Alpine Race Preview: Canadian Grand Prix 2025

Round 10: 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship

Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, Montréal, Canada

Race Date: Sunday, June 16

After a physically and mentally demanding European triple header, the BWT Alpine F1 Team heads across the Atlantic to French-speaking Quebec for Round 10 of the 2025 Formula 1 season—the Canadian Grand Prix. Returning to the vibrant city of Montréal, the team is focused on building momentum after securing a top-10 finish last time out in Barcelona.

Set on the man-made Île Notre-Dame, Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve has been a fixture on the calendar since 1978. Its unique blend of long straights, aggressive chicanes, and close walls creates one of the most demanding layouts of the season. Add in unpredictable weather and local wildlife—including the occasional groundhog—and you have one of the most exciting race weekends in Formula One.

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A High-Speed Challenge on a Historic Island

Originally named Circuit Île Notre-Dame, the track was renamed in honour of Canadian legend Gilles Villeneuve following his tragic passing in 1982. Known for its blend of high-speed danger and technical discipline, this circuit demands confidence and adaptability. The infamous “Wall of Champions”at the exit of the final corner has caught out even the best over the years including names like Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve.

With narrow margins across the midfield and unpredictable weather often in play, Montréal is the kind of circuit where execution, and timing make all the difference.

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Flavio Briatore: “We must resolve the inconsistency”

Team Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore set the tone ahead of the weekend, calling for a continued push to extract more from the A525.

“We go to Montréal motivated to build on the points-scoring finish in Barcelona. Yes, we gained four points, but we have lost ground in the Championship, and that gives us even more determination.”

He reaffirmed his support for both drivers while acknowledging the car’s current limitations:

“Pierre and Franco are working hard with the engineers, and they have my full support. However, I am frustrated with the inconsistent performance level of the car, which we need to resolve quickly. It’s our responsibility as a team to give the drivers better tools to fight with.”

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Pierre Gasly: “The margins are so close, every detail counts”

Pierre Gasly enters the Canadian Grand Prix off the back of a points finish in Spain and a busy post-race debrief week at the Enstone factory.

“We were relatively satisfied to round off the triple-header with a top-10 finish,” said Gasly. “But there is still a lot of work to do to maximise our performance.”

Now, attention turns to mastering one of the season’s most technical circuits.

“The Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve is tricky. It’s high speed with fast chicanes, high kerbs, and very long straights—it takes a compliant car and a lot of confidence to be fast here.”

Pierre also highlighted the potential impact of changing weather and strategy execution.

“The weather can be extreme here. We’ll build up through practice and aim to get the car in a good place for Qualifying. The margins are so close this season—we’ll be working hard to make sure we execute and aim to leave Canada with more points.”

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Franco Colapinto: “I'm ready to get back on track”

Franco Colapinto continues to gain valuable F1 experience as he heads into his first Canadian Grand Prix. After a tough race in Barcelona, he’s focused on building familiarity with a brand-new track and extracting more from the A525 over a full race weekend.

“There were plenty of highs and lows through the triple header. We didn’t get the results we wanted, but we can see the potential of the car when we put it all together.”

Spending time back at Enstone, Colapinto has been working in the simulator to prepare for Montréal’s unique rhythm.

“It’s a track I’ve never raced at before, so getting familiar as quickly as possible will be key—especially ahead of Qualifying. The weather is likely to play a role again, so we’ll be staying alert across all sessions.”

The goal is clear:

“The aim is to put together a solid weekend and come home with points on both sides of the garage.”

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What to Watch For

Execution under pressure: With unpredictable weather and slim margins, strategy will play a key role.

Adaptation to circuit layout: Franco will be racing in Montréal for the first time, while Pierre looks to build confidence quickly across high-speed chicanes.

Car balance over kerbs: Success at this track depends on how well the car can handle the high kerbs through Turns 1-2 and the final chicane.

Momentum in the midfield fight: With the field tightly bunched, every qualifying position could define the race outcome.

Response to Briatore’s challenge: Can the team make a step forward and address recent inconsistency?

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Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve: Race Info

Laps: 70

Circuit Length: 4.361 km

Race Distance: 305.270 km

First Grand Prix: 1978

Lap Record: 1:10.240 (Valtteri Bottas, 2019)

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Alpine and Trak Racer: Driving Performance Together

As the Official Racing Simulator Supplier of the BWT Alpine F1 Team, Trak Racer supports race prep across every track type—from technical street circuits to flat-out straights. Simulator training forms the backbone of performance, helping teams and drivers extract every millisecond of potential.