The Canadian Grand Prix, on this weekend, is known for a number of things. Firstly, it is seldom a very exciting race, but the promise of rain during this weekend’s qualifying session might just liven things up a touch. If anything, the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve is infamous, rather than famous – and the most infamous part of the circuit is undeniably the Wall of Champions.
This might have a nice ring to it, like a hall of fame kind of vibe, but in the case of Montreal, you really don’t want your name on that wall. Or rather, some paint from your car, because earning a spot on that wall also means you stuffed it up leaving the final, high-speed chicane on the way to the start/finish.
On the other hand, should you be unlucky enough to be added to the Wall of Champions, it also means that you are, by its very definition, an F1 champion. It all started in 1999, when three champions – Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve and Michael Schumacher all got it wrong over the course of the weekend. This is remarkable for multiple reasons, chief of which being the fact that they were all past champions, hence the name. But in reality, the corner has caught out many more drivers than just the three of them.
Fast-forward to 2022, and the Canadian GP is back after a Covid-imposed break during 2020 and 2021. The first race was run here in 1978, and the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve was also the scene of Gilles Villeneuve’s maiden F1 victory back then. It features 14 turns, two DRS detection zones and a bunch of slow-ish corners followed by flowing straights. These are punctuated by two chicanes, the most famous of which constitutes turns 13 and 14 – the final test before the pit straight, and the source of much heartache.
For this weekend’s race, we have four former champions in the field: Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso. Considering there’s only twenty drivers on the grid, having four former champions (well, one defending champion) in the field is quite something. This means 20 per cent of the field are former champions, and they all stand a chance to have their names added to the wall in Canada. Exciting.
Most of them have had recent run-ins with barriers, either in Azerbaijan or Monaco, so they certainly aren’t above making mistakes. Then again, the guys for whom the wall was originally named weren’t exactly rookies either. But if we had to take bets…
The thing is, at the moment the Red Bull looks by far the best-sorted car on the grid, so unless Verstappen has brain-fade at a critical moment, one has to assume he’ll be okay. As for the other three, both Alonso and Vettel made mistakes recently, so maybe they’ve put that behind them?
To me, the man poised to put his name on the wall has to be Hamilton. Mercedes have been quite vocal about the effects that porpoising has on their car, and while the FIA investigates possible measures to mitigate the phenomenon in future, this weekend will see each team do the best they can with what they have.
Merc ran their car as low as they could in Azerbaijan, gaining maximum performance from the ground effect; but in exchange they also gained maximum bouncing. This put Hamilton in agony and prompted teammate George Russell to speak up in his capacity as the director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA). In the meantime, however, the show must go on.
The big question is: What will Merc do this weekend? Have they made any progress towards solving their porpoising problem? If the car is the same as it has been, they really only have two options. The first is to run the car in exactly the same configuration (in terms of porpoising measures, not overall setup) as they did in Azerbaijan, which is certain to result in more pain for the drivers – but also the possibility of scoring some points.
The alternative is to ease up on the ride height. Bring the car slightly higher off the deck and suffer the consequences in terms of aero performance. This will remove most of the pain for the drivers, but also drop Merc even further behind their competitors.
Thing is, Hamilton didn’t become a seven-time world champion by not having grit and determination. So, we know that he has what it takes to push through and get a result for his team. But at this point, he might just be feeling a bit old for this stuff, and wondering if it is worth putting his body on the line at this point in the championship race.
So, where does this leave us? Well, if I were a betting man, I’d say that Hamilton might just be the next one to add his name to the wall. If not because he stuffs it up, then maybe just to prove a point. What remains interesting, however, is how most of the other teams seem to have gotten a handle on the situation, while the team who dominated for the last seven years just can’t get it sorted. Let’s see – maybe Canada is where they turn the corner.
Waldo van der Waal is a motoring journalist with nearly three decades of experience. He has worked as an F1 correspondent for various publications over the years, including WIEL and DRIVE magazines, in the late nineties. Since then, he has travelled the globe to follow some of the greatest motorsport events on the planet, including many F1 races and Le Mans. He has been closely associated with the Dakar Rally for the last ten years, worked with Fernando Alonso during his attempt at the race, and remains in touch with the wonderful world of Formula 1.
CANADIAN GRAND PRIX BROADCAST DETAILS
Friday, 17 June
FP1 | 19:55 | SS Motorsport
FP2 | 22:45 | SS Motorsport
Saturday, 18 June
FP3 | 18:45| SS Motorsport
Qualifying | 21:50| SS Motorsport
Sunday, 19 June
Race | 19:55 | SS Motorsport