Canadian GP Weather Forecast: Will Rain Clouds Spice Up the F1 Race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

After an intriguing race in Azerbaijan, Formula 1 returns to Canada after a two-year gap. The COVID-19 pandemic meant that the Canadian GP was absent in the 2020 and 2021 F1 calendars. But now the teams are gearing up for the third double-header week of the 2022 season in Montreal.

On the track, Red Bull has picked up form after a disappointing start to the season. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez are currently the top two on the leaderboard. However, while the Bulls have taken charge, Ferrari’s struggles continue.

So, the Canadian GP marks a crucial race for the Prancing Horse and their championship aspirations. Meanwhile, Lance Stroll and Nicholas Latifi are the hometown heroes this time around. Notably, this is also Latifi’s first F1 race in his country.

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The weather has always been a talking point during the Canadian GP. Over the years, drivers have raced in wet weather and this Grand Prix has proved to be a spectacle. So, will the sky open up this time, too?

Will the Canadian GP be a wet weather race?

Thursday saw the teams arrive at the famous circuit Gilles-Villeneuve with umbrellas. Thunder and rain caused a bit of chaos in the preparations in the morning hours. However, a warm front is expected on Friday, with a few showers and thunderstorms possible. The maximum temperature is around 24 degrees Celsius and there is a 40% chance of rain.

This could affect the free-practice sessions as the teams look to gather valuable data. Moving on to Saturday, the sky could open up during the qualifying session with a 60% chance of showers anticipated in Montreal. With tricky conditions on offer, there could be a surprise brewing in qualifying.

While rain may play a part on Friday and Saturday, the weather is expected to be warm with little to no clouds on Sunday. There is almost no chance of rain and the circuit could be relatively dry. The forecast is around 20 degrees Celsius as the drivers will look to take advantage of the conditions during the race.

Can Red Bull and Max Verstappen continue their form?

Saturday’s qualifying could prove to be a tough challenge and the front-runners will hope to secure the front row on the grid. While Red Bull have the race pace advantage, Ferrari and Leclerc seem unbeatable in qualifying.

However, the Monegasque could receive a 10-place grid penalty as rumors suggest Ferrari are prepared to use their 4th turbo of the season. This could hamper his chances, but the team have shown improvement in race pace after the upgrades in Spain.

Meanwhile, things are rather smooth in Red Bull’s camp. Another 1-2 in Baku for the Milton-Keynes outfit means they steer clear of Ferrari in the championship. They will hope to carry this strong momentum in Montreal this week.

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Nicholas Latifi and Lance Stroll will hope to improve their performances on their home turf after a disappointing start. The race could spring a few surprises, especially with tricky conditions on offer. So, who will come out on top of the Canadian GP? Let us know in the comments.