The Canadian Grand Prix will take place at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal – who has been the fastest (lap) at this venue?
The 2023 F1 season has got off to a sensational start and we are now all set for a resumption of action following a 14-day gap. F1 teams will head out to Canada for the 58th edition of the Canadian Grand Prix, scheduled to take place from 16th June to 18th June.
The Canadian GP will take place at the iconic Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. Let us take a look at which driver registered the fastest lap in the Canadian GP’s illustrious F1 history.
The official lap record for the current Grand Prix circuit layout is 1:13.078, set by Valtteri Bottas driving for Mercedes in the 2019 Canadian Grand Prix. When it comes to the other key stats at this circuit – Ferrari holds the record for most number of wins (14) among constructors. McLaren (13) are a close second while Williams occupies the third spot with 7 race wins each.
In case of the drivers, the record of the most wins at the Canadian Grand Prix is jointly held by two all-time legends of the sport – Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton. Both of them have six race wins at this GP and Hamilton will have the opportunity to extend his tally this weekend.
Is it challenging to register fast timings at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve?
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is 4.361 km long comprising a total of 14 turns. The circuit has a total crowd capacity of 1,00,000 making it a spectacle on the F1 calendar. Barriers run close to the circuit and many experienced drivers have been caught out by them.
A particularly famous part of the circuit is ‘the wall’ on the outside of the exit of the final chicane before the start/finish straight. While some drivers have found this track challenging in the past, the introduction of Three DRS Zones has encouraged faster race timings overall.
The detection point of the first DRS Zone lies 15 metres after Turn 5 while the activation zone is located 90 metres after Turn 7. The detection points of the second and third DRS Zones lie 110m before Turn 9. The second zone’s activation point is located 155m before Turn 12 and the third zone’s activation point lies 70m after Turn 14.
The zones are strategically placed at enough distance from each other and the layout provides ample opportunities for the drivers to overtake. The well-designed circuit paves the way for thrilling races and that is one of the primary reasons why the Canadian GP is one of the most anticipated races in the F1 calendar.
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