAI, ALO, VER, RUS, OCO, HAM, SCH, ZHO, RIC
VSC ends
HAM takes P5 from OCO
13: VER f/lap 1:17.370
ALB has BOT, NOR and LEC all with DRS
14: LEC past NOR for P12
15/70: SAI, ALO, VER, RUS, HAM, OCO, SCH, ZHO, RIC, ALB
VER closing on ALO; uses DRS to take P2
17: BOT struggling to find a way around ALB
18: VER f/lap 1:17.356
BOT squeezes past ALB into the final chicane
LEC passes ALB too
ZHO harrying SCH for P7
19: ALB pits
SCH runs wide, ZHO takes P7 – looks like SCH has stopped in the same place that PER stopped earlier
20/70[VSC]: RUS pits, followed by OCO
Long stop for NOR – had to wait behind RIC, then the tyres weren’t ready
21: SAI pits; rejoins P3, just ahead of HAM
22: LEC dives past BOT for P7
SAI tucks up behind ALO; easily past for P2
23: HAM closes on ALO
24: HAM takes P3 from ALO
ZHO right under STR’s rear wing
25/70: VER, SAI, HAM, ALO, RUS, OCO, LEC, BOT, STR, ZHO, TSU, RIC, GAS, VET, MAG, ALB, NOR, LAT; out: SCH, PER
TSU catching up to the STR-ZHO battle
27: SAI f/lap 1:17.210
LEC closing on OCO
29: ALO pits from P4; hards go on; rejoins P7
Radio from LEC complaining about a lack of grip
30/70: VER, SAI, HAM, RUS, OCO, LEC, ALO, BOT, STR, ZHO, TSU, RIC, GAS, VET, MAG, ALB, NOR, LAT
33: Radio from VER, “feel like I’m losing tyre grip”
35 = half distance
37: Radio for LEC, “We are thinking plan D”; “Whatever”
38: GAS 2nd pit stop
39: Long stop for LAT – did they drop the front jack before the right wheel was on?
40/70: VER, SAI, HAM, RUS, OCO, LEC, ALO, BOT, STR, ZHO
LEC still on OCO’s tail
43? LEC pits
44: VER pits; hard tyres go on; rejoins alongside HAM; HAM claims P2
VER swearing at his engineer
LEC inside RIC for P11
VER has DRS to take P2
45/70: HAM pits from P3; hards go on; rejoins P4
46: RUS pits; hards; rejoins P4
47: HAM f/lap 1:16.769
LEC takes P9 from ZHO
48: RIC has TSU and VET on his tail
LEC catches STR, but then STR pits so LEC now P8
49: VER f/lap 1:1.1
Yellow flag – TSU in the wall at Turn 1 – looks like he exited the pits and just slid straight into the tyre wall
SC deployed
50/70 [SC]: SAI pits; rejoins P2
Alpine pit OCO followed by ALO
BOT and RIC pit too
51[SC]: VER, SAI, HAM, RUS, OCO, ALO, LEC, BOT, VET, ZHO, RIC, MAG, STR, GAS, ALB, NOR, LAT; out: TSU, SCH, PER
53[SC]: Lapped cars may now overtake the SC
54[SC]: SC in at the end of this lap
VER lets the SC pull away, so VER can control when they resume
55/70: Clean restart
ZHO looking at VET but the Aston Martin keeps P9
57: SAI f/lap 1:16.287
DRS enabled
ZHO takes P9 from VET
58: SAI f/lap 1:15.897
59: LEC dives inside ALO in the hairpin; takes P6
60/70: VER, SAI, HAM, RUS
LEC cuts the final chicane, so OCO re-takes P5
61: SAI still has DRS behind VER
LEC inside OCO for P5
62: OCO defending P6 from ALO, BOT and ZHO
RIC has STR, VET, ALB, GAS and NOR on his heels
64: SAI f/lap 1:15.749
STR takes P10 from RIC
65/70: VER, SAI, HAM, RUS, LEC, OCO, ALO, BOT, ZHO, STR
66: Radio for ALO telling him to stay behind teammate OCO
68: SAI still has DRS but can’t get close enough to attack VER
70 = final lap: SAI has fallen back and lost DRS
VER takes the chequered flag
Provisional result: VER, SAI, HAM, RUS, LEC, OCO, ALO, BOT, ZHO, STR; RIC, VET, ALB, GAS, NOR, LAT, MAG
DNF: TSU, SCH, PER
*Fastest lap: SAI
Post-race penalties:
ALO received a five-second time penalty for making more than one change of direction to defend a position, dropping him from P7 to P9
NOR received a five-second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane
