The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is known for its heavy-breaking chicanes disrupting the flow of the race as drivers are forced to stop and start along the track.
The Canadian Grand Prix is a historic race on the calendar, but not one that will suit the W14, and team principal Toto Wolff is very aware of this.
“We now move on to Montreal. With its long straights and low-speed corners, it’s not a track that we expect to suit our car as well as Barcelona did,” he said.
“No matter where the true pace of the car is this weekend, we will aim to maximise our result. The characteristics of the circuit will also provide further opportunity to learn about the W14 and feed into our development path.”
Want to work in Formula 1? Browse the latest F1 job vacancies
Wolff’s comments come after a successful weekend in Spain that saw Mercedes register their first double podium since the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton equalled his best result of the season finishing runner-up to Max Verstappen, whereas Russell remarkably cut through the pack to climb to 3rd from a 12th-place start.
Things have certainly started to click in the Mercedes camp, and the new upgrade additions have made an instant impact, it seems.
However, Wolff is not getting carried away and insists that the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya worked in favour of the Silver Arrows.
“The result in Spain was a well-deserved reward for everyone’s efforts at Brackley and Brixworth to bring our update package to the track. We were pleased with how it performed, and it will provide a new baseline for us to build from.
“But we must also manage our expectations. It was a circuit that suited our car, and we should expect our direct competitors to be stronger in the next races. The gap to Red Bull is large and it will take lots of hard work to close that down. Nevertheless, we’re up for the challenge.”
The ever-defiant Wolff seems optimistic, which hasn’t always been a regular feature of late.
Mercedes got the edge on new rival Aston Martin
READ: Mercedes warn Lewis Hamilton and George Russell ahead of 2023 Canadian GP
Mercedes were able to leapfrog Aston Martin after the Spanish Grand Prix and that will undoubtedly have a great effect on the team coming into the Canadian Grand Prix.
With both drivers finishing out of the top five, Lance Stroll in 6th and Fernando Alonso in 7th, Aston Martin have slipped to third in the constructors with 134 points.
But with Mercedes leading by 18 points, and new additions pending for Aston Martin, things are heating up and likely to change.