Formula 1 Pirelli Grand Prix of Canada 2019 – Such a disappointing podium

Posted: 09.06.2019
Source: Ferrari

Montreal, 9 June 2019 – Scuderia Ferrari finished second and third in the 50th Canadian Formula 1 Grand Prix, after Sebastian Vettel was given a five second penalty which dropped him behind Lewis Hamilton, even though the German was first across the finish line. Sebastian produced a masterly performance following on from yesterday’s pole. He led from start to finish, keeping the reigning world champion behind him. Charles Leclerc took the second podium of his career, following on from his third place finish in Bahrain.

Start. Sebastian maintained his pole advantage at the start over Hamilton, while Charles got alongside the Englishman in Turn 1, but he had to give best to avoid a probable collision. From lap 2 onwards, it was a close fight between the German Ferrari driver and the Englishman’s Mercedes and it went all the way to the chequered flag.

Pit stop. Sebastian pitted on lap 26, switching from the medium to the hard tyres, rejoining third. Two laps later, Hamilton came in, rejoining behind Charles and Sebastian who was back in the lead at this point. The team tried to lengthen the stint at this point to try and make the most of any Safety Car situation that might arise, as it often does in Montreal, which would have allowed him to close up the ten second gap, meaning he could again fight for the win. On lap 33, Charles stopped to go from mediums to hards, coming out behind Max Verstappen, who had started on the hard tyres on a different strategy. Leclerc took a lap to warm up his new tyres and then on lap 35, he retook third place.

Key moment. The key incident of the race came on lap 48, when Sebastian lost the rear of his SF90 at Turn 3, rejoining at turn 4 having gone off on the grass, but keeping the lead. The stewards however decided that Sebastian had rejoined unsafely forcing Hamilton off track and thus came the 5 second penalty to be added to his total race time. Sebastian crossed the finish line ahead of Hamilton and Leclerc, but the penalty swapped the order of the first two drivers on the podium.

Sebastian Vettel #5
“I think we had a great race and the stewards’ decision is too harsh. In turn 3, I lost control of my car and I had to run long onto the grass, rejoining at turn 4 ahead of Lewis. I couldn’t see where he was, as I was too busy trying to keep my car on track without crashing and I didn’t squeeze him on purpose.
I think given the way things went this weekend and even though our rivals’ race pace was very strong, we deserved the win, and I get the impression that lots of the spectators here today at the circuit agree with me. It’s always nice to race in Canada, I feel a lot of support from the people and it would have been wonderful to have given all our fans the first big result of the season.”

Charles Leclerc #16
“I am quite happy with my race today, despite it having been a rather lonely one for me. I think that we couldn’t have got a better result and our performance was strong from the first to the last lap. At the same time, it is a shame for the team to have lost the first win of the season. I look forward to the next race in France now. It is difficult to say where we will stand there, as the circuit here in Montreal suits our car very well, but we will work as hard as we can to continue improving and fighting for strong results.”
Mattia Binotto Team Principal
“At the moment, we, as a team, are naturally disappointed, but most of all our thoughts are with Sebastian and the spectators. As for Seb, I don’t think he could have done things differently, which is why we have decided to appeal the Stewards’ decision.
We leave Canada knowing that today, as indeed over the whole weekend, we proved we were competitive and that fact has been a confidence booster for the whole team.”

 

Formula 1 Pirelli Grand Prix of Canada 2019 – Sebastian second, Charles third

Posted: 09.06.2019
Source: Ferrari

Montreal, 9 June 2019 –The Canadian Grand Prix ended in controversy as Sebastian Vettel was given a five second penalty after the stewards deemed that, after he had gone off the track at turn 4 on lap 48, he “rejoined unsafely and forced another car off the track,” the other car being Lewis Hamilton’s.

Double podium.  Sebastian was first across the line, but was placed behind Hamilton. Charles Leclerc finished third, equalling the result from Bahrain.

 

 

Formula 1 Pirelli Grand Prix of Canada 2019 – “Grande” Sebastian! A pole for the tifosi

Posted: 08.06.2019
Source: Ferrari

Montreal, 8 June 2019 – Sebastian Vettel will start the 50th Canadian Formula 1 Grand Prix from pole position tomorrow, when the lights go out at 14.10 local time (20.10 CET.) The German’s best lap was 206 thousandths faster than second placed Lewis Hamilton, while Charles Leclerc was third in 1’10”920. This is Scuderia Ferrari’s second pole of the season, following on from Charles’ in Bahrain.

Q1. In the first part of the session, Charles and Sebastian each went quicker three times, going through to Q2 in first and second places. The Monegasque did a 1’11”786 then a 1’11”481 and finally a 1’11”214. Sebastian began with a lap in 1’12”339 then 1’11”601 and in the end, a 1’11”200.

Q2. In Q2, the aim was to make the cut on the Medium tyres, so as to use them for the start of the race. Sebastian did it with two laps in 1’11”309 and 1’11”142. Charles made a mistake on his first run but soon posted a 1’11”205, which was enough to make it through to the final session, even though Q2 was red flagged after Kevin Magnussen hit the wall which meant no one could improve.

Q3. In the top ten shoot-out, both the SF90s used Soft tyres to get the most out of the car. Charles was the first of the two Ferrari men to set a time in 1’11”188, with Sebastian then doing a 1’10”681. On the final run with new tyres, Leclerc got down to a 1’10”920 while Sebastian excelled himself to deliver an amazing 1’10”240, to ensure the 56th pole of his career, his eleventh with Scuderia Ferrari, which puts him level with Rubens Barrichello on the list of Ferrari driver poles. For the Scuderia, this was pole number 221, coming almost 68 years after the first one, which came courtesy of José Froilàn Gonzàlez in the 1951 British Grand Prix.

Sebastian Vettel #5

“That was a good day for us and I’m really pleased for the team. The last couple of months haven’t been easy for us so it’s nice to get a result like today and it sends the right message to all the guys. We are flat out and the most important thing is we keep pushing.

There’s a lot of adrenaline going around in qualifying and when they came on the radio I was really delighted. It was quite tense in terms of concentration and obviously you try to put everything in that one lap or in those two attempts that you have.
Coming here, we knew that we would have better chances and we were able to confirm that. Our pace is stronger here and we are basically sure to avoid the soft tyre in the race. We’ll take it from there. Anything can happen tomorrow and we’ll race to find out, as simple as that. We know our competitors are very quick, especially over the distance and we’ve seen this in all the races so far, but we’re starting ahead of them and hopefully we’ll stay there and fight as hard as we can. It is important that the chance was there today and we took it. But now we must confirm it tomorrow. So hopefully more singing!”

Charles Leclerc #16

“Today’s result is great for our team and congratulations to Seb for securing pole position. He was very quick today and just put everything together. He deserves it. For my part, I have to improve the way in which I anticipate the track evolution, so that I can set up the car to be on point for Q3. I will analyse this and hopefully be stronger in this department at the next race. Starting from third place tomorrow is a great opportunity and it will be fun to be in the fight with our competitors. We will keep pushing and do our best to bring home a strong result.”

Mattia Binotto Team Principal

“This pole is for our fans, who support us and are always right behind us, even when things aren’t going so well.

We are very pleased with today’s result. We have demonstrated that, on some tracks we can be competitive, given that here in Canada our performance has been good all weekend. I think that we are working well, even if the results have not reflected that fact. But the team has shown the right spirit and today’s result is a boost for everyone.
Sebastian put together a great lap. The potential was there and he produced it at the right moment. Charles also did a good job to take third on the grid. Tomorrow’s race will be long and very tough. We have to stay focussed. The temperatures are expected to rise and tyre degradation will be a key factor for everyone. But for now, we can enjoy today’s result!”

 

Formula 1 Pirelli Grand Prix of Canada 2019 – Brendon Hartley busy in Montreal

Posted: 08.06.2019
Source: Ferrari

Montreal, 8 June – Brendon Hartley was in the paddock today, taking part in various activities over the Canadian Grand Prix weekend. The New Zealander, one of four drivers who work in the Maranello simulator, spent the third free practice session in the garage with the engineers.

With an NHL star.  Hartley then met a young NHL star player, Rtan Poehling, who recently made headlines for equalling a record that has stood since 1943. The youngster from Lakeville (Minnesota) who plays form the Montreal Canadiens team, made his NHL debut on 6 April this year, scoring a hat trick against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Not since 1943, when Alex Smart did it, had a Canadiens player scored three goals in one game. Poehling, who is a guest of Shell here in Montreal, even went one better has he scored the decisive shot in hockey’s equivalent of the penalty shoot-out in football.

Ferrari Challenge. In the afternoon, Brendon attended all the technical briefings, as well as nipping up to the Paddock Club to meet the Ferrari guests. Tomorrow, Hartley will be one of those handing out the prizes to the winners of Race 2.

 

Formula 1 Pirelli Grand Prix of Canada 2019 – Seb on pole in Montreal

Posted: 08.06.2019
Source: Ferrari

Montreal, 8 June 2019 – Sebastian Vettel will start the Canadian Grand Prix from pole position. The German was fastest with a time of 1’10”240. The race starts at 14.10 local time (20.10 CET)

Charles third.  In the number 16 SF90, Charles Leclerc was third quickest with a time of 1’10”920 and will therefore start from the second row.

Grid.  Seb will have Lewis Hamilton alongside him, while fourth fastest, Daniel Ricciardo lines up next to Charles.

 

 

Formula 1 Pirelli Grand Prix of Canada 2019 – Free Practice 3: the SF90s are on the pace

Posted: 08.06.2019
Source: Ferrari

Montreal, 8 June 2019 – The third free practice session resul confirmed that the SF90 is competitive at the Montreal track and that Scuderia Ferrari could be in the fight for the top grid places when qualifying gets underway at 2pm (20 CET.)

Times.  In the final hour of free practice, Sebatian Vettel and Charles Leclerc worked mainly on preparing for qualifying, running the Soft tyres to go fastest overall. The German did 19 laps and stopped the clocks in 1’10”843. His team-mate did 17 laps, the best in 1’10”982.

Race.  Today’s qualifying decides the grid for the 50thCanadian Grand Prix, that starts at 14.10 local time on Sunday, 20.10 in Maranello.

 

Formula 1 Pirelli Grand Prix of Canada 2019 – Data gathering on Friday

Posted: 07.06.2019
Source: Ferrari

Montreal, 7 June 2019 – It was a useful first day of practice for Scuderia Ferrari at the Canadian Grand Prix, as both drivers generated plenty of data which will be vital for the rest of the weekend. Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel were first and second quickest, even if the lap times do not mean much given that the track is still very dirty and one never knows what programmes the other teams are running.

129 laps. In total, Charles and Sebastian completed 129 laps of the Gilles Villeneuve Circuit. This provided the engineers with plenty of data relating to the car’s handling and balance, while they worked on tyre evaluation in qualifying trim and also during long runs in preparation for the race. The track time was also useful for the drivers to progressively get to grips with the need to get close to the walls and make use of the kerbs on the track.

FP1 and FP2. In the first 90 minutes, Charles and Sebastian stuck with the Medium tyre. The Monegasque was third in 1’13”720, doing 24 laps, while the German did 28 laps, the quickest in 1’13”905. In the afternoon, the two SF90s ran the Pirelli Soft tyre as well, the drivers topping the time sheet, Charles in 1’12”177 and Sebastian 1’12”251, after which all the teams switched to long run work.

Saturday and Sunday. The cars will be back in action tomorrow at 11 (17 CET) for the final hour of free practice. That is followed by qualifying at 14 (20 CET.) The 50th Canadian Grand Prix gets underway on Sunday at 14.10 local time (20.10 CET.)

Charles Leclerc #16
“It has been a positive day overall. There was quite a bit of concrete dust on the track this morning, which, in combination with high temperatures, gave us a challenge in terms of grip. The conditions improved throughout the day and I felt more comfortable in the second session.
We made a good step between FP1 and FP2 and will have to continue working hard to repeat this tomorrow. It is still difficult to say where we will stand in qualifying. We expect our competitors to be strong and will do our best to secure a good result.”

Sebastian Vettel #5
“It was an interesting session: the track was rather slippery at the start and I know it’s going to improve bit by bit as the weekend progresses. We struggled again with the tyres, especially in terms of performance over a long run. We will have to work on that in the third free practice session, because having a good grid position is vital.
At the moment, I’d say we’re not the quickest, especially over a single lap, where our main rivals seem to have a slight edge. We lack grip in the slowest corners and I’m still not getting the feeling I want from the car. We will try changing some settings to find the right balance, which is eluding us at the moment.”

 

Formula 1 Pirelli Grand Prix of Canada 2019 – Free Practice 2: Charles and Seb first and second

Posted: 07.06.2019
Source: Ferrari

Montreal, 7 June 2019 – Charles Leclerc was fastest in the second free practice session for the Canadian Grand Prix, with Sebastian Vettel second.

77 laps.  In this afternoon’s 90 minutes of track time, the two Scuderia Ferrari drivers went through the usual programme of working on qualifying and race set-up, completing a total of 77 laps of the Gilles Villeneuve Circuit. Charles was quickest in 1’12”177, just fractions quicker than Sebastian who posted a 1’12”251.

Tomorrow.The action resumes tomorrow at 11am local time (17 CET) with the third free practice session.

 

Formula 1 Pirelli Grand Prix of Canada 2019 – Free Practice 1: Charles and Seb third and fifth

Posted: 07.06.2019
Source: Ferrari

Montréal, 7 June 2019- Charles Leclerc was third in the first practice session for the Canadian Grand Prix and Sebastian Vettel was fifth fastest.
 
Dusty. The track proved to be dirtier than expected, so the lap times do not mean much. Charles did 24 laps, the best being a 1’13”720, good enough for third on the time sheet. Sebastian did 28 laps, the quickest a 1’13”965 which put him fifth in the classification.
 
Second session. The cars are back on track at 2pm local time (20 CET) for a further 90 minutes of free practice.

 

Formula 1 Pirelli Grand Prix of Canada 2019 – Ready to make a stand

Posted: 06.06.2019
Source: Ferrari

Montreal, 6 June 2019 – The sun shone down on Montreal today, as the Canadian Grand Prix weekend at the Gilles Villenueve circuit got underway. For this the seventh round of the World Championship, Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc tackled the usual Thursday task of meeting the media to talk about the upcoming event, one day ahead of the start of free practice.

Sebastian.  Sebastian was the first one to meet the press and said he was feeling confident going into the weekend. “There’s no point in making predictions when we’ve yet to go out on track. It’s better to wait until after the first practice, but the characteristics of the Montreal track should, on paper, be well suited to the SF90. So far, we have not been as competitive as we would have liked, but the team has never stopped working and our aim is still to give our competitors a hard time. We continue to work on improving our tyre management and generally on improving grip. On this topic, I believe the next few races will be important in order to understand how much our car can improve.”

Charles.  Next up it was Charles’ turn and he clearly was keen to get out on track. “Montreal is another street circuit, which as you know is the sort I like best.  We are ready to give everything to maximize the outcome of this race weekend. At a power sensitive circuit such as this one, we will aim to take advantage of the strengths of our car and the track’s layout, although at the moment it’s hard to tell which teams will have the advantage. The target is always to aim as high as possible and we will see where we stand after qualifying. As always, the goal for me is to do the best job I can and understand where I can improve. It will only be the second time I race at this track, but I expect to improve bit by bit the more time I spend on track.”

Meeting and track walk.  In the afternoon, the drivers attended the usual engineering meetings to prepare the job sheet for Friday. Apart from meeting up with the engineers, Sebastian and Charles tackled the obligatory track walk to check out any changes to the surface and other features, while getting a first glimpse of the Canadian kerbs they will use and the walls they will brush in order to put in quick lap times.

Programme.  First free practice takes place tomorrow at 10am (16 CET) followed by the second session at 2 pm (20 CET). Third free practice will be at 11 (17 CET) while qualifying on Saturday gets underway at 2 pm (20 CET). The race starts on Sunday at 14.10 (20.10 CET).

 

Formula 1 Pirelli Grand Prix of Canada 2019 – “The final part of the lap is the key”

Posted: 06.06.2019
Source: Ferrari

Here’s what Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc had to say, going into the Canadian Grand Prix, which takes place in Montreal this weekend.

Sebastian Vettel
“Canada is a race we drivers really look forward to. We race on an island right in Montreal, a fantastic place full of fans that ensure a unique atmosphere. Usually, the track starts off really slippery and it takes quite a while to rubber in and provide a decent level of grip.
The track is also known for being stop-and-go, with long straights and heavy braking points, split up by a few slow corners and some chicanes where you need to use the kerbs a lot. The final part of the lap is usually the key: you have to brake perfectly at the big hairpin so that you get the best exit to have a lot of speed on the long straight that leads to the pit lane or the final chicane. This is where you can try and overtake.
Last year, I started from pole and won the race, 40 years after Gilles Villeneuve won here. I will do my utmost to get a good result.”

Charles Leclec
“The Canadian Grand Prix should be an opportunity to try and bring home a good result. We must do everything well to prepare the car right down to the last detail so that we can get the most out of it.
Last week, I was in the simulator in Maranello to work on settings and on improving the car and myself for this round. I find this track very interesting, because it includes various types of corner and a long straight where it should be possible to overtake. Last year, I managed to finish in the points and so this year, the aim is to do better.
I really like the city of Montreal itself and its people and the fact they speak French makes me feel a bit more at home. I really hope we can have a successful weekend.”

 

Formula 1 Pirelli Grand Prix of Canada 2019 – “Top speed, braking efficiency and traction are key in Montreal”

Posted: 03.06.2019
Source: Ferrari

Maranello, 3 June 2019 – This Sunday sees the fiftieth running of the Canadian Grand Prix. The race first appeared on the calendar in 1967, when Jack Brabham won in a car bearing his own name. The event has been held at three circuits: Mosport Park, 8 times, Mont Tremblant twice and Montreal 39 times, making it one of the classics of the World Championship.

A dozen. Scuderia Ferrari has won twelve times in Canada, the first time securing a one-two finish in 1970 at Mont Tremblant. Jacky Ickx was first past the flag in the 312B followed by team-mate Clay Regazzoni.

In Montreal. Eight years later, the race switched to Montreal on a track made up of the perimeter roads of the artificially constructed Ile Notre Dame, using the excavations of the structures used for Expo 67. It is a low downforce track, which is very hard on brakes. That first race in ’78 will always be remembered for the victory that went to Canadian Gilles Villeneuve in the Ferrari 312 T3. The fallout from this win was amazing, being the first for a Canadian, especially as Gilles himself was a Quebecois. In 1982, Villeneuve was killed at Zolder and the Montreal track was named after him. A year later, Scuderia Ferrari won again thanks to a great performance from Rene Arnoux. In 1985 another win came courtesy of Michele Alboreto.

The best birthday present. In 1995, at the wheel of Ferrari number 27, Jean Alesi, whose 31st birthday it was, got the best present possible. Michael Schumacher had to pit from the lead in his Benetton to have his steering wheel changed and the systems reset and, for once, Alesi managed to shake off the bad luck that had dogged him for too long and was first past the chequered flag. There’s a large Italian population in Montreal and a track invasion duly followed and not wishing to run anyone over, Jean abandoned his 412 T2 and hitched a lift, wearing the Italian flag, on Schumacher’s car.

Dominant. Six of Scuderia Ferrari’s Canadian wins have come courtesy of the aforementioned German. The first came in 1997, the second, the following year was somewhat controversial as the Ferrari man came out of pit lane and pushed Heinz-Harald Frentzen and his Williams off the track. Michael was given a stop and go penalty but still managed to take the win.

Wall of Champions. The walls are a feature of this track and one in particular, on the outside of the final corner leading onto the start-finish line, has claimed several world champions, which has led to it being known as the “Wall of Champions.” Jacques Villeneueve, Damon Hill, Rubens Barrichello and more recently, Jenson Button, Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel, the latter on Friday in 2011, have all left their “signature” on the wall. Michael Schumacher couldn’t avoid it either, ending his 1999 race there while in the lead. However, he is the undisputed master of this track with a total of seven wins including those in 2000, 2002 and 2004.

Sebastian. Actually, that 2004 victory was the last for a long time for Scuderia Ferrari. It had to wait until last year when Sebastian Vettel won in Montreal, beating Bottas and Verstappen. In fact, the chequered flag was waved one lap too early by Canadian fashion model Winnie Harlow, following a communication mix up between the race directors and the marshal in the gantry.

Mattia Binotto, Team Principal

“Thinking of Canada, there are so many memories of past seasons that come to mind. This track has usually produced some exciting and unexpected racing. The long straight and the big braking zone before the chicane that leads onto the start-finish line is the place to overtake and to see some good fights. We know we’re not competitive enough right now and, for the time being we haven’t got any more changes coming on the car that will have a significant effect on the problems we have encountered since the start of the season. However, the Canadian track characteristics present another different challenge, given that top speed, braking efficiency and traction are the main considerations. We arrive here ready to do our best and to put the mistakes of the last few races behind us.”

FERRARI STATS
GP participations 976
Seasons in F1 70
Debut Monaco 1950 (Alberto Ascari 2°; Raymond Sommer 4°; Luigi Villoresi rit.)
Wins 235 (24,10%)
Pole positions 220 (22,56%)
Fastest laps 250 (25,64%)
Total podiums 754 (77,33%)

FERRARI STATS CANADIAN GP
GP partications 49
Debut 1967 (Chris Amon 6°)
Wins 12 (24,48%)
Pole positions 7 (14,28%)
Fastest laps 9 (18,36%)
Total podiums 34 (69,38%)

 

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