After the competitive order closed up in Miami, the teams and drivers are preparing for another unpredictable round at the Canadian Grand Prix \u2013 and tyre suppliers Pirelli have confirmed the compounds available across the Sprint weekend.<\/p>\n
There have been no changes to the allocation since last time out in Miami, when the softest compounds in the range were on offer with the C3 as the hard, C4 as the medium and C5 as the soft tyre.<\/p>\n
Canada will host the Sprint for the first time, which means teams will face an extra challenge as they must manage their tyre allocations differently, with only 12 sets available for the whole weekend rather than the usual 13.<\/p>\n
Under Sprint regulations, drivers will get two sets of the hard, four sets of the medium and six sets of soft, along with six sets of green intermediates and three sets of blue full wets.<\/p>\n
“The track surface, which was resurfaced in 2024, is smooth and low in abrasiveness,” reads Pirelli\u2019s weekend preview. “It is used for motor racing only during the Formula 1 weekend and, as a result, the circuit evolves very quickly not only over the three days but also within each individual session.<\/p>\n
“Last year, graining affected the tyres right through to race day. With the new tyres, the phenomenon should be more limited and, thanks to the improving track conditions, could already disappear after Friday.<\/p>\n
“The circuit, named after Gilles Villeneuve, is 4.361 kilometres long and features 14 corners interspersed with several straights. Its defining characteristic is its so\u2011called stop\u2011and\u2011go nature, which makes strong braking stability and maximum traction performance crucial.<\/p>\n
“Despite being essentially a street circuit, overtaking is possible, especially at the end of the straight leading into the final chicane, just before the famous Wall of Champions, which in 1999 claimed Hill, Schumacher and Villeneuve, all of whom hit the barriers.<\/p>\n
“As always in Montreal, the weather could play a significant role for the teams. Not only because of the chance of rain, but also due to temperatures that could be cooler than usual given the change of date. Teams may therefore have to carefully evaluate the best ways of bringing the tyres up to the correct operating temperature, particularly in Qualifying.<\/p>\n
“The Soft is clearly the compound with the best warm\u2011up of the three and will offer optimal grip over a single lap. It could therefore be the favourite for Saturday\u2019s Sprint, but the following day teams may opt for a more conservative approach, tackling the Grand Prix on the two harder compounds. As seen in Miami, teams tend to favour cautious choices in the race, where a one\u2011stop strategy could again be preferred this year.”<\/p>\n