5 things to watch for at the Canadian Grand Prix

Formula 1 is back in Canada this weekend at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal. McLaren comes into the event as the favorite to win, but the Canadian Grand Prix has thrown a series of curveballs at drivers and teams in recent years.

Here are five things to watch for at the 2025 edition.

McLaren's next test

McLaren took the scare out of the first real bogeyman of the 2025 F1 season: the new front-wing technical directive in Barcelona. A one-two result in qualifying and on the podium left its rivals dejected. But while McLaren aced that test, perhaps Montreal will present a new challenge for Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, who should be considered the favorites in the MCL39.

While hotter temperatures tend to exaggerate McLaren's advantage, especially in tire preservation, the superiority of the reigning constructors' champion has diminished as the track temperature cools. The weather at the Montreal circuit has been unpredictable in recent years, with a cold front, rain, and sunny skies all making appearances. In the 2024 race plagued by mixed conditions, McLaren was in the running for victory, but Mercedes and the Red Bull of Max Verstappen also challenged (and, in Verstappen's case, won). Will the weather get in McLaren's way again? At least the car's excellent traction should shine.

Max Verstappen's driving etiquette

The last time we saw Verstappen in the paddock, he'd been freshly handed three penalty points for causing a collision with George Russell. The reigning four-time world champion now sits at 11 penalty points after his frustrations got the better of him in Barcelona - one point away from a full race ban.

Verstappen will have to be extra vigilant during the Canadian Grand Prix weekend. None of his penalty points expire until after the Austrian Grand Prix at the end of June. He'll presumably drive more cautiously in the meantime - and that could also cost him. Drivers are at their best near the limit, but Verstappen can't afford to flirt with finding the boundaries for the upcoming races.

Can Lewis Hamilton find his mojo?

The seven-time world champion is off to an awkward start at Ferrari. Hamilton's dealt with a lack of comfort in the car, scrutiny over his relationship with his race engineer, some minor team-order drama, and a general lack of pace. However, if there's one track that might be able to remedy Hamilton's issues - even for just one weekend - it's Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.

Montreal has been Hamilton's stomping ground. Not only did he record his first career pole and victory at the Canadian track, he also shares the record for most wins (seven) and poles (six) at the circuit with Michael Schumacher. Excluding retirements, Hamilton has 10 podiums in his 12 Montreal race finishes and has never finished outside the top five. He also owns a brilliant 12-3 record when it comes to out-qualifying his teammates.

Williams rebound

No team has stormed out to more unexpected success this season than Williams. The rejuvenated outfit lost some of its momentum at the Spanish Grand Prix, though, where it was unable to capture points for just the second time this year. Williams had warned that Barcelona would be a difficult circuit for its car well in advance. Bouncing back this weekend would revive a lot of optimism around the team's 2025 package and quickly reduce Barcelona to an outlier. The good news for Williams is Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz seem to do well in Montreal: The former made Q3 in each of the last two years, and the latter picked up a podium in 2022.

Fernando Alonso's Canadian renaissance

Canada has been the fountain of youth for the 43-year-old Alonso. The Spaniard started on the front row in Montreal in 2023 with Aston Martin and incredibly in 2022 as well despite driving an Alpine at the time. That makes him and Verstappen the only drivers with multiple front-row starts at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve since it returned to the calendar in 2022.

Alonso's mastery of Montreal plus his recent run of form could foreshadow another superb performance in front of the Canadian fans. In a difficult Aston Martin car, the two-time champion has made three consecutive Q3 appearances, and he scored his first points of the season at his home race in Barcelona earlier in June.