Canadian GP team preview: Mercedes

Mercedes are going into the race with a huge cloud of uncertainity hovering above them. Formula One racing’s governing body, the FIA, is to bring the matter of Mercedes’ recent tyre test before its International Tribunal, after investigations concluded that the test may have breached F1 regulations; and if found guilty, the team maybe even banned from F1.

Mercedes were the subject of a protest from rivals Red Bull and Ferrari at last month’s Monaco Grand Prix after it emerged that the 1000-kilometre Pirelli test, conducted in Barcelona earlier in May, had been run using a 2013 car. The rival teams believe that it has helped Mercedes gain an unfair advantage over them. The team has generally struggled with tyre management this season, and in spite of doing well in the qualifying sessions, they have failed to replicate the pace in the main race, except in the Monaco GP.

Controversies aside, Mercedes will try to carry the momentum from the Monaco GP into Canada. Rosberg had the perfect weekend at Monte Carlo with a pole position and a race win. He is hoping that similar is in store for him this weekend.

“We’ll be hoping to maintain that momentum in Canada this weekend and will be going all out for another strong performance,” he added.

“We receive so much support out in Montreal and it’s great to see that enthusiasm. The circuit itself is one of my favourite tracks on the calendar and I love the challenge of driving there. It’s a very difficult layout to drive because of the low downforce levels required for the long straights and it will be tough on the tyres,” he said.

Currently, Rosberg is standing at 6th place in the drivers’ championship with 47 points.

The Canadian GP will prove to be a tough nut to crack for the Brackley-based team as the track is known for excessive tyre wear. With a semi-permanent track that is not used extensively during the year, there’s a risk of graining, which occurs when a cold tyre that is not up to temperature slides excessively against the track surface instead of finding grip, and causing an unusual pattern of wear. This phenomenon is mostly seen at the start of the weekend, when the track is at its most slippery, without any rubber laid down.

Adding to the punishment for the tyres in Canada are the kerb. The kerbs at the Gilles Villeneuve circuit are high and aggressive, with the cars hitting them at approximately 130kph through the final corner, close to the famous ‘wall of champions’.

After finishing 4th in the Monaco, Hamilton remains cautious about title hopes. He currently lies 4th in the drivers championship, 45 points behind leader Vettel.

“I don’t really look at it and think we are contenders at the moment,” he insisted.

Asked to name the best package of 2013, Hamilton answered: “I would say Ferrari.

“They are not yet the best in qualifying, but they have a race pace that we don’t.

“We need to improve our management of the tyres, and then we’ll be able to compete on par with Ferrari and Red Bull,” he said.

However he believes that Mercedes can do well on a return to one of his favourite tracks.

“I am not really sure why I have been so competitive in Canada,” he said. “It just seems to be a very strong circuit for me. It is a really special track and is such great fun to drive. It is also the atmosphere and the city. I have always been the latest of brakers and it is definitely a track where late breaking helps.”

Late braking, however, has been a problem for him since his move to Mercedes at the start of the season. “I haven’t particularly been the latest of brakers this year in the car that I am in,” he said. “It is an area that I am trying to improve on. I see it being a problem for me for quite some time until I figure it out, which I haven’t done yet.”

After winning the race last year, Hamilton will be going into the race with a lot of confidence as he hopes that both he and team can continue their good run.