Another back-to-back Formula 1 weekend comes to a close with a highly-anticipated return to the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve for the first time since 2019. Things look tense as the field tries to push aside the Red Bulls at the 2022 AWS Canadian Grand Prix.

A lot has changed since the last Canadian GP. New rules and regulations will find their way to the 20-turn, 4.361-kilometer track, presenting more overtaking points and wheel-to-wheel racing. We look forward to a more competitive race this year, not to mention all the grid changes since the last time Formula 1 was in Canada.

Nitrobetting gets you acquainted with the top storylines of the 2022 Canadian Grand Prix.

Top Storylines Ahead Of 2022 Canadian Grand Prix

A lot has changed since we were last in Montreal @lawrobarretto takes a look at the state of play for Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes three years on #CanadianGP #F1 https://t.co/GIycjR91AZ

— Formula 1 (@F1) June 16, 2022

READ MORE: 2022 Canadian Grand Prix Sleeper Picks

Battle of the Red Bulls

Red Bull has a good problem with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez keeping hold of first and second place in the Drivers’ Championship, respectively. The defending world champion had a significant edge over his teammate in Azerbaijan. But let’s put things into perspective here. If not for “team orders”, the point difference would have been less coming into the Canadian GP.

Perez played a crucial role in Verstappen’s championship year. He showcased top-notch defending skills against Hamilton in last season’s finale race to get Max back in front. Moreover, we’ve seen Checo outpace Max several times since the opening race.

Fans don’t want to see both drivers holding back. It’s good fun to see the true fastest between the two. This serves as a buffer between the Verstappen Leclerc battle happening, and we look forward to more stories unfolding this weekend.

Ferrari recovery in the works

Charles Leclerc showed everyone he has what it takes to keep pressure on defending champion Max Verstappen. He logged the fastest times in qualifying and grabbed six poles and two P2 starts in eight races. Despite failing to capitalize on such positions and a bit of bad luck coming his way, he did find two wins and another two podium finishes this year.

Ferrari and its recurring engine problems held Leclerc back several times with the latest incident happening in Azerbaijan. After opening the season on a high note, the Monegasque driver slipped to third in the Drivers’ Championship race, 34 points behind Red Bull rival Max Verstappen and 13 points behind Sergio Perez. George Russell is catching up just 17 points behind Leclerc.

Teammate Carlos Sainz has four podium finishes but three retirements to take P5 in the Drivers’ Championship as he continues to push for a first career Grand Prix victory.

The manufacturer found plenty of success on Canadian soil. They have 14 wins including 11 at the Montreal-based circuit. Since then the race played second home for the Scuderia. We expect to see Tifosi out in full force with waves of Ferrari’s fanbase in the grandstand.

Hamilton looks for eight

Ferrari holds onto 14 Canadian GP wins thanks to Michael Schumacher, who claimed six victories at the track during his career with the Scuderia. Hamilton matches him with seven wins as well. Although it might be the Englishman’s most demanding race at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve due to severe back pain caused by porpoising and the bumpy streets of Baku, the seven-time world champion gives it another go in Montreal. The track holds a special place in Hamilton’s career as the site saw his first career win. More than that, he returns as the defending race winner.

Hamilton worked his way into the points in all but one race this year. However, he only has a single podium finish to show for it at the season-opener in Bahrain. His P4 finish in Azerbaijan was aided by the Ferrari DNFs. Lewis gets a fighting chance if Mercedes finds more solutions to its top speed. Reliability has never been a problem for the Silver Arrows, but finding straight-line speed is a must for this fast circuit.

A speedy Alpine

One of the unexpected performances of last Sunday’s race happened in the midfield, where several drivers attempted to get in the points with a quick Alpine standing in the way. Both Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon darted through straight lines and allowed them to hold off attacking cars even in DRS zones. The Alpine was quick enough to defend attackers from all positions.

With that, the high top speed of the Alpines ensured seamless overtaking once they were in the DRS range. They would then be difficult to pass that the pair worked their way up the grid. As the race heads to Canada, where lower downforce set-ups are preferred, this would allow the French team to gain better top speed. We are likely to see both cars holding an advantage on long straights and translate to an even better weekend for Alonso and Ocon.

Driver market temperature rises

Pierre Gasly finished strong in Baku and logged his best result of 2022 with a P5 finish. Gasly’s timing is impeccable since speculations of his future with AlphaTauri. His previous performance is a great testament to his form and raises his stock value.

Talking about his future ahead of Baku, the Frenchman suggested he looks forward to working with the Red Bull circle next season but will discuss with Helmut Marko whether that is within AlphaTauri once again or going to another team to undertake a different set of challenges.

Meanwhile, Alpine reserve Oscar Piastri is linked with a move to Williams. This puts Nicholas Latifi and his seat into question, especially with his results since joining the team. It’s a topic that may well come up for the Canadian soon as he gets to race in his first home Grand Prix, having made his first Formula 1 appearance in the 2020 season.

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