Marking the start of the North American round of this year’s Formula One competition was the Canadian Grand Prix, which got underway on June 8 at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

This year’s Canadian Grand Prix was held around two weeks earlier than last year, with the first day of competition starting to cool ambient and track temperatures of 22 and 27 degrees C, respectively. Following the disappointing results in the past two Grands Prix, Panasonic Toyota Racing’s Jarno Trulli hit the track as soon as the session started, with Ralf Schumacher following suit one lap later.

In a concerted effort, Ralf Schumacher clocked up 32 laps – the most for any driver for the morning – to finish in eighth. Trulli also got off to a positive start, completing 25 laps on a slippery track for 12th position.

However, the afternoon’s practice saw a complete turnabout in the situation, starting with problems with Trulli’s machine, whose front suspension was damaged when Trulli drove up over a curb. Trulli headed for the pits where the damaged was fixed. Trulli returned to the course only to develop trouble again in the same part of his machine. At this point, the team decided to bring Ralf Schumacher in as well and end the first day’s program there. All in all, it was a frustrating start to the Canadian Grand Prix.

Fernando Alonso (McLaren) held top position at the end of the first day’s practice with a time of 1’16”550.

Skies were clear and blue from morning over Montreal on Saturday for the second day of competition in the Canadian Grand Prix, making for perfect racing conditions as the first practice of the day got underway at 10am.

The morning’s practice started to an ambient temperature of 23 degrees C and a track temperature of 30. After suspension problems marred their first day of practice, Panasonic Toyota Racing had called an emergency meeting to review the situation. As a result of their discussions, the team decided on some changes to the setup of the machines, and it was with these changes and a warning not to ride too high on the curb in corner 8 that the drivers entered the course on Saturday. As a result of these restraints, neither driver was able to produce the speeds they were capable of and had to settle for 14th (Jarno Trulli) and 16th (Ralf Schumacher) positions heading into the afternoon’s qualifying.

The first period of qualifying was disrupted by the red flags coming out as a result of a crash involving other drivers. Added to that was the fact that there were over 10 drivers within one second of each other. Caught up in the congestion that ensued, Ralf Schumacher was unable to get a clear run, which saw him drop back to 18th and out of any further qualifying participation.

In a totally converse turn of luck, Trulli cleared the first period in 11th and the second period in the top 10. With a heavier load of fuel on board in the third period, he was unable to improve his position any more, but this still left him in 10th position on the grid and within range of the points for the first time in 3 races.

A time of 1’15”707 secured Louis Hamilton (McLaren) his first Formula One pole position.

Continued good weather in Montreal ensured perfect conditions for racing again on Sunday, and with over 150,000 spectators crammed into the circuit, the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix got underway at 1pm local time.

The race started to an ambient temperature of 27 degrees C and a track temperature of 41, but was soon disrupted by a series of accidents. The first was in the 22nd lap when Spyker’s Adrian Sutil crashed into the concrete wall at the exit of the first chicane. This saw the safety car deployed for the first time this season. Panasonic Toyota Racing, whose drivers had started in 10th and 18th, used the opportunity to bring both drivers in to pit, starting with Jarno Trulli, who returned to the field in 14th. The race restarted in the 27th lap; however, this time, Robert Kubica (BMW Sauber), connected with the rear end of Trulli just ahead of the hairpin, which saw him slam heavily into a concrete wall, bringing the safety car out yet again.

Following this incident, Trulli pitted for the second time in the 29th lap. He switched immediately to the hard compound tyres and rejoined the field in 18th. He went on to complete his fourth pit stop in the 58th lap only to spin off the course and crash just moments after rejoining the rest of the field, resulting in a disappointing end to the race for him.

In the meantime, Ralf Schumacher, who had started the race on a heavier fuel load and delayed his first pit stop, managed work his way up through the field to be in third in the 37th lap before pitting for the first time in the 40th. He then pitted for the second time while after the safety car came out in the 53rd lap, returning to the course in 11th. As he continued the race, he was unable to find good grip on the super soft tyres. He performed strongly despite this and went on to finish in eighth and the first point for the team in three races.

Result:
Pole-position starter, Louis Hamilton (McLaren) went on to clinch his first Formula One victory, the first rookie to do so since Juan Pablo Montoya in 2001.