Canadian F1 Grand Prix 2017: Start Time, Drivers, TV Schedule and More
Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton will be seeking to kickstart his 2017 Formula One season on Sunday at the Canadian Grand Prix.
Ferrari star Sebastian Vettel heads to Montreal with a 25-point lead atop the driver standings after a strong beginning to the season. Hamilton, in second, has struggled to showcase his best this year and will be hoping to make gains at a venue where he has previously won five times.
A fascinating race weekend is in store, and Ferrari will feel a win here will be a big blow to Mercedes' title aspirations. Below are the key viewing details for the race and a look ahead to one of the most absorbing days on the Formula One calendar.
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Date: Sunday, June 11
Time: 7 p.m. (BST), 2 p.m. (ET)
TV Info: Sky Sports (UK), NBCSN (U.S.)
Live Stream: Sky Go (UK), NBC Sports App (U.S.)
Driver list in full is available on the F1 website.
Preview
While there was some controversy about the manner in which Vettel won in Monaco, with some questionable strategy from Ferrari costing pole-sitter Kimi Raikkonen the chance of a triumph, the Scuderia were clearly the dominant team.
Given Mercedes have had such a stranglehold on the front of the field for so long, the improvement of Ferrari has made this season one of the most entertaining in years.
As F1 journalist James Allen noted after qualifying in Monaco, the signs have been good for Raikkonen as well as Vettel lately:
Winning in Canada would be the biggest indication of their renaissance yet. The Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve may favour the SF70H, too.
"It's a funny track, with its long straights but also the chicane, the hairpin and the final corner, which all require and reward good traction," noted the F1 website of the car's suitability to the Montreal track. "The Ferrari has that in spades, and isn't too shabby anywhere else either."
In Hamilton, Mercedes have a man that has excelled at this venue so many times in the past, and they'll be relying on his expertise to see them to a much-needed win. Their star driver would make it three victories in a row if he was able to take the chequered flag on Sunday.
As noted by the F1.co.uk Twitter account, the only man to have won this race more often than the three-time world champion is seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher:
Ahead of the race, the Mercedes star admitted this grand prix is one of the ones he looks forward to the most:
The Silver Arrows must improve in all facets if they're to compete for victory here. In qualifying, Hamilton was unable to make it into the top-10 shootout, and while his team-mate Valtteri Bottas did, he watched the cars in red dash off into the distance on race day.
Bottas was also usurped for a final spot on the podium by Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo. After a sluggish beginning to the season, there were positive signs in Monte Carlo that they may be capable of making it a three-team tussle in some of these races.
Ricciardo won his first-ever grand prix here in 2014, meaning he'll have great memories of the circuit. The team's Twitter account offered a reminder of his victory three years ago:
Elsewhere on the grid, Fernando Alonso returns for McLaren after his jaunt to the Indy 500; after a shocking start to the year, executive team director Zak Brown has admitted McLaren have "serious concerns" about their partnership with Honda, per Alan Baldwin of Reuters (h/t BBC Sport).
It'll also be a huge day for 18-year-old Lance Stroll. The Williams man is the only Canadian driver in the field, and having been out of sorts in the first six races, he'll want to put on a big performance for his fans.
The battle for glory will be between Ferrari and Mercedes again, though. Hamilton is so attuned to the demands of this circuit, but at the moment he doesn't look quite so confident in the cockpit. That'll allow Vettel to continue his positive start to 2017 and extend his lead at the summit of the driver standings.
Prediction: 1. Vettel, 2. Hamilton, 3. Raikkonen
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