Canadian GP - Preview
If there's one thing that everyone learnt from the Red Bull Turkish GP debacle is that the accident definitely was NOT Sebastien Vettel's fault. For a while, the team deemed that Mark Webber was the culprit but then decided that the Australian was not culpable and to make up for it signed an extension to his contract for 2011. Has this whole affair upset the intra-team relationships with Red Bull Racing? Or has team boss Christian Horner managed to smoothy hinges over with his two drivers and Vettel loving team owners? We shall find out at the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend at the historic Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. The circuit is back on the calendar after a year's hiatus and comes at a time when the championship is delicately poised. The new for 2010 points system makes gaining (and losing) distance in the championship much easier than before. There are five drivers within 15 points of the championship lead and any of 7 can end up leading title charge ofter the race. While both Webber and Vettel will be grinning through gritted teeth during the press conferences, having agreed to disagree on the subject of the Turkey crash - the McLaren duo of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton will be eager to prove that their contretemps over the lead for the Turkish race was nothing more than a communication misunderstanding between the team and drivers. Red Bull and McLaren are almost certainly going to be the front runners around the 2.7 mile track. Many expect McLaren to be the pace setters as it plays more to the strengths of the MP4-25 (long straights and low downforce) than the RB6 (fast sweeping corners and high downforce). The track features no real high speed corners and is mainly comprises of flat out blasts followed by huge brake-busting stops. As usual looking after the brakes will be of utmost importance and so will be keeping away from the walls that line a fair portion of the circuit. But hey these are the best drivers in the world, they won't be hitting the walls⦠The Renault R30 (in the hands of Robert Kubica at least) may also be fighting for the spoils of victory. The Pole always seems to go well on street tracks where you need to hustle the car and scored his first victory at CIrcuit Gilles-Villeneuve in 2008. The Renault team have done a brilliant job of out developing their rivals and have made huge gains since the beginning of the season. In this most open of seasons a team imploding on itself may become a hinderance or maybe it'll become a catalyst for the drivers to outperform one another? Maybe there are cracks appearing in the cosy relationship at McLaren between Jenson and Lewis? I'm sure it won't end up like Lewis and Fernando in 2007 but Hamilton now knows that it's not his team anymore.
author: Simon White
published: 10/06
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