Round Seven of the 2014 Formula One World Championship brings us to Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix, held at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. The 2.71-mile circuit is situated on the man-made Ile Notre Dame in the St Lawrence river and it's the first high-speed challenge of the season.
A lap of Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve has an average speed of 130 mph and is quite challenging because of the four long straights, which are combined with tight slow corners. Eleven of the 14 corners at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve are taken at below 100 mph, which makes it particularly hard on the brakes and tires.
There is also changeable weather to contend with, although for now the outlook for the weekend is looking good. As was the case for the previous Monaco Grand Prix, tire supplier Pirelli has nominated its P Zero Yellow soft and P Zero Red supersoft tires for the Canadian Grand Prix.
This weekend, Ferrari driver Kimi Räikkönen celebrates his 200th grand prix. Hitting the double century puts the Finn 14th in the all-time table, which is headed by Rubens Barrichello on 323 starts. In a career that dates back to 2001, with a break spanning 2010 and ’11, Räikkönen has won the Canadian Grand Prix once, back in 2005. Last year’s winner was Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel.
Going into the weekend, Mercedes AMG’s Nico Rosberg sits at the top of the of the Drivers’ Championship points table with 122 points. His teammate Lewis Hamilton is close behind with 118 points, with Ferrari’s other driver Fernando Alonso a distant third with 61 points. In the Constructors’ Championship, Mercedes AMG leads with 240 points followed by Red Bull Racing with 99 points and Ferrari with 78 points.
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