Red Bull Racing’s Mark Webber blogs from the Canadian Grand Prix at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, the first low-downforce F1 race of the year.
The track is different to any that we’ve raced on so far this year. It’s high-speed, it’s relatively narrow and you need your car to be good over the kerbs because there are a lot of chicanes. The walls are close in places, so it feels more like a street track than a permanent circuit.
This place hasn’t been good to me or the team in the past. We know we have a good car this year, so we’re aiming to improve on our record. But the races here are always interesting – there were 60 on-track passes in 2010 – and you often get a mixed podium as a result.
'This is a race at which you need to think on your feet'
I don’t think the double DRS zone is going to be a big thing. You’ll still do most of your overtaking into the last corner, as has been the case in the past, and the second DRS zone will give you the chance to finish the move. There will be a lot of overtaking if it’s dry, but that’s usually the case at this track.
Nine of the last 13 races at this track have been interrupted by safety cars, so this is a race at which you need to think on your feet. You factor in the chance of a safety car when you’re working out your strategy.
You feel very intimate with the crowd at Montreal. They’re very close to you in places and they’re very passionate. The drivers’ parade is certainly one of the most enjoyable of the year…
Want more?
- Tech Talk with Toro Rosso in Canada
- F1 Canada Ones to Watch
- Official Formula One website, formula1.com
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