MotorSportsTalk’s Predictions: Canadian GP

By Jun 4, 2015, 4:30 PM EDT
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The Canadian Grand Prix remains a firm favorite among the drivers, teams and entire Formula 1 paddock thanks to the party atmosphere provided by Montreal over the race weekend.

However, the real focus remains on the racing at one of the toughest races on the calendar given the close walls and high-speed straights that make up the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Nico Rosberg arrives in Montreal as the in-form driver after winning the last two races, but with Mercedes teammate and title rival Lewis Hamilton going in search of a fourth victory in Canada, the pressure will be on once again at the front of the field.

Once again, the MST team has put together its predictions for the coming weekend. Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Luke Smith (@LukeSmithF1)

Race Winner: Lewis Hamilton. Rosberg may have won the last two races, but it is Hamilton who should have the momentum even with his disappointment in Monaco. The British driver was on another planet that weekend, and could provide a similar display of dominance at one of his favorite circuits on Sunday.

Surprising Finish: Valtteri Bottas. Williams should be in far better shape this weekend, and even with Ferrari’s power upgrade, he could yet push the Italian team in the battle to complete the podium. Keep an eye out for him and teammate Felipe Massa in the race for the top five on Sunday.

Most to Prove: Ferrari. A harsh pick? Perhaps. But with all this talk of a power upgrade and a possible challenge to Mercedes, Ferrari needs to make good on the hype and push Hamilton and Rosberg hard for the race win.

Additional Storyline to Watch: Strategy calls. After the debacle surrounding Hamilton and Mercedes in Monaco last time out, keep a close eye on the strategic calls that are made by both the driver and the team this weekend. With a 60% chance of a safety car, there will be extra pressure for both parties to get it right.

Predict the Podium

1. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
2. Nico Rosberg Mercedes
3. Sebastian Vettel Ferrari

Tony DiZinno (@tonydizinno)

Race Winner: Lewis Hamilton. Despite the Monaco strategic error that cost Lewis the race there, I think he bounces back nicely this week at a track where he has had a wealth of success.

Surprising Finish: Romain Grosjean. Of the other teams with a Mercedes engine I could see “RoGro” making the most of things on this power-heavy circuit and delivering a solid finish. Perhaps a top five but likely in the sixth to seventh range is possible.

Most to Prove: Nico Rosberg. He has the momentum of back-to-back wins… can he continue this surge at a track where Lewis will be hungrier than ever to reassert himself back on the top step of the podium?

Additional Storyline to Watch: Daniel’s defense. In a tough season for Red Bull, Montreal marks the first race where Daniel Ricciardo enters as the defending race winner. How will he handle all the additional media and focus on him having been the race winner 12 months ago?

Predict the Podium

1. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
2. Nico Rosberg Mercedes
3. Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari

After New York whirlwind, Josef Newgarden makes special trip to simulator before Detroit

By Jun 2, 2023, 10:00 AM EDT
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DETROIT – There’s no rest for the weary as an Indy 500 winner, but Josef Newgarden discovered there are plenty of extra laps.

The reigning Indy 500 champion added an extra trip Wednesday night back to Concord, N.C., for one last session on the GM Racing simulator before Sunday’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix.

After a 30-year run on the Belle Isle course, the race has been moved to a nine-turn, 1.7-mile layout downtown, so two extra hours on the simulator were worth it for Newgarden.

INDYCAR IN DETROIT: Entry list, schedule, TV info for this weekend

JOSEF’S FAMILY TIES: Newgarden wins Indy 500 with wisdom of father, wife

“I really wanted to do it,” he told NBC Sports at a Thursday media luncheon. “If there’s any time that the sim is most useful, it’s in this situation when no one has ever been on a track, and we’re able to simulate it as best as we can. We want to get some seat time.

“It’s extra important coming off the Indy 500 because you’ve been out of rhythm for a road or street course-type environment, so I really wanted some laps. I was really appreciative to Chevy. There was a few guys that just came in and stayed late for me so I could get those laps before coming up here. I don’t know if it’s going to make a difference, but I feel like it’s going to help for me.”

After a whirlwind tour of New York for two days, Newgarden arrived at the simulator (which is at the GM Racing Technical Center adjacent to Hendrick Motorsports) in time for a two hour session that started at 6 p.m. Wednesday. He stayed overnight in Charlotte and then was up for an early commercial flight to Detroit, where he had more media obligations.

Newgarden joked that if he had a jet, he would have made a quick stop in Nashville, Tennessee, but a few more days away from home (where he has yet to return in weeks) is a worthy tradeoff for winning the Greatest Spectacle in Racing – though the nonstop interviews can take a toll.

“It’s the hardest part of the gig for me is all this fanfare and celebration,” Newgarden said. “I love doing it because I’m so passionate about the Indy 500 and that racetrack and what that race represents. I feel honored to be able to speak about it. It’s been really natural and easy for me to enjoy it because I’ve been there for so many years.

“Speaking about this win has been almost the easiest job I’ve ever had for postrace celebrations. But it’s still for me a lot of work. I get worn out pretty easily. I’m very introverted. So to do this for three days straight, it’s been a lot.”

Though he is terrified of heights, touring the top of the Empire State Building for the first time was a major highlight (and produced the tour’s most viral moment).

“I was scared to get to the very top level,” Newgarden said. “That thing was swaying. No one else thought it was swaying. I’m pretty sure it was. I really impressed by the facility. I’d never seen it before. It’s one of those bucket list things. If you go to New York, it’s really special to do that. So to be there with the wreath and the whole setup, it just felt like an honor to be in that moment.”

Now the attention shifts to Detroit and an inaugural circuit that’s expected to be challenging. Along with a Jefferson Avenue straightaway that’s 0.9 miles long, the track has several low-speed corners and a “split” pit lane (teams will stop on both sides of a rectangular area) with a narrow exit that blends just before a 90-degree lefthand turn into Turn 1.

Newgarden thinks the track is most similar to the Music City Grand Prix in Nashville.

“It’s really hard to predict with this stuff until we actually run,” he said. “Maybe we go super smooth and have no issues. Typically when you have a new event, you’re going to have some teething issues. That’s understandable. We’ve always got to massage the event to get it where we want it, but this team has worked pretty hard. They’ve tried to get feedback constantly on what are we doing right, what do we need to look out for. They’ve done a ton of grinding to make sure this surface is in as good of shape as possible.

“There’s been no expense spared, but you can’t foresee everything. I have no idea how it’s going to race. I think typically when you look at a circuit that seems simple on paper, people tend to think it’s not going to be an exciting race, or challenging. I find the opposite always happens when we think that way. Watch it be the most exciting, chaotic, entertaining race.

Newgarden won the last two pole positions at Belle Isle’s 2.35-mile layout and hopes to continue the momentum while avoiding any post-Brickyard letdown.

“I love this is an opportunity for us to get something right quicker than anyone else,” he said. “A new track is always exciting from that standpoint. I feel I’m in a different spot. I’m pretty run down. I’m really trying to refocus and gain some energy back for tomorrow. Which I’ll have time to today, which is great.

“I don’t want that Indy 500 hangover. People always talk about it. They’ve always observed it. That doesn’t mean we have to win this weekend, but I’d like to leave here feeling like we had a really complete event, did a good job and had a solid finish leading into the summer. I want to win everywhere I go, but if we come out of here with a solid result and no mistakes, then probably everyone will be happy with it.”