Canadian Grand Prix weather: Latest forecast for race after very unsettled weekend

George Russell in the rain in Canada

George Russell could line up in a wet pole position box at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve with a 60 per cent chance of thunderstorms at the start of Sunday’s 70-lap race.

The Formula 1 drivers have had to contend with the threat of rain at the Canadian Grand Prix with Friday hit with the worst conditions.

The forecast is for a wet Canadian Grand Prix

But while it was mostly dry for Saturday’s qualifying, where George Russell bagged pole position ahead of Max Verstappen, a few drops did fall to make for tricky conditions.

For Sunday, reads the Met Office’s forecast, there could be more than just a few drops.

The chance of rain increases around midday, rising to 60 per cent at 2pm when the drivers take to the grid for the start of the 70-lap Grand Prix. More rain is forecast to fall throughout the afternoon and into the evening.

The day’s high will be a mere 19’C with a westerly wind with gusts of 28mph.

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“Why not?” Russell replied when asked if he could secure his and Mercedes’ first win since 2022. “Of course, let’s go for it.

“I think the car’s been feeling amazing. Since we brought some upgrades to Monaco, we’ve sort of really been in that fight now, so we’re going for it!”

Russell faces huge competition from the drivers behind him with Verstappen lining up second, the Red Bull driver having posted the exact same time as Russell in Q3, while Lando Norris is third.

With the continued threat of rain on Sunday, he said: “That’s Montreal, that’s why we love it here. It’s one of the best places to come to every year. I love it. It’s why we’re all smiling, we’re having a good time.

“It’s tricky… A lot of the time you’re thinking you’re going to crash half of it, but when you put a nice lap in and you end up in the top three, it’s always a nice feeling.”

Asked if he can overtake Verstappen and Russell to win, he joked: “Yeah, two overtakes! Easy, light work! No, I’m excited to see what we can do.

“The car has been great all season, especially the last three or four races we’ve been on a good roll, but two very fast drivers ahead, plenty of fast drivers behind, so we’ll put on a good show.”

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