Undefeated is how Red Bull Racing will aim to remain after 70 laps around the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve at the Canadian Grand Prix this Sunday, making it eight wins from eight races this season.
The imperious run has, of course, been spearheaded by the reigning world champion, Max Verstappen, who’s on a three-race winning streak of his own and hasn’t yet stepped below the second spot of the podium.
This is the new status quo in Formula One, and from first practice on June 16 to the race day on Sunday, June 18, it isn’t expected to change.
In motorsport betting markets, Verstappen’s way out at -300 to take his second Canadian Grand Prix in as many years, but the race certainly isn’t to be without incident: the safety car coming out is at -200.
Here’s what you need to know about the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix, the F1 odds, and some predictions for the race results.
Can Any Team Challenge Red Bull for the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix?
We’ll get a better idea of how the teams stand after the practice sessions on June 16 and qualifying on June 17, but for now, it does look to be another Red Bull win at the Canadian GP.
In stark contrast to Montmeló last time out, Montréal is littered with areas to overtake, has these overbearingly close walls, some good straights, and some tight chicanes. One false move can end even the leader’s race.
For this race, Pirelli has opted to bring its three softest sets of tyres, which are the C3, C4, and C5 – the same as last year when Verstappen was joined by Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton on the podium.
Some well-oiled teams, like Red Bull, will likely see the Canadian GP as a one-stop race, veering on a two-stop race pending weather conditions, while the rest will probably have two stops pencilled in from the get-go.
As for the drivers themselves, while teammate Sergio Pérez has hit a bit of a wall of late, landing 16th and fourth in the last two races, it’s been full steam ahead for Verstappen.
Naturally, many expect the Dutchman to net another win this weekend and draw even with Ayrton Senna on 41 wins to be fifth of all-time. Trying to stop that from happening will be the Silver Arrows.
Having put in a much-improved performance at the Spanish Grand Prix, some expect them to mount a challenge in Montréal, but Toto Wolf has poured some cold water on such ambitions.
The Mercedes-Benz head has praised the efforts of his team for creating an upgrade package that made Hamilton and George Russell more competitive, but the last circuit did suit the car and “the gap to Red Bull is large.”
Coming in with much more optimism is Aston Martin. They’ve been beaming about their new upgrade package coming to the 2023 Canadian GP, and the circuit’s layout does suit the run of the cars.
On top of this, there’ll be the hungry Fernando Alonso seeking to make good on his claim that Spain will be “the last time we are not on the podium,” as well as Canadian Lance Stroll seeking to impress in his home nation.
Hamilton vs. Alonso, Verstappen vs. Rosberg, the list goes on! ⚔️
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 13, 2023
Relive five great battles from our previous instalments of the Canadian Grand Prix 👇🍿#CanadianGP #F1
Odds Predict a 1-2 for Red Bull
The 2023 Canadian Grand Prix has Verstappen as the clear -300 favourite to win the race and -200 to land pole, with Pérez as the next frontrunner at +500. This may seem like a big drop, but Hamilton comes third at +1100 to win.
With the close walls, many overtaking opportunities, and ample DRS space, the race at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve could be better suited to live sport betting, just in case a frontrunner falls behind or hits a wall.
On top of this, Pérez hasn’t been in great form of late, seeing his fleeting title hopes all but evaporate over the last couple of Grand Prix weekends. This may open the door to the improved Mercedes and Aston Martin cars.
To land a top-three place, Fernando Alonso is an interesting pick at -118, which is still behind Pérez at -228 in the odds. Despite the circumstances and his improved racing, Lance Stroll is way out at +1400 for a podium finish.
Yet, he’s in what’s said to be an improved car, he finished ahead of Alonso in Spain, and a top-three finish would be the first for a Canadian since 1996. Perhaps the +125 to finish in the top six is more reasonable, though.
Leading the charge to stop the upstart team will be Lewis Hamilton at +105 for the podium, who has won the Canadian Grand Prix a joint-record seven times. Russell gets odds of +220 to land his second podium in a row.
Excited to put on a show at the #CanadianGP! 🍁
— Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) June 14, 2023
Catch up with @lance_stroll ahead of his home GP in our Race Preview, presented by @Cognizant.
As has been the case in F1 this season, a Red Bull win with the Flying Dutchman atop the podium looks to be the most likely outcome, but the battle for the podium will certainly be heated at the 2023 Canadian GP.
*Credit for all images in this article belongs to AP Photo*
