F1 Canadian Grand Prix: How to watch, stream, odds, storylines, weekend schedule
F1 returns this weekend for its third back-to-back of the season with the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. The race marks the ninth round of 22 for the 2022 Formula 1 world championship. Here's everything you need to know — and a few things you probably don't — heading into the weekend.
What is the weekend schedule and where can I watch?
Fans in the United States can watch practices, qualifying and the race on television via the ABC/ESPN family of networks or stream it via ESPN or F1TV Pro.
Free practice 1: Friday, June 17, 1:55 - 3 p.m. ET (ESPNNews)
Free practice 2: Friday, June 17, 4:55 - 6 p.m. ET (ESPNNews)
Free practice 3: Saturday, June 18, 12:55 - 2 p.m. ET (ESPNNews)
Qualifying: Saturday, June 18, 3:55 - 5 p.m. ET (ESPNNews)
Pre-show: Sunday, June 19, 12:30 - 1:55 p.m. ET (ABC)
Canadian Grand Prix: Sunday, June 19, 1:55 - 4 p.m. ET (ABC)
Who are the top drivers and teams at the 2022 Canadian Grand Prix?
Red Bull's duo of Max Verstappen (150 points) and Sergio Perez (129) enter the weekend atop the world drivers' championship standings ahead of Ferrari's Charles LeClerc (116) and Mercedes' George Russell (99). For the second round in a row LeClerc (-135) is favored to claim pole position while Verstappen is BetMGM's favorite to win the race.
On the heels of their 1-2 finish last weekend in Baku, Azerbaijan, Red Bull (279 points) stretched its lead the constructors' standings over Ferrari (199), who suffered a double-DNF and Mercedes (161).
What is the venue for the Canadian Grand Prix?
Since 1978 Circuit Gilles Villenueve has hosted the Canadian round of the world championship. The circuit sits on the man-made Notre Dame island in the middle of the St. Lawrence River on roads used for the 1967 World Expo and 1976 Montreal Olympic venues. It bears the name of the Canadian racing hero who won the first race at the circuit but was tragically killed in an accident during the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix weekend.
The low-drag, quick, 2.7-mile circuit features four long straightaways broken up by four tight chicanes, a 180-degree hairpin turn and two DRS zones. The most distinguishing feature is the "Wall of Champions" — the barrier coming out of the final corner that many drivers have smacked throughout the years including former world champions Damon Hill, Jacques Villenueve and Michael Schumacher.
What will the weather be like for the Canadian Grand Prix?
Mild and partly cloudy with a 25 percent chance of rain on Friday. If rain pre-empts any Friday running it will likely make for interesting qualifying and race strategies as the teams will have very little on-track data to draw from. F1 cars haven't run on Circuit Gilles Villeneuve since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and that was under completely different engine and design regulations, rendering prior years' data much less useful.
Cool conditions and cloud cover seem to point toward a one-pit-stop strategy as track temperature and tire degradation will be low, but at nearly every circuit so far, 2022's new regulations have made for different races than typically expected at each round.
