Ocon expresses concern about the tarmac in Montreal
The F1 is heading to the Gilles Villeneuve circuit in Canada for the first time since 2019, which is raising concerns for Esteban Ocon.
Although the Alpine suffers less from porpoising than, for example, the Mercedes, Esteban Ocon reported experiencing it during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on the long straights of the circuit. This Canadian weekend may present similar issues.
Indeed, the Montreal track has similar characteristics to that of Baku, with long straights and strong braking zones. Esteban Ocon has already driven multiple times on this circuit, often achieving good results (P6 in 2017).
He expresses his concern about this weekend: « I think it will be a different challenge [compared to Baku]. The straights are shorter, although they are still a little long, you have to ride over the speed bumps a lot and it’s a quite bumpy track. (e)
It’s going to be interesting because it’s been a long time since we’ve run there. We know that it’s very cold in winter and quite hot in summer, so we don’t know how the track could have changed.
An unused asphalt track that has been subject to surrounding weather conditions for a few years can gradually deform, creating bumps or potholes in the road. These multiple bumps, in addition to the existing car suspensions, could present a major challenge for the drivers.
