It’s set to be another crucial and intriguing weekend at the Canadian Grand Prix as 🍰the F1 2025 world championshi🅰p fight continues to hot up.

After a two-week break to reset and take stock following an intense triple-header which ended in controversy in Spain, the teams and drivers now head to North America for a standalone race at one of F1’s greatest venues - Montreal.

Will Max Verstappen be more cautious?

168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Max Verstappen finds himself in very real danger of picking up a race ban after his controversial late clash with Mercedes’ 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:George Russell in Barcelona.

As well as a 10-second penalty which dropped him down t♛o 10th place after crossingꩲ the line, Verstappen also picked up three penalty points on his superlicence.

That has taken the four-time world champion to 11 of a maxi▨mum 12 penalty points for the period covering the last 12 months, meaning the Red Bull driver will now walk a race-ban tightrope.

Verstappen must navigate the next two races - Canada and Austria - without pickin♌g up any more penalty points🅘 to avoid a dreaded suspension that would act as a hammer blow to the Dutchman’s title hopes.

Will this precarious position cause Verstappen to change how his approach to racing his rivals? It will be🔜 faꦺscinating to see how he responds, starting when he addresses the media on Thursday.

Can Lewis Hamilton turn things around?

168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Lewis Hamilton cut a desperately downbeat figure after a hugely disappointing Spanish Grand Prix, which he described as bein𝐆g his “worst race” in a Ferrari.

The seven-time world champion uncharacteristically lacked pace in the race as he slipped from fourth to seventh on the road (which later became P6 follꦐowing🗹 Verstappen’s penalty).

Hamilton was ordered to make way for his much faster teammate 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Charles Leclerc and was even overtaken by 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Nico Hulkenberg’s Sauber follo♊wing a late Safety Car. Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur revealed Hamilton had suffered damage to his car but refused to elaborate further.

Perhaps Canada will come at the perfect time for Hamilton. After𒅌 all, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a happy hunting ground for the 40-year-old Briton, who has racked up six pole positions and seven victories at the historic venue where Hamilton claimed his first pole position and win in just his sixth grand prix.

Hamilton has looked lost with his Ferrari for muc꧅h of the season,ꦡ but will this be the weekend he finally makes a breakthrough?

How fit will Lance Stroll be?

At the time of writing, there has been no further update on 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Lance Stroll’s condition and recovery since he was forced to withdraw from the Spanish Grand Prix due to hand and wrist pain th꧂at is a legacy of a cycling accident he had t🐼wo years ago.

Details surrounding the exact nature of Stroll’s procedure - and subsequent recovery time - have not been specified, but i🐟t was led by renowned MotoGP surgeon Dr Xavier Mir.

Mir and the same team helped Stroll recover from twౠo broken wrists and a broken toe within a fortnight to take part in the 2023 season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

Everything points to Stroll being on target💦 to contest his home race in Canada this weeke🎀nd, and understands a final decision is expected to be communicated by Aston Martin this week.

In the event Stroll was unable to compete, Aston Martin would have to call on one of their two reserve drivers - Fe🌜lipe Drugovich or Stoffel Vandoorne.

Piastri vs Norris to heat up?

168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Oscar Piastri led a McLaren 1-2 in Spain to make it five wins in nine races and move him into a 10-point lead over teammate 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Lando Norris in the championship.

With Verst🌊appen’s costly penalty leꦡaving him 49 points adrift of Piastri, coupled with McLaren’s current superiority, it is looking more than ever like being an in-house battle for the world title.

So far, Piastri and Norris have avoided major flashpoints, but McLaren know they need to be delicate in how they m⛎anage the intra-team fight aℱs the season develops and the championship fight hots up.

There was a minor incident in Barcelona when Norris gained by catching a “𝔉cheeky” tow from Piastri during qualifying to briefly hold pole position, only🎀 for the Australian to snatch it back.

Both Piastri and McLaren downplayed the moment which team principal Andrea Stella described as being a “minor 🍌episode” between the pair.

Norris and Piastri have managed to keep things clean for now, but the longer they duel over the same piece of tarmac, the cha🍎nce of potential fireworks will only increase as the stakes are raised.

Could Mercedes be back in the hunt?

Mercedes made a flying start to 2025 with Russell claiming four podiumsℱ in the first six races, though the Silver Ar𓄧rows have not returned to the rostrum since Miami.

It was a brutal triple header for Mercedes and 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Kimi Antonelli in particular, but there is 🅠hope the team will be more competitive in ๊Canada.

Weather can always be a bit of an unknown in Montreal at this time of year and cooler temperatures are expected across the weekend. Those are the conditions Mercedes’ W16 tends to like best, so the♏ German m🐟anufacturer will be looking to capitalise.

Russell claimed pole position here a year ago and went on to finish third in the race, giving reason to believe that Mercedes could be on for a stronger weekend after a rec⛎ent performance slump.