Vodafone McLaren Mercedes travels across the Atlantic for round seven of the 2008 Formula 1 World Championship, the Canadian Grand Prix, which is being staged in the North American country for the 40th time.
The first Canadian race took place in 1967 at the Mosport track in Toronto. Mont-Tremblant hosted the event for two years in 1968 and 1970 before it moved to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in 1978.
The team has won the Canadian Grand Prix on ten occasions with the most recent victory taken by Lewis Hamilton last year. It marked the Brit’s maiden win in Formula 1, coming in his sixth race in the series.
LEWIS HAMILTON
Q: Following your Monaco win, we now move to Canada, what are your thoughts ahead of this race?
A: "As I said on Sunday, winning at Monaco is the highlight of my career, it was a very emotional victory for me as it is something I have dreamed of since I was a kid. I will never forget the moment, but now my only focus with the team is Canada. We have good momentum right now and we are pushing to keep that going and to keep developing. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is one of my favourite tracks and following my debut win there last year it is a very special place for me and I hope that we will be quick there again this year. It is renowned for its difficult track surfaces, particularly with tyre graining, and the walls. Despite being very fast, it can feel like a street circuit with the barriers very close, but it is good fun to drive at and I am looking forward to getting back there."
Q: As you mentioned, the track surface is one of the main factors during the race weekend, how does this affect the grip levels and tyre wear?
A: "Well everyone is in the same boat for the tyre choice, and it can get quite complicated to choose the right tyre for the entire weekend given the evolution the circuits go through, particularly Canada. We have worked closely with Bridgestone on this and hope we have the right compounds to manage the track conditions. There is always a lot of graining at this track and because it is only used one a year, it is very dirty when we first start running. That soon clears up on the racing line, but this dirt and the marbles from the graining make it very slippery off-line."
Q: The low downforce layout of the track places great importance on efficient cornering. With reduced aero grip, what exactly is required from the car to make it quick through the corners?
A: "Mechanical grip is key. You also need a well balanced car that doesn’t oversteer - but that is not as easy as it might sound! You have to really make a compromise on corner entry, particularly those after the long straights. This means your time through the corner will be faster."
Q: It is a year since your debut Grand Prix pole and victory at the Canadian Grand Prix, what are you memories of that weekend and how do you feel you have developed as a driver in the 12 months since?
A: "Last year in Canada was one of the biggest accomplishments of my life, to take my maiden pole and victory in Formula 1 was incredible, even more so as it was with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. It would be great to go back there and do the same, and that is what we are working hard to achieve. Since then I think I’ve matured a lot, I think I have grown stronger as a driver and have become closer to the team."
