F1 Grand Prix of Canada - Previews
Getty Images

The Formula One circus enters Round 9 on the calendar with two-time defending champion Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing clearly the dominant force at the top of the field, and a scramble behind him. At times it has appeared Verstappen's teammate, Sergio Perez, would be right there with him in a 1-2 march. At other times it looked like the resurgent Fernando Alonso and teammate Lance Stroll would be leading Aston Martin into the fray consistently. At the series' previous stop, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell drove with the sort of conviction and pace we have seen from Mercedes-AMG GP in previous seasons, which resulted in the pair finishing behind Verstappen in second and third.

Now comes Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, a low-downforce affair with low-speed turns and walls on either side of the surface that can quickly punish a driver who loses concentration or gets too ambitious. And Mercedes are warning fans to not expect them to be challenging the Bulls at Montreal.

"It's a very different circuit," Andrew Shovlin, trackside engineering director for Mercedes, told formula1.com. "There are more low-speed corners, quite a lot of straight-line full throttle and we would expect more of a challenge there.

"We are not thinking that we are going in nipping at the heels of Red Bull. We are going in there prepared for a battle with Ferrari, Aston Martin and maybe even Alpine."

Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon recent run of double-point finishes over the past three events has Alpine back in the conversation, forcing teams such as Mercedes to look over their shoulders. But Ocon knows the team has leagues yet to travel.

"We are not at the level of our competitors in front so that is something we are addressing as we still want to achieve the ambitious targets that we have set ourselves at the beginning of the year," Ocon told formula1.com. "We are fighters, and we believe we can challenge our competitors on the track like we've shown already at races this season. Every race is an opportunity for this, and we are glad we can have another go this weekend in Montreal."

How to watch the F1 Grand Prix of Canada

  • Date: Sunday, June 18
  • Location: 2.7-mile (4.361-kilometer), 14-turn Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, Montreal, Quebec, Canada 
  • Time: 2 p.m. ET
  • TV: ABC, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes
  • Stream: fuboTV (try for free) 

What to watch for

Pirelli are bringing the softest tires they have to Trois-Rivières, with the C5 reds being the softest of these. The C3 whites are the hardest variety and, with the C4 yellows, are expected to be the tires that get the most use in the 70-lap race. 

While a street circuit, Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve does not get a tremendous amount of vehicular traffic. In other words, it doesn't get as beat up as other street circuits. The asphalt is relatively smooth, the surface not very bumpy. As there are no high-speed corners, it is key for the drivers to find balance in the car under lots and lots of heavy braking, then find grip immediately after negotiating the curve. The drivers who do this best will be ones racing for the podium as at a track such as this, you sometimes have understand how to go slow to be fast.

The nature of the track -- narrow, tight corners with heavy barrier walls on either side -- makes those turns some of the best passing opportunities on the circuit as drivers will try to out-brake one another and get a good launch out of the turn to complete the move. It is a high-risk, high-reward situation that rewards the brave and punishes those too brave. Expect at least one virtual safety car period, if not an actual one, or more.

The speeds will climb all the way up to race day on Sunday as the driver lay down more and more rubber. That is, unless it rains. And rain is expected on Saturday, which will change the circuit's complexion once more, washing a lot of the rubber away and returning it to an almost "green" condition. Temperatures are expected to be slightly on the cold side with lows of 59 degrees before heating up slightly to the high-60s, low 70s on Sunday.

As for stops, expect for teams at the front to opt for a two-stopper while teams at the back of the field gamble on a one-stopper, where they go super long on the hard C3 and then shift to the medium-compound C4 (or perhaps even the super soft C5 reds) for a sprint to the finish.