The Canadian GP threatens to turn into a real rain race. The FIA is expecting heavy downpours during the main event and already issued an official warning on Saturday. Many drivers fear a chaotic Grand Prix, partly because the new F1 cars have barely been tested in rainy conditions. This includes Pierre Gasly and Lewis Hamilton; the latter also has little confidence in the rain tires that Pirelli provides in Canada.
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According to current forecasts, drivers should expect heavy rain showers at 4:00 PM local time. It would be the first time racing with the new F1 cars under such conditions. Max Verstappen has already warned of ‘dangerous’ scenarios. Lewis Hamilton is among the few drivers with experience on the current rain tires; in April he tested the wet-weather rubber at Ferrari’s home circuit in Fiorano. That gave him little reassurance.
“The rain tires are not great,” the Brit told the media in Montreal. “Due to Pirelli’s switch from tires without blankets to tires with blankets at low temperatures, a new tire had to be developed. But honestly, that has only made the situation worse; we constantly deal with tires that do not perform optimally.” Due to the low track temperatures, it is even more difficult to get the tires up to temperature, causing drivers to fear a chronic lack of grip in Montreal.
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Elimination race
“During my test, I asked to also use tire warmers for the most extreme rain tire, but even then the amount of grip is still insufficient,” emphasized the seven-time world champion. Pierre Gasly fears a real elimination race in Canada. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes a kind of elimination race, although of course I could be wrong,” he said. “I tested the rain tires at Magny-Cours and that was honestly quite surprising.”
“On a dry track, it is already difficult to get the tires up to temperature, let alone in the rain,” the Frenchman continued. “From experience, I know it can be a pretty exciting race. The most important thing is ultimately to finish. I don’t want to reveal too much, but I expect particularly difficult conditions.”
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