Red Bull are losing their grip on the top spot in both the drivers and constructors’ standings after a forgettable week in Monaco, so there’s a huge sense of urgency for them to come out swinging here in the Canadian Grand Prix.
With three different winners in the last three races, Red Bull’s rivals are closing in, particularly Ferrari and McLaren.
Between Ferrari and McLaren, it’s the former who is so close to Red Bull, so their confidence is at an all-time high heading into Quebec.
Elsewhere, Alpine have been in the headlines for the wrong reasons lately, so the Enstone-based outfit is also in dire need of some good news this weekend.
Learn about the latest Canadian Grand Prix 2024 updates, courtesy of SBOTOP.
Perez signs new contract amid Red Bull’s struggles
The RB20’s struggles to go through bumps and kerbs were on full display during the Monaco Grand Prix last time out, as Max Verstappen finished outside of the podium for the first time this season and Sergio Perez suffered a DNF.
According to team principal Christian Horner, the team is back to the drawing board as they’re studying what went wrong in the Principality.
But while they’re getting that sorted out, Red Bull raised a lot of eyebrows when they decided to give Sergio Perez a new contract extension that will run until 2026, putting all speculation about his future with the Milton Keynes-based outfit to rest.
Before receiving the new deal, murmurs about his potential replacement at Red Bull kept going because of his inconsistent form since last season. It got so bad for him that, at one point, there were rumours that then-reserve driver Daniel Ricciardo was ready to take his seat.
But now with the new deal, Perez can fully focus on his driving and winning races for his team.
Checo still has a long way to go to catch up with Max Verstappen, though, as he only has 107 points, 62 points behind his Red Bull teammate. He has yet to win a single race this season, but he has secured four podium spots in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and China.
Messy week for Ocon, Alpine
One driver who is not going to race in Formula 1 next year, at least for now, is Esteban Ocon, who announced Monday that he is parting ways with Alpine at the end of the 2024 season.
The sudden move comes in the wake of a dramatic first-lap crash between him and teammate Pierre Gasly at the Monaco Grand Prix, although Ocon denied that he was being “punished” by team boss Bruno Famin after the incident.
It’s been a rough campaign for Alpine so far this year because they’ve only scored two points in the first eight races, with Ocon doing the honours in the Miami Grand Prix and Gasly doing the same in Monaco last weekend.
Alpine are currently looking for Esteban Ocon’s replacement for next season, and according to reports, the Enstone-based outfit is looking at Jack Doohan, Mick Schumacher, and Zhou Guanyu as candidates.
The young Doohan has the biggest shot among the three, as he will get his chance to prove his worth, when he will drive for Alpine in two FP1 sessions at Circuit Gilles Viilleneuve, as mandated by the Formula 1 committee.
History
Max Verstappen managed to secure back-to-back poles and victories at the Circuit Gilles Viilleneuve in 2022 and 2023, becoming the first Red Bull driver to win the event since Daniel Ricciardo in 2014.
The 2020 and 2021 editions of this race were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lewis Hamilton is the active driver that has the most wins in the Canadian Grand Prix, as he has a record-tying seven wins, level with Michael Schumacher, including a three-peat from 2015 to 2017.
Nelson Piquet has the second-most wins on this track, with three. Max Verstappen is tied with Pedro Rodriguez, Jacky Ickx, Jackie Stewart, Alan Jones, Sebastian Vettel, and Ayrton Senna with two wins each.
What are the odds?
Despite their recent struggles, the Canadian Grand Prix 2024 odds remain in favour of Red Bull this weekend, as Max Verstappen is priced at 1.27 compared to 2.35 against any other driver.
The other two podium spots are up for grabs between Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz Jr., and Lando Norris, given their prices of 1.35, 1.40, and 1.50, respectively. However, it would be foolish to completely count out Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez, since he is at 1.72.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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