F1 is making its second trip to North America this weekend for the 2023 season with the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. While both Red Bull cars – in particular two-time defending champion Max Verstappen – have shown compelling pace this season, Mercedes’ recent upgrades have made the Silver Arrows more formidable and Montreal’s infamous climate could pave the way for competitive races.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix:
Canadian Grand Prix TV/Broadcast Schedule
All times Eastern
Friday
1:25 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.: Free Practice 1 (ESPN2, ESPN App, F1 TV Pro)
4:55 p.m. – 6 p.m.: Free Practice 2 (ESPN2, ESPN App, F1 TV Pro)
SATURDAY
12:25 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.: Free Practice 3 (ESPN2, ESPN App, F1 TV Pro)
3:55 p.m. – 5 p.m.: Qualifying (ESPN2, ESPN App, F1 TV Pro)
Sunday
12:30 p.m. – 1:55 p.m.: Pre-race show (ABC, ESPN app)
1.55 p.m. – 4 p.m.: Canadian Grand Prix (ABC, ESPN app, F1 TV Pro)
1.55 p.m. – 4 p.m.: The stand with Daniel Ricciardo and Will Arnett (ESPN2, ESPN app)
Canadian Grand Prix Details
Track: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (Montreal), road course of 2.17 miles, 14 turns
Duration of the race: 70 laps for 190 miles
Lap record: 1:13.078 (Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 2019)
Tire compounds: C3 (hard), C4 (medium), C5 (soft)
Last year’s winner: Max VerstappenRed Bull
List of entrants to the Canadian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (1), Red Bull-Honda RBPT
Sergio Perez (11), Red Bull-Honda RBPT
Charles Leclerc (16), Ferrari
Carlos Sainz (55), Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton (44), Mercedes
George Russell (63), Mercedes
Pierre Gasly (10), Alpine-Renault
Esteban Ocon (31), Alpine-Renault
Lando Norris (4), McLaren-Mercedes
Oscar Piastri (81), McLaren-Mercedes
Zhou Guanyu (24), Alfa Romeo-Ferrari
Valtteri Bottas (77), Alfa Romeo-Ferrari
Fernando Alonso (14), Aston Martin-Mercedes
Lance Stroll (18), Aston Martin-Mercedes
Kevin Magnussen (20), Haas-Ferrari
Nico Hulkenberg, (27), Haas-Ferrari
Nyck De Vries (21), AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT
Yuki Tsunoda (22), AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT
Logan Sargeant (2), Williams-Mercedes
Alexander Albon (23), Williams-Mercedes
Best drivers and best bets for the Canadian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (-275), who won the Canadian Grand Prix last year from pole en route to his second championship in a row, once again enters the weekend as heavy favorite with a negative moneyline at BetMGM. Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate enters the weekend 5-1 after finishing last in 2022 due to a gearbox issue. Lewis Hamilton (+800), who has won seven times on the Gilles Villeneuve circuit, is the only other driver to enter the weekend with odds above 10 to 1.
Better chances of winning
Max Verstappen-275
Sergio Perez +500
Lewis Hamilton +800
Earlier in the week, Nick Bromberg of Yahoo Sports wrote about attractive prop bets for the weekend. Bromberg likes Lando Norris finishing in the points (-140), citing the McLaren driver’s solid qualifying effort two weeks ago in Spain. Bromberg is also bullish on Alpine’s Esteban Ocon to finish ahead of teammate Pierre Gasly (-125), which he has done in the past two races.
Weather for the Canadian Grand Prix
It wouldn’t be a Canadian Grand Prix weekend without at least the threat rain. The forecast calls for precipitation on Friday and Saturday with temperatures in the 70s. It should be significantly cooler on race day with cloud cover and a 55% chance of rain. Mixed conditions can be the great equalizer, as some areas of the track become more slippery than others and teams assess how much lap time can be saved on grooved tires versus slicks.
On the other hand, the two known masters of the rain in Verstappen and Hamilton also enter with the best equipment and would seem likely to start at the front of the grid.