AWS Grand Prix du Canada
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Course: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
Course Length: 4.36km
Laps: 70
Grand Prix du Canada Race Preview
Ferrari suffered a double exit last week at Azerbaijan and Red Bull Racing capitalized with a 1-2 finish with Max Verstappen capturing his fifth win of the season. Verstappen and Sergio Perez now occupy first and second in the driver's standings with a gap of 13 points back to Charles Leclerc. Up next is a return to Canada and Circuit Gilles Villeneuve for the first time since 2019. The race took a two-year break from the schedule as the pandemic affected calendar. Lewis Hamilton won four of the last five races at the track, but that period of dominance is firmly in the rearview mirror as he continues to be off the pace as the team works to overcome its car's shortcomings. The question for fans this week will be whether anyone is in position to stop the Red Bull wave. Ferrari appears to have the pace to accomplish the task, but its fragility during races has been it biggest challenge of late. With a two-year absence, the Canadian Grand Prix appears to be another fresh chapter in the 2022 championship battle.
Key Stats at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
- Races: 40
- Winners from pole: 19
- Winners from top-5 starters: 33
- Winners from top-10 starters: 40
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 0
- Fastest race: 206.165 kph
Previous 10 Canada Winners
2019 - Lewis Hamilton
2018 - Sebastian Vettel
2017 - Lewis Hamilton
2016 - Lewis Hamilton
2015 - Lewis Hamilton
2014 - Daniel Ricciardo
2013 - Sebastian Vettel
2012 - Lewis Hamilton
2011 - Jenson Button
2010 - Lewis Hamilton
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has been part of the Formula 1 schedule since 1978 when the circuit's namesake took the checkered flag in his home country. The track is often compared to Monaco with its short bursts followed by tight chicanes. The barriers are generally very close to the track limits, leaving little room for error. The "wall of champions, " the final chicane leading onto the front straight, has collected many big names as they pushed to get the most out of their laps. Similar to Monaco, qualifying means a lot. The furthest back a winner has started was 10th in 1981 when Jacques Lafitte went to Victory Lane. No driver has started lower than seventh and won in the last 26 races, too. Last week's race showed that the Red Bull cars have a straight-line speed advantage over Ferrari, which could be the difference maker this week with virtually no high-speed corners at this track.
DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS for the Grand Prix du Canada (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Max Verstappen - $11,200
Sergio Perez - $10,600
Charles Leclerc - $10,200
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Carlos Sainz Jr. - $9,400
George Russell - $9,000
Lewis Hamilton - $8,400
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Lando Norris - $7,800
Valtteri Bottas - $7,400
Fernando Alonso -$6,800
DraftKings Constructor Values
Red Bull Racing - $11,500
Ferrari - $10,800
Mercedes - $9,300
Formula 1 DFS Picks for the Grand Prix du Canada
Team Captain - Charles Leclerc - $15,300
Lando Norris - $7,800
Fernando Alonso - $6,800
Kevin Magnussen - $5,200
Lance Stroll - $3,400
Constructor - Red Bull Racing - $11,500
Qualifying is an important factor in success in the Canadian Grand Prix, and Leclerc has been one of the best at it this season. While he has endured his share of mechanical issues recently, he remains one of the top selections this week based on his qualifying pace and the nature of this circuit. Lando Norris enters this weekend's race seventh in the standings. He has consistently outpaced teammate Daniel Ricciardo this season and has been a contender for podium finishes on a regular basis. This could be a good week to choose Alpine's Fernando Alonso, too. He won the Canadian Grand Prix from pole in 2006 and is a consistent top-10 finisher at the track when he is able to finish the race. Last week's retirement for Kevin Magnussen could be extra motivation for him this week. He is clearly the team leader at Haas F1 and has been in contention for points nearly every time out this season. Given the prior choices, Lance Stroll becomes the best remaining choice available. He has made some mistakes this season but finished ninth in two of his three Canadian Grand Prix appearances. Those driver choices give us enough salary space to make Red Bull Racing our constructor choice. The season has been a battle back and forth between them and Ferrari. Red Bull has the upper hand right now, though and appears to have moved beyond reliability issues, whereas Ferrari are still very much mired in that battle.
Formula 1 Betting Picks for the Grand Prix du Canada (Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook)
Race Winner - Charles Leclerc +300
Winning Constructor - Ferrari +250
Winning Margin - Between 5 & 10 seconds +285
Fastest Lap - Max Verstappen +120
Safety Car - No +150
Given that Canada is a track-position circuit, Leclerc may make the better betting option this week. He has been superb in qualifying, is getting significantly better odds than Verstappen, and Ferrari will have been working around the clock to overcome their recent reliability woes. Those recent troubles also give Ferrari the edge in the winning constructor's wager as well. Ferrari isn't out of the fight, and fans should actually expect them to be in the mix for the win and podium with both drivers this week despite the recent challenges. Opting for them offers a much better return for relatively little additional risk. Barring significant attrition, racing this season has been remarkably tight between first and second positions. That is the primary reason buying into the 5-10 second winning margin may be a good play this week. The last two Canadian Grands Prix were won with a margin between three and eight seconds. The fastest lap battle each week has been a bit less predictable. Verstappen narrowly missed it last time out in Azerbaijan, and neither he nor Leclerc have taken the point since Miami. Verstappen and Red Bull know the value of those lost points, though, which is why Verstappen may be the ideal choice in Canada. Finally, the safety car trend this season has firmly fallen into the "yes" category. A clean race has to happen some time, though, and if drivers can avoid falling afoul of the "wall of champions" there is a good chance this week's race could go safety-car free.
