Behind the untouchables Red Bull, the Aston Martin team will try to bounce back after disappointing results in Barcelona and take back Mercedes’ place as runner-up this weekend at the Canadian Grand Prix, the eighth round of the season.
On the legendary Gilles-Villeneuve circuit in Montreal, the green single-seaters will be almost at home since the England-based team is owned by Canadian Lawrence Stroll and his son, Lance, is one of the two drivers with the double champion of the Fernando Alonso world.
Surprise at the start of the season, Aston Martin, which only finished seventh in the constructors’ championship last year, obtained no less than five podiums in seven races thanks to the Spanish veteran, four times third and once second.
But at the Spanish Grand Prix two weeks ago, both cars trailed slightly for the first time this season with Stroll finishing sixth ahead of Alonso, who had damaged his floor in qualifying and did not only started in ninth position.
In Catalonia, the green cars seemed to lack rhythm, the opposite of the Mercedes which placed its two Silver Arrows on the podium thanks to the British Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. The German team is beginning to reap the benefits of improvements made in recent weeks after a mixed start to the season.
New for Aston Martin
To stay at the forefront, Aston Martin will introduce new features on its AMR23 single-seaters in Montreal. “There will be something in Canada. It will be a step,” said team principal Mike Krack.
Alonso had also put pressure on his team to make improvements, like what Mercedes and Ferrari have just done, Aston Martin’s two opponents for this second place. “Improvements are coming in this race so we hope to have a good weekend and score as many points as possible,” said the “Asturian Bull”.
As since the start of the season, the first place seems, barring unforeseen events, still reserved for Red Bull, which has several lengths ahead of the competition even if the huge gap is tending to narrow a little.
Reigning double world champion Max Verstappen, who has won five of the seven Grands Prix this season, including the last three, will be the big favorite on a circuit he enjoys and where he won for the first time the last year.
“It’s always a pleasure to come back to Montreal. the circuit is really unique because we still drive on old generation curbs and the landscape is superb. You have to find a good balance in the settings to be fast in a straight line and negotiate the passages well on these curbs, ”explained the Dutchman.
His teammate Sergio Pérez should once again be his first opponent, even if the Mexican, winner in Saudi Arabia in March and in Azerbaijan in April, has been marking time for two races.
Sixteenth in Monaco then 4e in Barcelona, ”Checo” let Verstappen slip away in the world championship standings and is now 53 points behind. At the third of the season, the fight for the world title already seems very unbalanced.
Alpine, which placed its two cars in the points in Monaco and Barcelona, will aim for a pass of three in Canada to consolidate its fifth place in the constructors’ standings.
“It’s a great track, where I really enjoy driving. In Montreal, most corners offer a double change of direction, requiring good responsiveness from the car. The settings are therefore very important”, underlined the French Esteban Ocon, who hopes to experience an “entertaining Grand Prix”.
The uncertain weather, with the risk of rain, could also upset the hierarchy on the banks of the St. Lawrence River.