Montreal, second stop in North America
Next weekend, the FIA Formula 2 Championship willgo on stageon the semi-permanent Montreal circuit. After its debut in Miami, this will be another first for thejunior formulain Canada. The circuit, named after Gilles Villeneuve, presents an interesting challenge due to its layout, which features long straights interspersed with sharp decelerations that lead to slow, twisty corners.
Trident Motorsport arrives at the third round of the FIA Formula 2 Championship season aiming to continue the positive streak that has seen it among the protagonists in both Melbourne and Miami. The Milan-based team, with operations in Ossona, has achieved two podium finishes with Laurens Van Hoepen.
The 20-year-old Dutchman has also scored points in three of the four races so far. Thanks to this performance, Van Hoepen occupies fourth place in the overall FIA Formula 2 Championship drivers' standings, just nine points behind the championship leader.
Although he has yet to finish in the points, John Bennett has had a convincing start to the season. In both Melbourne and Miami, the 22-year-old Englishman from Salisbury has shown good race pace and excellent overtaking moves. It will be important for the British driver to improve his qualifying flying lap.
At 4,361 meters long, the Montreal circuit, located on the island of Notre-Dame, is a world to be discovered for the FIA Formula 2 Championship teams and drivers. Its layout, which alternates long straights with chicanes and tightturns, makes it a "stop-and-go" track that is decidedly demanding on the braking system.
Giacomo Ricci, Team Manager at Trident Motorsport: "We're excited to tackle the third round of the FIA Formula 2 Championship on the semi-permanent Montreal circuit. The Canadian track represents an interesting new experience for all of us. After the good results achieved in both Melbourne and Miami, we've done intense preparation work to be in the best possible condition for Montreal as well. The goal, as always, is to give our all to confirm the good results we've shown so far and have a competitive weekend."
The engines of the FIA Formula 2 Championship cars will start on Friday at 10:05 AM, with the 45-minute free practice session. Qualifying is scheduled for the same day at 2:00 PM. The Sprint Race will take place on Saturday at 2:10 PM. The Feature Race, which will conclude the weekend, will start on Sunday at 12:05 PM. All track activity will be broadcast live on Sky Sport F1.All times are in local time (GMT-4).