In short
Canadian GP preview focused on Montreal’s curb-heavy, chicane circuit and what it could mean for the 2026 title fight—especially Mercedes’ intra-team battle (George Russell vs Kimi Antonelli), plus pressure points for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
Guests
Jolian Palmer (F1 analyst/driver background; discusses track braking efficiency, curb finesse, and driver “late breaker” traits) and James Hinchcliffe (ex-driver/TV analyst; adds historical race context, curb/wall risk, and driver psychology).
Key claims
Montreal is “all chicanes” with inviting late-brake zones that can cost exit speed; curb riding and the “Wall of Champions” final chicane are decisive and must be nailed twice per lap. Russell’s momentum is crucial: if he can’t beat Antonelli at a track Russell historically suits, Mercedes may start treating it as a real championship shift. Hamilton needs Canada to stop a “drifting away” pattern; Leclerc needs clarity on Ferrari’s championship competitiveness amid silly-season speculation.
Notable examples
Russell’s strong Canada record (including recent poles and a comfortable win last year); Antonelli’s Montreal last year (qualifying gap ~0.4s to Russell, first podium); Hamilton’s Montreal dominance (7 wins); Montreal’s 2014 brake struggles (Rosberg) and 2004 brake-infringement exclusions.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOPreviewing the Canadian Grand Prix
2:41 to 4:05
An introduction to the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix and its significance.
“$15 value, valid at participating locations, terms and conditions apply.”
Recap of Last Week's Show
4:05 to 5:16
Hosts discuss the previous episode's memorable moments and laughter.
“Welcome, everyone, to F1 Nation's preview of the Canadian Grand Prix.”
Challenges of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
5:16 to 6:24
Explore the specific challenges that Montreal's circuit presents to drivers.
Brake Performance and Track Demands
6:24 to 7:21
Discussion on brake performance and the demands of the Montreal track.
“So you can gain a lot of time on the brakes, but there's a good chance you're going to lose something on the exits.”
George Russell's Strengths at Montreal
7:21 to 8:15
Analyzing why George Russell performs well at the Canadian Grand Prix.
Navigating the Final Chicane
8:15 to 11:11
In-depth discussion on racing strategy for the final chicane at Montreal.
“They're quite bumpy as well, some of the braking zones, particularly turn eight, kind of in the middle of the lap.”
Track Conditions and Wildlife at Montreal
11:11 to 14:02
Insights on track conditions and environmental aspects during race weekend.
Kimi vs. George: Championship Dynamics
17:10 to 20:21
Analyzing the upcoming race's implications for Kimi and George's standings.
“Let's talk about this championship fight now.”
Reflections on Last Year's Performances
20:26 to 23:40
Discussing past performances of Kimi and George in Montreal and their implications.
“how Antonelli performed in Montreal last year I mean the gap to George I think was 0.4 in qualifying and then of course he finishes third and gets his first podium in Formula One.”
Debate on Future Championship Potential
23:43 to 28:01
Experts debate the future championship potential of Kimi and George.
Show all 22 chapters
Kimi's Consistency and George's Challenge
28:01 to 29:50
Discussion on Kimi's performance evolution and George Russell's potential comeback.
Pressure on George Russell
29:51 to 31:29
Exploring the implications of Mercedes' decisions on George Russell's performance.
“And I think that sort of situation won't happen at Mercedes because of the way Toto Wolff is approaching the season and approaching the way he looks after Kimi Antonelli.”
McLaren Dynamics and Past Incidents
31:30 to 33:49
Analyzing McLaren's team dynamics and the effects of past crashes on drivers.
“So you don't want to rely on Monaco being the one you're going to bounce back because you might just be kicking the can down the road.”
Red Bull's Performance and Max's Potential
33:50 to 35:49
Discussing Red Bull's recent upgrades and Max's ability to capitalize on them.
“But I think they're figuring out stuff on each other the whole time.”
Lewis Hamilton's Big Weekend
38:00 to 42:00
Examining the significance of the Canadian GP for Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari's performance.
“He's won this race seven times, which is equal with Michael Schumacher as the most successful driver in the Montreal Grand Prix history.”
Charles Leclerc's Future at Ferrari
42:00 to 44:28
Discussion about Charles Leclerc's potential moves and Ferrari's competitiveness.
“Have Red Bull Racing made a bid for him?”
Negotiation Power and Career Choices
44:28 to 46:36
Exploring Leclerc's negotiation power and potential career paths if Ferrari falters.
“That's a, that's a tough question right now.”
Evaluating Red Bull's Future
46:36 to 48:40
Analyzing Red Bull's stability and its implications for potential drivers.
“You've only won a handful, let alone world titles.”
Race Predictions and Strategy
48:40 to 52:11
Predictions for the upcoming sprint and Grand Prix races in Montreal.
Driver Insecurities and Mental Health
52:11 to 55:20
Discussion on the insecurities of F1 drivers and mental health awareness.
“of Jenson Button's sensational victory from the very back of the grid in what turned out to be the longest F1 race in the history of the sport back in 2011, more than four hours.”
Confidence in Racing and Personal Experiences
55:20 to 56:03
Personal anecdotes on confidence and insecurity among racing drivers.
The Fear of Failure in Racing
56:03 to 1:00:29
Explore the psychological challenges drivers face in competitive racing.
“You know, you see Oli Behrman walking around the paddock, young guy.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Jolyon Palmer:This message is brought to you by Avocado Mattress. And if healthy, comfortable sleep matters to you, this is one organic brand worth knowing. That's because what you sleep on actually matters. Most mattresses rely on synthetic foams and chemical materials that trap heat, break down over time, or off gas. Avocado does it differently. Their mattresses are handcrafted with natural materials. Organic latex, organic wool, and organic cotton. Designed to be naturally cooling, incredibly supportive, and long-lasting. They're certified organic by GOTS and meet multiple non-toxic and safety certifications.
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1:14From pushing limits in F1 to engineering the next generation of hybrids like the Prelude hybrid and Civic sedan hybrid, Honda proves that racing doesn't just inspire innovation, it drives it. And that idea of taking lessons from the racetrack and applying them to road cars has always been a part of Honda's DNA. Decades of engineering in the demanding world of Formula One have helped shape the performance and efficiency you see in Honda's road cars today. And now that same thinking is shaping the next generation of hybrids as well. Cars like the 2026 Prelude Hybrid and Civic Hybrid show that electrification can be both efficient and genuinely fun to drive.
1:58The 2026 Prelude Hybrid and Civic Sedan Hybrid are engineered for fun. From the racetrack to your driveway. Learn more about the Prelude and Civic and the latest innovations at Honda.com. 102 miles ago, the oil light came on. 100 miles ago, you noticed. Now, it's time to head to Take 5. This oil change, fall in love with your car all over again. In just 10 minutes, your dream technician will check your tire pressure, top off fluids, change your oil, and verify with Carfax exactly what your car really needs. All while keeping you in the driver's seat. Take 5 to stay in your car 10-minute oil change.
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2:45Jolyon Palmer:It looks like it should be simple. It's not. It's a really complex circuit to drive. And if you get it right, you feel like a bit of a legend there.
2:52James Hinchcliffe:Montreal is a track that we know George does run well at. It's not an excuse like we had at Miami.
2:57Jolyon Palmer:And if Kimi gets it again, you start to think, this is now a proper scrap for George Russell. If I said a year's worth of salary that you have to put on someone being champion this year, guys, who are you going to put it on right now?
3:13James Hinchcliffe:I would still go, George. Right now, today, I'd be with Kimmy. Wow. George has a level of experience and a level of maturity that he can go through a whole season without another phone call from Toto, and he'll be fine. Kimmy still, the team is still outwardly projecting that they kind of have to bubble wrap this kid a little bit. In the same way that it's a big weekend for George Russell, this feels equally big for Lewis Hamilton.
3:37Jolyon Palmer:You'll start to see a picture of Lewis can't be strong in Canada that you're thinking, okay, the season's just drifting away from him again. So it's a big one. Is this the moment where Charles is going to say, okay, are you going to give me a car that I can challenge for the championship with? Or am I going to have to go elsewhere? It kind of, for me, feels significant in that way. That's a tough question right now.
4:01From Miami to Montreal, it's race week once again. Welcome, everyone, to F1 Nation's preview of the Canadian Grand Prix. I'm Tom Clarkson and my regular teammates, Jolian Palmer and James Hinchcliffe, are with me. Now, guys, talking of teammates, we had a lot of comments from people who really enjoyed us completely losing it on last week's show. Have you stopped laughing? Have we got everything under control today?
4:29Jolyon Palmer:I've got over it. I have got over it just about. Hinch, maybe not. I honestly I've not laughed like that trying to do a broadcast in my life I don't know what it
4:40James Hinchcliffe:was something in the air last week yeah seven minutes of corpsing uh I'm not sure exactly what the elapsed time was that stayed in the show but I can tell you everybody listening at home
4:51Jolyon Palmer:it was quite a scene I couldn't even get my deep dive on on Johnny Dumfries and Satori Nakajima properly in I was laughing too much so it needs another special I think TC well we were discussing teammate rivalries and if you want to hear us cracking up for that full well not quite seven minutes actually in the final edit do go back to last week's episode of f1 nation but this week we're here to talk all things montreal 70 laps of the circuit gil vilna the weights formula one this weekend guys talk us through the track what challenges does it present the drivers in these new 2026 cars it's a tricky circuit it's really characterful i think i would say it's pretty much all chicanes so every corner apart from the hairpin the really slow speed towards the the end of the lap is a sequence of of corners it's uh even turn one you go left and immediately you carry into in towards turn two uh it's all about curb riding it's all about getting the the right balance having the right attitude of steering and momentum and everything else as you bounce over the curbs and get right up to the walls uh wall of champions is the famous one but actually there's another couple that you can easily clip as well and we've seen plenty in the past at turns four and uh turns nine the right left chicanes where uh where you can drop it on the exit there i really like it it looks like it should be simple it's not it's a really complex circuit to drive yeah but what is the complex thing about it hinge why yes because it's not that many corners so why is this one so demanding i think there's two elements that make it so
6:36James Hinchcliffe:difficult is it's got all these super inviting brake zones right and drivers love being the last of the late breakers but that could come at the cost of the exits and to julian's point these are all just chicanes they're it's corner combos but it's two corner combos it doesn't really go much past that. So you can gain a lot of time on the brakes, but there's a good chance you're going to lose something on the exits. And these chicanes are all followed by long straights. So it's, it tempts you into just wanting to break later and break later. But sometimes, you know, eventually that, uh, that payoff doesn't, doesn't work out anymore.
7:09James Hinchcliffe:And then the other side of it is, is the curb riding. You know, there are some curbs that are friendly and you can take quite a bit others less friendly but you still have to take quite a bit mistakes are so easily penalized because there's walls everywhere like joanne pointed out so it is uh it is i think character full is a great way to to describe it but it's a lot of fun to race on technically how demanding is it i i'm showing my age now but i'll never forget the 2004 race there when both toyota and Williams were excluded from the final results both for brake infringements I think Ralph Schumacher had even finished p2 in the Williams I mean is it one of the most demanding tracks for brakes
7:50Jolyon Palmer:it definitely is is you could just loads of these just stabs on the brakes and you don't pick up huge speed until basically you come back round to the to the final chicane or the first into the first braking zone as well a lot of it is you're building up reasonable speed and then then slamming on the brakes with a bit of a sort of spiky brake trace, 90 degree corners, and then you get out to the next one. They're quite bumpy as well, some of the braking zones, particularly turn eight, kind of in the middle of the lap. It's tricky. And you're always, I don't know if the brake hauling is always at a bit of a premium there.
8:26Jolyon Palmer:I remember Nico Rosberg in 2014, it was one of Mercedes when they were romping everything, and he was struggling with the brakes as well. And it was one of Danny Rick's wins, wasn't it? It was his first win i think in 2014 so it's always one of those ones that's pretty marginal and again it just adds to the to the challenge of things how do you approach a quick lap because a lot has been made you know during the build-up to this race that you know this is a significant race for george russell he's always gone well here right why does he go well here what do you need is it being good
8:59James Hinchcliffe:on the brakes let's go back to the brakes yeah i think being being efficient on the brakes is certainly a strength here. I think George is one of the drivers that is good at being a late breaker. Lewis was always very good here. He's kind of known for that as well. So that is a huge part of it. But again, it is that balance because you still have to get off the corners, right? It's all about longitudinal grip here. There's not a lot of high speed. There's really no high speed corners at all. It's not about the lateral setup. It's about how you can stop the car and start the car in a straight line and then how you ride the curbs being able to judge how much curb to take at a few of these places is so so difficult and it takes just a special kind of finesse especially that final chicane because it can go so so wrong and yeah i think i think george's you know his left foot is very well trained and well suited for this kind of track and the walls do they affect how you approach it or i mean let's talk about that wall of champions at the exit of the final corner right are you always a little bit concerned jp as you're hitting the brakes going into that corner combo or does it feel like a as if there was no wall at all do you have to treat it as if
10:08Jolyon Palmer:there is no wall at all so you you you buckle up as you're heading up to that final chicane so you've got a such a long run you're on a good lap you come out of the head and you you shuffle up through the gears as you're building speed and then you're thinking right deep exhale let's take a little bit on the brakes but then the the trick i think generally is okay you can't break early but releasing the brakes is where you're going to gain the speed through the minimum so early on in practice you get a chance to build up on the brakes there because you've got a bit of runoff so everyone's going to attack and find a sensible place on the brakes when you get to qualifying and you're trying to be a hero last last throes of qualifying i i think don't take the last 10 meters on the brakes just brake softer release the brakes carry the speed through the apexes to do that you need a bit more grip the track rubbers up also to do that you need to maybe get a bit more risky with the curbs as as Hinch was saying so that's where you just think right deep breath let's go for it let's attack with another couple of kph apex speed and you know at that point you're going to risk just running out of space on the exit but that's basically what you do in Montreal it's the it's the final big big thing and if you're on a good lap if you're cautious there you're just going to lose a couple of tenths in the final chicane so you have to still attack all the way to the line keep it to the right hand side minimize your distance i think the best up in montreal is going to basically scrape the wall it's going to be one of those ones where you get the perfect just just brush on the exit and then you just hug the grass line on the way down to the end of the lap and if you get it right you feel like uh you feel like a
11:42James Hinchcliffe:bit of a legend there and the other thing that's so interesting about it is you have to nail it twice twice for one good lap because it is the final corner if you don't get a good launch through there if you're not floating a bunch of speed to come and start the lap you're already starting the lap a couple kph down and you're losing a few hundreds down to turn one so it's kind of annoying because it's it's the most treacherous corner on the track and for a good quality lap you do have to nail it twice the weather forecast for the coming weekend looks a little bit iffy uh there's rain around on both saturday and sunday but just for the sake of this next topic let's assume it's dry um the track was resurfaced a couple of years ago what are track grip conditions like and this year we've got f2 of course it's the second leg of the north american double header we've got f1 academy there as well so how's that going to affect grip levels i think we saw in
12:38Jolyon Palmer:miami actually the the track grip came up pretty high quite quickly so in uh in free practice for f1 it was actually it wasn't so much a procession of cleaning up the track as we've seen in in miami which is a temporary circuit as well which had f2 uh they're both sprint weekends so i would expect it would be actually quite nice for the f1 drivers to have an f2 session on before just to put some pirelli rubber down on the racing line and uh and start to to clear it up because montreal as well is one of those ones where you're on the il notre dame it's really peaceful when you're out if you have you been trackside tc during a during a race weekend yeah many times it's lovely and peaceful you're by the by the waterways on this island there's just birds just cheeping and groundhogs groundhogs all around it's you're in nature's paradise so imagine when a formula one car turns up on a friday morning for the first time that's why the groundhogs get a bit of a fright because they're like what on earth is this um but it does also mean the track is generally it builds up a lot is is very green on a friday uh i remember it was always montreal was for a similar reason was one to me just how many tear-offs am i getting through just bug splat all day on the friday and then maybe they get the memo as well through the weekend so having f2 there will give the the animals and the wildlife a little bit of a wake up as well before f1 and and clean the track up.
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15:23So go to Lisa.com for 30 % off select mattresses, plus get an extra$50 off with the promo code NATION, exclusive to our listeners. That's Lisa, L-E-E-S-A.com, promo code NATION for 30 % off select mattresses, plus an extra$50 off. And support our show and let them know that we sent you after checkout. Lisa.com, promo code NATION. This episode is sponsored by Honda. Since its first Formula One victory in the 1965 Mexico Grand Prix, Honda has always taken what's learned on the track and used it to build better cars for everyone. From pushing limits in F1 to engineering the next generation of hybrids like the Prelude Hybrid and Civic Sedan Hybrid, Honda proves that racing doesn't just inspire innovation, it drives it.
16:18And that idea of taking lessons from the racetrack and applying them to road cars has always been a part of Honda's DNA. Decades of engineering in the demanding world of Formula 1 have helped shape the performance and efficiency you see in Honda's road cars today. And now that same thinking is shaping the next generation of hybrids as well. Cars like the 2026 Prelude Hybrid and Civic Hybrid show that electrification can be both efficient and genuinely fun to drive. The 2026 Prelude hybrid and Civic sedan hybrid are engineered for fun. From the racetrack to your driveway. Learn more about the Prelude and Civic and the latest innovations at Honda.com.
17:10Let's talk about this championship fight now. The intra-team battle between the leader, Kimi Antonelli, and George Russell, who's in P2. Now, Hinch, you said in our Miami review that it's not panic mode yet for George, but if he doesn't beat Kimi in Montreal, that's when he might need to start being concerned. Can you expand on that and tell us why you think this weekend coming is such a crucial one in the championship fight?
17:36James Hinchcliffe:Yeah, well, I think a lot of it comes from the fact that, you know, Kimi's victories up to this point have been impressive. Two of the three have kind of had, you know, we've said we've starred them in the record books. There were some elements of, I hate to say luck, but to a certain extent, luck. And also tracks that George maybe hasn't been as competitive on. Tracks that we know Kimi has been. He was quick in Suzuka last year. He was very quick in Miami last year. So I don't think it was a surprise given the form that he's had, you know, end of last season, early part of this season, that he was quick.
18:09James Hinchcliffe:three wins on the trot that's starting to give a driver a lot of confidence that's starting to get the team to maybe look at one side of the garage in a different light than the other and montreal is a track that we know george does run well at so it's it's not an excuse like we had at miami where he kind of went into the weekend knowing it wasn't his favorite place maybe some of it was you know self self-fulfilling there and in the performance and you know you've got the upgrades coming from mercedes that'll be interesting to see kind of how that plays into this all maybe there's a an update that affects one driver more than the other we saw it last year with their suspension that they brought that sort of knocked kimmy a little bit down and and didn't affect george quite as much but if we get to montreal we get through montreal and kimmy's even if he doesn't win the race this is what we were saying last week even if he doesn't win the race if he just is ahead of george at a track that george runs well on the run that he's on that's when you have to start being a little bit concerned because we know what Kimi's been capable of this year and you know Miami was by far I think his most complete Grand Prix weekend
19:16Jolyon Palmer:and he's just going to keep getting better I pretty well agree with that I mean I do think George he's had the last two poles in Canada he won last year comfortably when Mercedes didn't have a great season uh he he does go well at this circuit on top of that Mercedes are really good around around montreal it's always been classically the colder temperatures that suit them but for a long time now they've been quick and so you've got these factors plus some expected pretty major mercedes upgrades coming should mean that one of them will win the race this weekend and so it's most likely a battle for the win between the mercedes duo and if kimmy gets it again you start to think wow that's four in a row you've won at one of george's strongest circuits on record and the championship league would go over 25 points so all of that would say hey this is this is now a proper scrap for George Russell to try and recover a little bit like we saw with with Lando Norris last year right now I think it's still in his hands he's controllable but if he doesn't win this weekend you start to think okay maybe this is Kimmy's year what was your take on how Antonelli performed in Montreal last year I mean the gap to George I think was 0.4 in qualifying and then of course he finishes third and gets his first podium in Formula One.
20:36I mean, we talk about how good George is. How would you guys view Antonelli's performance last year? Can he feel confident coming into this weekend that he can shine a light and at least run George close, if nothing else?
20:51Jolyon Palmer:If we're honest, it was pretty much a half a second gap he had to George in qualifying last year. That shouldn't have been enough to get him on the podium. I think it was a great race from him to get the podium. He held off charging faster cars later on. The McLarens were bearing down on him. And it was the first podium. 18-year-old, there is that. It was great. But when you actually think the half a second gap, that's quite a lot in Formula One terms. That's similar to what Yuki had compared to Max in the year. So that's actually what Kimi had to George last year. So it was a kind of flattering podium, I would say, for Kimi.
21:33Jolyon Palmer:I think the race was better than the qualifying and he held pace there. But I don't think the fact that he got the podium will show that he was good as well. I think there was actually quite a gap to George. Interesting stat, by the way. So it was Kimi's first podium. He became the third youngest driver in F1 history to stand on a podium. I know you're both good at your history. Who stood on a podium who was younger than Antonelli last year? Can you remember? so it's i think hinge you got it has got to be one right max is one yeah and the great canadian isn't it that is the great can the other great canadian hinge yeah baku of course yeah lance stroll baku 2020 2017 lance stroll yeah um i'm not sure he's going to be troubling the scorers uh this year lance stroll in the in the aston martin look worst case scenario for george russell now is that mclaren are bringing the second part of the upgrade that they started in miami last time out worst case scenario is that mclaren are super competitive right and lando or oscar wins the race antonelli beats george and mercedes suddenly realize that they've got a serious fight on their hands with mclaren how do you think toto wolf is going to handle that going forward are we going to see a number one number two scenario at mercedes the number one becoming Kimi Antonelli no not a chance at no point not a chance at this stage it would be I just don't think that would be a sensible call from Toto I think as as we're sitting here if I said I gave you a year's worth of salary that you have to put on being someone being champion this year guys you have to put it on who are you going to put it on right now
23:30James Hinchcliffe:we've we've we've had this discussion we've done this little thought experiment um and and when you and i had this conversation uh i said george russell and that was pre-miami to be fair but i think i'd still if you had to put everything on one guy today i still look at the the data set the sample the data sample size that we have of russell's performances it's just so much greater than that of Kimmy's as impressive as his has been this year and if you're betting the farm I would still go George interesting because I would actually right now today I would be with Kimmy
24:08Jolyon Palmer:wow one of one of you one of you's lost the farm about you I would go George because I just think history has has shown us that he is able to be consistent over the year I think he's got a little bit more maturity on his side i think i still feel like like he's got the upper hand overall and i think kimmy has shown bursts of pace that have been really impressive he showed some great races last year uh miami was one i think you already mentioned that miami and japan were strong also you look at brazil you look at various other drives yeah very good but in terms of actually doing it over a season uh not having a blooper race not having an oscar baku race where he just had a terrible half lap and the whole thing was blown um and that's where i think probably the mindset of george is a bit more tested at this stage it's not to say he'll do it but that would be my logic in thinking if i had to back everything on one i think i would i would have to go with george at the moment which is why i don't think toto should plump everything behind one even the fact that we have disagreements it shows this this is not black and white even if Kimi beats George I think well I just I just have been so impressed by the step that Kimi Antonelli has made this year yes you're absolutely right when you look at last year there was a huge difference between George and Kimi I feel that's just diminished hugely this year and take as you find over the opening four races there's no doubt in my mind that Kimi Antonelli a few starts aside has done the better job so why can't he continue for the next 18 races or whatever we've got left
25:50James Hinchcliffe:well let me ask you this tc how impressed were you with oscar piastri's jump at this point in the season last year from the year before huge but i mean that's the point these guys at the start of their he lost the championship he lost the championship to his more experienced teammate sure but but my point is that at the start of their career these young guys are making huge steps from one season to the next and i think you you george is now at the point where it's diminishing returns and so therefore the steps get smaller so the gap between george and kimmy i think is is negligible and i think that kimmy's sort of he doesn't have a care in the world i love the fact that he doesn't seem to tighten up um he's enjoying it i think he's protected by toto Wolfe brilliantly in terms of not putting pressure on him he reminds me so much of Lewis Hamilton 2007 spec when he you know let's not forget that Lewis could so easily have won that championship he got those nine podiums on the bounce to start the year until he of course he then won his first race in Canada 2007 so I think it can be done and I think Kimi's made enough of a step to do it but hey it's going to play out right I think you bring up a good point that's that's one worth noting is, you know, Toto Wolfe, even post Miami is still saying we have to protect him.
27:15James Hinchcliffe:You know, we've got to make sure he stays grounded. We've got to make sure that the good days don't big him up too much, that the bad days don't get him down too much. You don't have to do that with George. George has a level of experience and a level of maturity that he can go through a whole season without another phone call from Toto and he'll be fine. Kimi still the team is still like outwardly projecting that they kind of have to bubble wrap this kid a little bit because they need to make sure he stays in this place and if anything makes him deviate off that there could be issues which is that's just one of those things as as an investor when you're looking at betting your life savings on something that's an element that makes me nervous compared to George who's a bit more of a known quantity in that sense but compare Hinch the you know the the dip in the european season last year starting at imola actually for for kimmy i don't think we'll see that again this year i think he learned a lot why do you think that tc why because i'm seeing a very consistent driver this year and i think he's learning uh from all the mistakes he he made last year i'm not disagreeing i'm just just seeing just
28:24Jolyon Palmer:curious you know he's had he's had a good run and he's won the three races and we're all singing his praises because i'm not saying that george russell's not going to bounce back george russell could easily win this grand prix by 10 seconds and you know relaunch his championship campaign that is a very realistic proposition but i my point is that i think kimmy has the consistency now and will be a very real threat for the whole for the whole year this is uncharted waters though isn't it for kimmy i think that's the difference i think with george the season that he ran last year was a was a title winning season if he had the right car i think kimmy's wasn't we haven't had that european season to confirm that he can be consistent over 20 22 races 24 races um you know you we could easily have said the same for oscar the comparison i think with oscar and lando last year is a great one because we're in a really similar position oscar had another year under his belt but the step was also big he had lando under huge pressure then zanvort happened and suddenly we we i would have i would have bet the house on on oscar after that but lando found that other gear that george potentially still has in his locker at the same time as oscar started to struggle maybe maybe um it was a run of low grip tracks maybe it was a little bit of title wearing pressures and everything else jp sorry to interrupt you but you say then zanvold happened right yeah well i'll then say then monza happened and i think the ramifications of the swap at monza really affected Oscar Piastri.
29:55And I think that sort of situation won't happen at Mercedes because of the way Toto Wolff is approaching the season and approaching the way he looks after Kimi Antonelli.
30:06Jolyon Palmer:So Kimi wins in Montreal. No, McLaren are 1-2 in Montreal. They had the best car. Kimi's third, George is fourth. You are saying all in for Kimi. I've seen enough. No, I was asking the question. I was asking the question. no i was asking the question of course it's too early to go all in for kimmy but i think it would to hinch's point in our uh miami review i think it's that is the moment where george has really then got to step it up when we go to monaco next time out otherwise otherwise mercedes might have to start making some difficult decisions come come the summer break and they're a team that have got history of making those decisions which McLaren haven't in recent times you know we saw with with Valtteri and Lewis the famous uh give the place back uh that was when Valtteri was out of championship contention and Lewis was still sort of tenuously defending from Seb so maybe that will happen and McLaren's still a confident that they can be a regular race winner as the season progresses so I agree you know for all the debate this is a huge weekend for George Russell So we take it back to that part.
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31:17Jolyon Palmer:And I do think he has to show what he can do here. And also the next point you make is Monaco's around the corner. Not an easy race for anyone. Might not be a Mercedes stronghold circuit. There's been years in the past where they've dominated, but couldn't get ahead around Monaco. So you don't want to rely on Monaco being the one you're going to bounce back because you might just be kicking the can down the road. Let's talk a little more about McLaren now, because, of course, it was Montreal last year that was the scene of the crash between Oscar and Lando. Only a handful of laps left to go in the race when Lando Norris tried to sneak up the left-hand side of Oscar, but between him and the pit bull, and, of course, hits his teammate, race over.
32:02Lando, to his credit, apologized immediately. How much does an incident like that hang over the drivers? I mean, they'll smile about it, but does it in any way carry forward to the next time you race there?
32:16James Hinchcliffe:No, I don't. No. There's no thoughts about that going into this weekend for either of those guys until Thursday when people like us bring it up in the press conference.
32:27Jolyon Palmer:I think you bank it, though. As a driver, if you're Oscar, you bank it. And I'm not saying he's going to still be lingering on that. I think they're long gone because of the Monza thing and the everything else that played out, Singapore and Austin and everything else. But I remember Felipe Naza, when I was teammates with him in GP2, and he tried a move at turn three in Barcelona on the inside of me late on. It was for second place. And he basically just drilled into the back of me. And I was like, I think he came off worse than me. But I was like, we're not going to fall out about this. But now I know how you're going to race and I don't love it.
33:04Jolyon Palmer:So next time we go wheel to wheel, I'm going to be that little bit more aggressive. uh i had the same thing 10 years 10 years you're over it aren't you well no i'm still bitter about it tc uh so if i ever get back behind the wheel i've got felipe nazra as my teammate he's gonna pay a heavy price for that barcelona race um no you do you have to you have to bank these things i think as a driver because it's you're learning a little bit about your rival as i said for the mclaren guys they learn a huge amount more i think that was the first the first flashpoint wasn't it between them and then they had more and I think they're coming to Montreal in a different position as well.
33:41Jolyon Palmer:I think they will be a little bit more cooperative with each other. There's not, as it stands, the championship on the line. You know, whether they finish fourth or fifth, it's not as important as it was last year. But I think they're figuring out stuff on each other the whole time. What about Red Bull? I mean, Hinch, after what you saw in Miami with the Red Bull upgrade, of course, Max now much happier with the steering rack and the feeling he's getting through the wheel. Can we see Max challenging? I think it's possible, yeah.
34:11James Hinchcliffe:I mean, it just allows Max to do Max things, right? And this is the kind of circuit where you can take those kinds of risks that he just is so good at taking and pulling off, right? Executing in those chicanes, riding those curbs. I know curb riding has not been a particular strength of the Red Bull historically, but new rule set, maybe it'll be a little bit better this time. but um i think again it's it's another kind of low grip circuit like we had in miami uh we know he is comfortable on the absolute limit so if the car continues to improve and and they can continue to dial in performance you know now they've got it handling in a way that is speaking to him yeah there's there's no no reason why he can't be in the mix pinch you've done some endurance racing right now max was doing the nurberger in 24 hours last weekend how long does it take you to get over a 24-hour race is he gonna be is he gonna be on his a i mean a kind of serious question will he arrive in montreal just a little bit jaded or do you think it doesn't affect someone like him no i i think he's fine i mean he's been doing 24-hour sim races you know during grand prix weekends in the past he'll he'll be he'll be just fine so no i look he's young he's fit he's prepared he knows what he's getting into um so i i don't think it'll it'll hurt him too much at all didn't
35:34Jolyon Palmer:Nico Hülkenberg, he won Le Mans about a decade ago now. And then I think he turned up in the Force India to Austria and qualified it straight up in the top three again. He had a really strong showing when he returned. And bearing in mind he hadn't had a podium at the time, it was another great chance for him. So that was a winning Le Mans. Well, and do you know what? I was at that Le Mans in 2015 when the Hulk won for Porsche. And he'd had a damn good party on the Sunday night. I can tell you that. And even then he turned up fresh the next week. Yes, exactly.
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37:57Now, look, guys, what about Ferrari, right? So this is a Hamilton track. He's won this race seven times, which is equal with Michael Schumacher as the most successful driver in the Montreal Grand Prix history. It feels, in the same way that it's a big weekend for George Russell, this feels equally big for Lewis Hamilton because after being quite close to teammate Charles Leclerc early on this season, the gap seems to have grown. And this is the weekend where he's sort of got to bring it back under control again, really. Do you guys agree with me?
38:35Jolyon Palmer:Yeah, I think so. I think his track record around Canada is really supreme. He has only been outqualified by a teammate three times out of 16 attempts. so uh is is a pretty good track record out qualified charles last year although i think charles had a kind of a better pace and missed it right at the end of q3 but it does feel like he needs to just halt that that downwards momentum now as well after those early few races very upbeat lewis loves the new rules input in the cars good uh the ferrari was obviously a competitive race leading car uh still was in miami but just not with lewis so it was he sort of chipped away at it through the miami weekend as well and got quite close but um canada's he's always been really strong at seven wins six poles he needs to get it back here i think i think he can as well i think he's i think ferrari should have a sensible car still and if you're lewis then you you do just turn up with a little bit more swag at a circuit you've always gone well at but is it is it one of
39:41James Hinchcliffe:those things it's it's it's almost the same argument that we're using with the mercedes pair right where Kimmy's season last year started very strong all the races that we've done up to this point he was very competitive at get to Canada obviously had a great race finish on the podium but in relation to George was was a bit off the pace last year with Lewis right we you know we go through the first couple rounds strong in China last year strong in China this year a little bit off in Miami last year a little bit off of Miami this year it seems to be almost following a similar sort of script so like you say charl probably had a little bit more out and out pace last year even though uh lewis did qualify ahead of him do we think that this is an important one for lewis going to a track that he knows so well that he runs so well at that if he is behind charl again this weekend that it is an indication that maybe though he's had his fingerprint on this car from the beginning it's still not quite what he needs it to be that's exactly it I think I think even
40:42Jolyon Palmer:for Lewis if they're just close on pace I think that's fine if they're just back in the mix together you know on the same row on the grid and we're talking about the two Ferraris being in contention rather than can Charles win it uh which felt like it was the case through Miami you had Charles trying to hunt down the McLarens in the sprint you had Charles leading half the Grand Prix all the while Lewis I know he had a bit of damage in the Grand Prix but he was sort of there because he was fighting with Colopinto at the start. He was just struggling a little bit more for that last couple of attempts.
41:12Jolyon Palmer:And if it's the same on a circuit he's always been good at, the next one, once again, is Monaco. I know Lewis has been all right in Monaco, but Charles has been brilliant in Monaco. It's his home track. He's sensational around there. So again, you'll start to see a picture of Lewis can't be strong in Canada that you're thinking, okay, the season's just drifting away from him again. So it's a big one. And when you think of the season, I feel that this coming weekend is the moment where we're going to see sort of the pecking order as I think it probably will stay for the rest of the year because Mercedes are bringing their upgrades.
41:50Ferrari are hopefully going to understand the upgrades they brought to Miami a little better. We're going to see McLaren bring the second half of their upgrades. Red Bull are going to bring a bit more. And then we get into the busy European season where it's bash, bash, bash, and everything happens so relentlessly that i feel we're going to leave montreal knowing the lay of the land at the front end at the very least and and it feels significant somehow for ferrari because since miami okay there's been this three-week break and you know the the new cycle in formula one never stops but there's been speculation about charlotte claire's future you You know, have Aston Martin made him a bid for him?
42:30Have Red Bull Racing made a bid for him? And you just wonder with, you know, the driver's silly season starting to kick into gear, is this the moment where Charles is going to say, okay, where are we in the pecking order? I've been here since 2019. Are you going to give me a car that I can challenge for the championship with? Or am I going to have to go elsewhere? It kind of, for me, feels significant in that way.
42:54Jolyon Palmer:Yeah, and he'll know what's coming up in the pipeline as well behind that the big miami upgrade and the understanding of them so typically in a season you get this sort of miami weekend montreal weekend this sort of used to be spain didn't it um where you bring this sort of first major upgrade package and then you'll see something around sort of austria silveston could be spa now weekend midsummer uh for a conventional big aero platform difference and you know new floor new new aero surfaces that'll spruce the car for a few tents and then and then it'll be little bits and bobs of tweaking through the through the rest of the year so charl will know if ferrari are telling him you know this is good let's fight i'm sure monaco he can be fighting for a win anyway maybe he can be there this weekend on a circuit that that could suit ferrari a bit more and if they're saying just hold in because wait when we get to silverstone we've got the proper package coming and he'll know that we don't know that at the moment so if they don't have anything more if they're sort of thinking okay we'll bring a little bit bits and bobs but no big uh upgrade package and they're not competitive right now i just think if you're charl you have to start looking elsewhere he's been so loyal to ferrari uh he came through the ranks with them did a year at sauber got into the main seat in 2019 and he's just been sensational i think his level of performance is clearly worthy of a championship so he has to start looking around if ferrari can't deliver even a championship challenge he has to be a driver that that has the talent to at least see a championship challenge one day and i think this is the time new set of regs if it's not ferrari then where can i go to try and mount this well good question
44:40James Hinchcliffe:where can he go well because i mean he's he's made this point right how desperately he wants to win a championship with ferrari but at some point that loyalty has to waver if they're just and capable, you know, after a decade of him driving there, providing him with a car to fight for a championship. Where do you go? That's a, that's a tough question right now. I don't think there's an obvious answer, not knowing where, you know, is Piastri going anywhere? Probably not. And the Mercedes pair staying probably the dominoes really max, isn't it? That's what makes this whole conversation interesting.
45:14James Hinchcliffe:If not, I don't really see another option. He's not going to Aston Martin. That's, that's not a risk worth taking. He doesn't need the money, does he? No, no. Based on the boat he just took delivery of, he's doing just fine. So I think what it does do is it gives him maybe a little bit more negotiating power with Ferrari too, as bad as this might sound. I mean he signed a record-breaking historical contract with Ferrari in terms of its length, right? I don't think he's going to sign for another five years. I think if he decides to re-up, it's going to be very much shorter term without clauses, and it's going to be more kind of a Charles-Bias sort of contract.
45:57James Hinchcliffe:He's earned that. The team, I think, understands that if they want to hang on to him, they're going to have to acquiesce on some of those things. And it does put him in a position of power negotiating next time. In mid-27, he is going to become the driver who's done more races for Ferrari than anyone else. He's going to pass Michael Schumacher. Now, Michael Schumacher at Ferrari won five world titles. Charles might have won one in that time if the cards fall for him in the second half of 2026, but it's looking unlikely as we sit here now. And that has to make you question your loyalty, I think, when you just look at the stats.
46:34You've now done more races for this team. You've only won a handful, let alone world titles.
46:42Jolyon Palmer:but the difficulty is is where does he go that's that is the problem you've got would you go to red bull if max leaves is red bull a better bet at this stage i feel it feels to me like a team in transition but at this stage is red bull a better bet than ferrari you'd want some serious assurances if you're going to go to red bull just because of the exodus of of people we spoke about it when GP announced his move to McLaren that's impending. You want to know who they're bringing in to restructure the team, you know, to take it back towards the championship. Because I don't, if he doesn't have a lot of faith that Ferrari are going to be champions, there's not a lot right now that says that Red Bull can if they lose Max as well.
47:26Jolyon Palmer:And you've got to sort of restart this new driver coming in, new race engineers, all these partnerships once again. They're doing a good job. Their upgrade package for Miami was great. Their power units really impressive but you're leaving ferrari who are capable of race wins this year i reckon for a red bull who are certainly not going to fight for a title this year either aston martin as we said that's such a long-term project i don't see him doing that so the only thing for me is if max leaves red bull could someone else be suckered into uh taking that red bull seat and then charl could look at a mclaren or a mercedes if that door would
48:04James Hinchcliffe:open because that was the the one rumor right was piastri is being courted by red bull as a potential max replacement so then yeah if that if max leaves and piastri moves then i think that's a no-brainer you know i i think if you're charl you have to consider that hinch do you think that rumor of piastri to red bull was started by charl's management to try and force the situation so that he can then go to mclaren tc i hadn't thought about that but now i hope so just because
48:32Jolyon Palmer:it makes a better story unbelievable play if it is and then it happens all right then predictions time both of you guys i want a sprint winner and then the top three for the grand prix on sunday who wants to go first
48:52James Hinchcliffe:okay i'll go we were playing chicken there we were both doing like the big inhale as if we're about to speak hoping the other guy went first um no okay so i i think that uh i think george will win the sprint um well actually no do i i don't know yeah i think george will win the sprint it's a short it's a short run from pole it's a short run down to turn one less opportunity for them to you know have a bad start and he's been still a little bit better on the starts than kimmy even though it's not been kimmy's fault some of the time the team's admitted that this is not throwing shade at Kimi um and I think he wins the Grand Prix I think this is what it it starts to turn the tides turn the championship titans back up but I do think it's going to be Mercedes track so I'm going to go George Kimi Lando pretty good that's pretty good uh that's
49:44Jolyon Palmer:the problem with with winning the chicken is then you look like a chicken if you just bat the other guy you should have gone first yeah damn it so I I'll throw in a curveball here and I'm going to say Charles wins the sprint because I think the Ferrari team can get up to speed pretty quickly I think they'll have that start advantage and I can see them being pretty efficient around around Montreal as well their handling characteristics should be good for two-thirds of it they'll obviously be a little bit struggling down into the final chicane but I think he's shown great racecraft so far so in the sprint I think he can win in the race I don't see him on the podium though i see it being the exactly as you say hinge i'm fully backing you here it's russell antonelli and norris your top three so it's all on you tc do you think the ferrari start advantage will be so noticeable given what hinge was saying about it being you know a short run to turn one it's actually it's similar i mean miami is a short run to the first corner and and still it was enough for them to charge through the only thing with them is whether the Mercedes can get on top of their starts a little bit more as well.
50:54Jolyon Palmer:They're still trying to understand it, but their starts are still bad. If they're no better than they were in Miami, obviously Kimi's were terrible, but George's weren't good enough either. If they can't improve as a team, they won't be leading the first lap. The only thing is McLaren starts are good with the same power unit. So Charles is going to actually have to out-qualify the McLarens to jump them both off the line, because otherwise you'll see sort of Lando or Oscar probably goes up the Mercedes in the way that the Ferraris usually do? Well, my predictions, I think George is going to win.
51:26I think George is going to win the Sprint and the Grand Prix. And I think Kimi is going to be second. And I'm going to go for Oscar for P3 on Sunday. But I think the gap between George and Kimi is going to be really close. So while the gap will start to shrink in the Drivers' Championship, I think Antonelli will come out of this race feeling like he's had a good one because instead of the gap being four-tenths, five-tenths as it was last year in qualifying, I think it's going to be down to a tenth.
51:55Jolyon Palmer:And then he'll get all the backing from the Mercedes team to go on the title charge for the next 18 races, yeah? That's it. That's it, mate. You're predicting the future. Look, while we're talking about drivers and how they approach championships, Canada always brings back memories for me of Jenson Button's sensational victory from the very back of the grid in what turned out to be the longest F1 race in the history of the sport back in 2011, more than four hours. And Jensen's my latest guest on F1 Beyond the Grid. And while we were reflecting on 20 years since his first win in Hungary 2006, it led us onto a really interesting discussion about driver insecurities.
52:38Jolyon Palmer:As drivers, we're flawed. We are insecure. And I'll go for any driver. You know, when I hear Lewis Hamilton on the radio last year, in front of the Ferrari when he asks a question they don't come back to him and he's like have I done something wrong it's like you're a seven-time world champion you know the confidence you should have is out of this world but you know insecurities creep in you forget what you've achieved and you just think about that last session you're like I'm not good enough you know I was two tenths upon my teammate it's it's crazy and the pressure you put yourself under it's enormous and that's why you see so many drivers fail in the sport even though they have the talent mentally they're just in a really dark place and I've heard it from many drivers and you know we think of it as a weakness so we don't talk about it and that's what amazed me with Lando you know the way he's been outspoken over the last couple of years of mental health really really good and I think that gives you a lot of strength.
53:33JB was really strong on that and it was a it was a wonderful chat but I'd love your thoughts JP and Hinch on just your own experiences of insecurities i mean is it the insecurities that drive you on the constant need to prove yourself
53:49James Hinchcliffe:yeah i mean i think i think a lot of drivers uh thrive off an inherent fear of failure right it's uh it's hating to lose more than loving to win um and and i think it's just it's such a competitive environment motorsports that it it breeds that insecurity right it's it's not a win or lose proposition. You can finish second, you can finish eighth, you can finish 12th, but you can, uh, you can go down that dark hole. If, if a teammate especially is, is beating you on a given day and racing drivers, memories are really short. You know, we love bigging ourselves up when we've had a good day, but we're just as quick to knock ourselves down internally when we've had a bad day.
54:35James Hinchcliffe:And I, I have to echo, you know, Jensen's sentiments there. And I said it throughout last year, I was super impressed with how Lando approached the year, how he approached his own struggles, how he spoke about them so openly. I don't think it was just good for him. I do think it's going to have a waterfall effect in a very positive way for the future of not just racing drivers, but athletes in general. There's kind of been a movement in professional sports that is a lot of athletes have been more openly talking about mental health and some of their struggles. but for sure you have some you have some unbelievably dark days as a driver i had them more often than not um because again unless you're winning you know as as often as saying alex polo is an indy car or as max verstappen was in 23 it's hard not to kind of fall down that that path jp do you think max verstappen for everything he's achieved in formula one in recent seasons do you think he still has insecurities no I don't I think that he's
55:39Jolyon Palmer:you know the most all-round talented driver in in the world isn't he so I think he knows that he demolished his teammates for fun I honestly I'm slightly surprised to hear Jensen almost describe the extent of it from him I can only speak from my personal experience which was in Formula One I got pretty well battered in 2017 by Nico Hülkenberg. 2016 I had my ups and downs always felt like I could have a good run but of course the level of competitiveness is so intense that you can be you can be me in 2016 you can be anyone in the field you could be Lewis with Nico Rosberg you'd be Lewis now with everything that he's achieved if you don't have a good lap you're not going to win and if you don't put it on paper it goes down as a loss forever so there's a little bit of that in your mind that you know you need to bank the result but that's kind of professional sport isn't it I'm surprised the level of with the level of success that that Jensen had that he kind of feels it in in that way obviously he had a very different career to mine um so I yeah I can't I can't really explain it from that side but you look around and you just see I see a lot of drivers It's just brimming with confidence.
56:54Jolyon Palmer:You know, you see Oli Behrman walking around the paddock, young guy. I think he has so much inner confidence in his abilities. I don't see that level of insecurity. But you have to be self-critical, JB. A hundred percent. And there's a difference, I think, between if any time you can do something better, you have to look at it and take responsibility for what's yours. You have to own it. And also point the finger if you think someone's let you down in the team. If you think that your setup wasn't right, You went with someone rather than your own feeling or, you know, the way you left the garage wasn't right, which you hear a lot.
57:28Jolyon Palmer:You say, why, guys, why are we in traffic? And you have to have ownership of that, I think.
57:33James Hinchcliffe:I think there's an important thing, too, though, that you can have those moments of doubt, but you also have to believe you can pull yourself out of it. I think that's where, you know, Jensen talks about some very talented drivers that don't make it. I think that's the differentiator for me in some of these cases is you can have that moment where you get beat or you make a mistake or whatever and you get down on yourself. But you have to believe that you've got the ability to turn it around, right? You have to have that inner belief about, you know, because I always had that thing, right? Even if I got beat in a session, I'd go look at the data and I'd say like, okay, anything that this driver can do, I can do.
58:15James Hinchcliffe:i i never thought that somebody could do something i couldn't it was in the moment they did it and i didn't right so it's i think it not having the belief in yourself that you can get there is what can be kind of the the nail in the coffin for a career so i used to have this thing where any
58:31Jolyon Palmer:time after any session it could be on the way up to formula one or even in formula one i'd get literally get a printout of a track map look through the data of a best laps and just write down where my time losses were and why just so i could simplify the guy's got the same car as me if he's breaking 10 meters later right i need to write that down and bank it because i have to have the belief that okay he's doing that i can see that he's doing that so let's go out and try and do that and and improve and of course it's not so easy and you come back in and and now he's breaking earlier but still going quicker or whatever it's it's that's so much yeah it really sucks but then I write down breaking earlier going quicker and I'm just on this loser of a trail but I yeah in my career I wouldn't say until 2017 that I you always I think it's a fear of failure isn't it it's a fear of not putting down a result on paper that you you think justifies it you you respect the competition so much that you know that if you miss a lap they're gonna beat you so there is there's a little bit of that but until 2017 came along and I got absolutely pulped I always felt like I didn't I don't feel like I necessarily would have called it like a an insecurity for a lot of my career it's fascinating that both of you have spoken about a fear of failure rather than it being a lure of success rather than it being I really want to win this race it's I don't let myself down I don't I don't want to I don't want to fail you just feel like you've got something in in your grasp so when I was winning GP2 it was the fear of letting the opportunity slip more than becoming the champion i knew that i could do it but every time you were just like another weekend of of extending the championship lead of taking a win it was of course you celebrate the win but you know that you have this guilt-edged chance you have to go and take it and it's yeah it goes both ways but it's just how do you live with yourself if you if you blow it from here it's a fascinating discussion and And you can listen to Jenson on F1 Beyond the Grid now.
1:00:31And you can watch it on the F1 YouTube channel as well. Well, guys, thank you both very much. Another show done and dusted. For those of you listening at home, in selected countries, you can watch the Canadian Grand Prix on F1 TV. As usual in the US, the race will also be available on Apple TV. And for the first time this weekend, Netflix as well. And of course, you can keep across all the action on F1.com, the F1 app, and at F1 on social media. Well, guys, thank you both very much. Hinch, I think you're busy at an oval race this coming weekend. Amazing. Indy 500. Are you excited?
1:01:15James Hinchcliffe:Oh, can't wait. Christmas in May for us on the IndyCar side. Very, very excited. Very proud to be able to call the race because it's one of the coolest ones that happens on the planet every year. but bummed that I won't be able to be in Montreal with you guys. Well, Hinch, here's a thought. McLaren could do the double on Sunday. I mean, realistically, right? They could win the Indy 500 and then two hours later win the Canadian Grand Prix, right? They certainly could. I don't know if Zach's planning on being at both, but I'll try to hop on the jet and rip over to Montreal to say hi if he does. JP, you're in Montreal with us, aren't you?
1:01:52Jolyon Palmer:I sure am. Looking forward to it. Big weekend. You're packing the rain jacket though, TC. Yeah. yeah well rain on saturday and sunday let's hope it's not as bad as 2011 got very wet feet back then um well guys at home thank you very much for listening we will of course be back on monday to discuss all the big talking points from montreal so we'll speak to you then f1 nation is produced by formula one and audio boom studio
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From the publisher
Tom Clarkson, Jolyon Palmer and James Hinchcliffe are back to preview this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix.
After three wins on the bounce, Kimi Antonelli leads George Russell by 20 points at the top of the World Championship standings, so how crucial is it for George to beat Kimi in Montreal? If he doesn’t and more teams get in the mix, will Mercedes have some tough decisions to make?
For Ferrari, is Canada a defining moment in Lewis Hamilton’s season? Will Charles Leclerc be thinking about his future if they’re unable to fight at the front in this next run of races?
Plus, the guys debate the topic of driver insecurities and share their personal experiences after Jenson Button discussed the topic on the latest F1 Beyond The Grid podcast.
Listen to more Official F1 Podcasts
Drivers tell their stories on F1 Beyond The Grid - click here for latest episodes
Experts answer your questions on F1 Explains - right here on this podcast feed
LAS VEGAS. FORMULA 1. LIKE NOTHING BEFORE.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix returns November 19th – 21st, 2026.
Get your tickets for the fastest weekend of the year at f1lasvegasgp.com/tickets.
