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After a week off, Formula One heads across the Atlantic to Montreal. The Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve is a contrasting circuit from Catalunya, with the focus shifting from all-round balance to low-speed tight corners and a long straight which will require ultimate traction.
The impact of the mid-season technical directive was underwhelming last time out as McLaren's dominance continued on a track which does a very good job at determining the true pecking order.
There is a case to be made that McLaren won't have it their own way this weekend but the other big three have questions to answer and will be hoping the front wing changes can propel them into a fight for the win on these specific circumstances.
One team that I expect to bounce back after a dismal Barcelona is Williams. James Vowles and his drivers were negative about their chances in the lead up to Barcelona, and that was an understatement. Now we know that there is a fundamental flaw with the Williams that gets exposed on tracks that test a wide range of characteristics.
Fortunately for them, Canada will play into their strengths and they could be in the frame with Mercedes and Ferrari like in Miami. I had hoped to get a backable price on a double points finish but at 5/4, I'm happy to let that go.
Two other learnings from Barcelona are: ISACK HADJAR is the real deal and Aston Martin's upgrade wasn't a world beater.
Hadjar's consistency has been his most impressive facet this season, scoring points in the last four races (don't answer the call from Red Bull Isack). He has a great chance to make it five in a row this weekend but with Williams expected to fill two more points spots, I prefer taking Hadjar to get the better of Fernando Alonso at a similar price.
Alonso has become more frustrated with the performance of his car over the course of the season, but was buoyant after qualifying P5 in Imola. This joy was short lived, however, as he trundled through the Barcelona GP having to make overtakes in non-conventional areas of the track due a lack of straight line speed, an issue that will be exaggerated in Canada.
Couple this issue with Adrian Newey's recent comments about the Aston Martin factory wind tunnel not being correlated effectively, Hadjar should be a clear favourite.
The most impressive team over the Spanish GP weekend was Sauber, with the much anticipated upgrade package delivering on expectations as Nico Hulkenberg beat a Ferrari to get the team's best result since 2022 and GABRIEL BORTELETO challenged for points.
The fact this upgrade worked well in Spain is a good indicator that it is not just track specific and Sauber are now a genuine points contenders.
One car that is not a points contender is Franco Colapinto. The Argentine has had a poor comeback and has only two more races to shine before he is replaced according to Flavio Briatore
Colapinto has been well off his teammate's pace in comparison with Jack Doohan who he replaced (I am rooting for a Doohan comeback as per the antepost selections). Alpine has a weakness with recharging their hybrid energy which may be exploited here on a power demanding circuit.
The balance has swung in Borteleto's favour here and he is the deserving favourite.
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