Pre Race
Montreal takes fire!
After completing the European triple-header, it’s time for the Canadian Grand Prix! Nico Hulkenberg and his Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber squad are hard at work on the stunning Formula 1 circuit in Montreal. Following a phenomenal seventh-place finish at the last Grand Prix – and a hefty points haul – the German Formula 1 ace is fired up and ready.
“Barcelona marked a step in the right direction for us. The focus for this weekend is on staying consistent, getting everything right from the very start, and keeping that level of performance up,” says Nico Hulkenberg.
‘The Hulk’ completed Friday’s two practice sessions, finishing P14 in the second. The team followed the usual Friday program and made several setup changes between FP1 and FP2, which, according to Nico, delivered valuable insights.
“Overall, it was a solid Friday for us. We went through all the data Friday evening to see where we can make some gains ahead of Saturday,” he adds.
Final practice takes place on Saturday, followed by Qualifying at 16:00 (GMT -4). The 70-lap Canadian Grand Prix will go green on Sunday at 14:00 local time.
Three Facts About Montreal:
- The 4.4 km long Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve – named after the famous national hero and multiple Formula 1 race winner – is built on the man-made Notre Dame Island, originally created for the 1967 World’s Fair. The island also hosted events during the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics, before some clever minds decided to turn its roads into a race track.
- Oh, and of course, Gilles Villeneuve took his maiden Formula 1 victory in Canada. He tragically lost his life at the Belgian Grand Prix in 1982 – but his son, Jacques, continued the story and became World Champion in 1997.
- One of the most iconic (or brutal) parts of the circuit comes right at the end of the lap: the Wall of Champions, named after crashes involving Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve, and Michael Schumacher during the 1999 Canadian Grand Prix weekend…
Race Day
”I’m really happy”
Boom!!! P8 in the Canadian Grand Prix – that’s two race weekends back-to-back in the points for Nico Hulkenberg, who picked up another four points after a brilliant drive in Montreal.
The German race ace and Admin By Request ambassador now sits 11th in the championship standings – just three points shy of ninth place. No wonder his team has nicknamed him “The Points Machine”.
“I’m really happy with today’s result – another strong race and more points on the board! I was able to stay out of trouble and take advantage of some battles ahead. From there, it was all about tyre management and maintaining a consistent pace, making sure we executed the race cleanly,” said Nico Hulkenberg.
While Nico continues to close in on his rivals in the Driver Standings, the points also carry big value for the team: three more could see Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber leap ahead of Aston Martin to take 8th in the Constructors’ Championship.
“We’ve now shown competitive pace at two very different circuits, which proves the recent update has been a clear step forward. Especially under race conditions, the car felt more consistent, better balanced, and overall much more predictable to drive. That kind of stability really allows you to push when it matters,” Nico added.
Wow! We can’t wait to see the green #27 Sauber rocket back in action at the Austrian Grand Prix on June 27–29.
📸 Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber
