2024 Canadian Grand Prix Review

Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber heads to Montreal for one of the most eagerly anticipated races in the calendar – the Canadian Grand Prix. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has produced plenty of nail-biters in the past and, with the field so evenly matched in 2024, the premises are there for a thrilling weekend of on-track action.

Montreal offers a circuit like no other – fast, furious and rich of overtaking opportunities. Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu have a solid track record there, and will aim to make the most of every chance the weekend will give them.

Team Quotes

Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Team Representative: “We head back overseas after what has been a tough back-to-back between Imola and Monaco. Although our performance hasn’t matched our expectations so far, we are determined to put all of it behind us and start anew: we know how hard everyone is working within the team and we know that, in absolute terms, the gap from those ahead of us is not insurmountable. We travel to Montreal hungry for points and positive results, and everyone back in Hinwil has been hard at it over the past two weeks to achieve that. The field is tight, and competition is tough, but we are ready for the challenge. We have seen in recent events how our performance was close to that of our main competitors; it’ll be important, now more than ever, to maximise the return of every single lap on track and be ready to make the most of any opportunity. This way, we’ll be able to make the step forward and turn the tide on our season.”

Valtteri Bottas (Car 77): “It’s good to be back in Canada – it’s a place that usually produces good racing and it’s quite fun from inside the cockpit, too. It’s one of the classic races on the calendar, and I like the challenges of a track that hasn’t changed much since it was built. I’m looking forward to getting started with the weekend ahead. There’s no denying that things haven’t gone well recently, but the team is motivated, and we used the days after our return from Monaco to analyse what didn’t quite work out and how to improve from there. We scored points in the two most recent outings in Montreal, and it would be nice to get back at it right here. Our goal, as usual, is the same: to be at the top of our performance from Friday onwards, and qualify in favourable spots on the grid, ready to battle it out on Sunday.”

Zhou Guanyu (Car 24): “We knew we had work ahead of us after Monaco, and that’s what the team did: we regrouped and worked together to give ourselves the best chance to turn our fortunes around this season. Even though we are yet to score points, our motivation isn’t gone, quite the opposite: we are determined to make a change to how this season is unfolding and get back where we want to be. I am looking forward to racing in Montreal this weekend, with the city turning into a true Formula One festival, and the fans giving us an extra boost from the grandstands. We know how just a hundredth of a second could make a big difference in qualifying, where we need to make the biggest gains: we must keep focused and deliver at the top of our game all weekend long, aiming for the top ten.”