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Canadian Grand Prix: Formula One live blog

11th June, 2017
Where: Circuit Île Notre-Dame/Gilles Villeneuve
When: 4am AEST
Number of times held: 53
First held: 1961
Most wins (drivers): Michael Schumacher (7)
Most wins (constructors): Ferrari, McLaren (13)
Circuit length: 4.361 km (2.709 mi)
Race length: 305.270 km (189.694 mi)
Laps: 170
Have FTA audiences seen the last of Dan until the Aussie GP next season? (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
Roar Guru
11th June, 2017
89

Formula One makes its annual sojourn across the Atlantic for the Canadian Grand Prix, as the championship race continues to intensify between Ferrari and Mercedes AMG. Join The Roar for a live blog of the race, starting from 4am AEST.

Sebastian Vettel’s victory in Monaco allowed the German to stretch his lead in the standings out to 25-points, being the equivalent of a race win.

The second placed Lewis Hamilton, who trails the Ferrari driver will look to turn his fortunes around at a circuit at which he’s won an astonishing five races at.

Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has seen the fabled Scuderia win 13 grand prix, of which one was taken by the track’s namesake in 1978.

At 4.3km in length, the circuit is not the longest on the calendar, though one of the most challenging – with it’s hard braking zones and the dreaded ‘Wall of Champions’ at Turn 14.

Horsepower is in vogue here, with the long straights set to see intense drag races between the Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari powered teams, whilst Renault and Honda are to struggle.

The 70-laps to be contested are often an endurance contest for the drivers, with weather always wreaking havoc on the race, as seen in 2011 with the longest grand prix to date.

2014’s hot conditions in contrast saw the dominant Mercedes AMG struggle with their brakes, ultimately seeing Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo capitalise for his maiden win.

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The Master of Montreal in Hamilton put his Silver Arrow on pole position for the sixth time here, claiming his 65th career pole and matching the record of the great Ayrton Senna.

Vettel in the end came close, though not enough ultimately to take pole and second was the order for the day.

By no means are the two Finns in Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Räikkönen are out of the contest yet either from third and fourth. A strategy contest looms, as the drivers will negotiate between the ultrasoft, supersoft and soft tyres for the race.

Red Bull in fifth and sixth are the best of the rest, with Max Verstappen leading Ricciardo. Though they’ll be expecting a heated battle with the midfield.

Fernando Alonso in his return to Formula One qualifies twelfth for McLaren, whilst Canadian rookie Lance Stroll as seventeenth in his Williams.

Montreal has always thrown up a humdinger when Formula One hits town and 2017 should be no different.

Tune into The Roar for live blog coverage on Monday morning from 4am of the Canadian Grand Prix.

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