Still in America, but further north. Two weeks after the Miami Grand Prix, which saw Andrea Kimi Antonelli celebrate his third consecutive victory on the top step of the podium, Formula 1 heads to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix. Just like the last round of the season, this weekend will feature the Sprint format, giving drivers a double opportunity to secure world championship points.
Haas brings the upgrades
This is an opportunity that Oliver Bearman won’t want to miss. The British driver finished just outside the top 10 in the last two American races, as well as in Canada last year, where he crossed the line in 11th place. For the 21-year-old, the clear objective is to return to the points after a very positive start to the championship campaign, and he believes the foundations are firmly in place:
“Last year in Montreal I thought we could have done more, so I’m definitely aiming to improve on that eleventh place,”
he stated.
“We’ll be bringing our next upgrade to Canada, but of course, with it being a Sprint weekend, it will be tricky to dial in the perfect setup straight away. However, I have no doubt that we will be in the midfield pack fighting for points in both races. I love the city of Montreal, the fans, the circuit… and even the weather! This year we are arriving three weeks earlier than last year, so who knows if that will make things more interesting.”
Not just Bearman
A top-10 finish seems well within reach for Bearman, and Haas is hoping for a double points haul. This optimism is fueled not only by the work done over the last few days but also by the potential form of Esteban Ocon. The Frenchman’s best provisional result of the season so far was a 10th-place finish at Suzuka:
“It’s been good to have a couple of weeks after Miami to regroup and prepare ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix,”
the Frenchman added.
“We’ve been working hard on training and in the simulator with the team, so I can’t wait to get back in the car. Going back to Montreal is always special and has a bit of a home race feel to it, given it’s in North America and, of course, because French is the local language. The atmosphere in the city is always electric: the Canadian fans are always fantastic and the track is exciting to drive. Miami was a tough race for us, but it gave us several insights into where we need to improve, so we’ve focused heavily on that. Plus, there is an upgrade coming to the car this weekend and hopefully we can hit the ground running with it, as it’s another Sprint weekend.”
Ultimately, the pressure is on Haas to maximize its latest development package during a highly demanding Sprint weekend schedule. With both Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon feeling re-energized after the brief break following Miami, the team has a prime opportunity to re-establish itself at the front of a tightly contested midfield battle. Capitalizing on the unpredictable Montreal elements and extracting immediate performance from their new upgrades could be the deciding factor in unlocking a double top-10 finish in Canada.
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