Round 9 of the 2023 F1 World Championship sees the field head to Montreal and Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Here is the start time, as well as other useful information, for the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen saw out the European double-header with a victory last time out in Barcelona. The Dutchman won the Spanish Grand Prix thanks to a brilliant, Grand Slam weekend to extend his Championship lead to 53 points.
Additionally, his win around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya maintained Red Bull’s 100%-win rate in 2023 with their sublime RB19.
Now, though, the F1 circus heads back to North America for the popular Canadian Grand Prix. The track, situated on an island next to downtown Montreal, has seen numerous drivers claim their maiden win. For example, Lewis Hamilton took his first of 103 Formula 1 victories here in 2007.
The seven-time champion will be desperate to replicate this success 16 years later after a strong showing last time out, too. Hamilton took second for Mercedes at the Spanish GP, finishing one place ahead of teammate George Russell in a positive weekend for the Silver Arrows.
However, the fast Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve presents a very different test than in Barcelona. We can surely expect another tight battle between Ferrari, Aston Martin, and Mercedes for the podium spots in Canada.
What time does the Canadian Grand Prix start?
Due to the large time difference between the UK and Canada, round 9 begins in the evening for British viewers. The Canadian Grand Prix will see 20 cars scamper down to turn 1 at a start time of 7pm on Sunday 18 June.
The day before this, the field will negotiate a qualifying session. This makes for some Saturday night viewing in the UK, starting at 9pm on 17 June. However, prior to qualifying, Saturday also hosts FP3, which begins at 5:30pm.
As is typical of any F1 weekend, Friday kicks the action off with a pair of free practice sessions. FP1 is at 6:30pm on Friday 16 June, with FP2 following it at 10pm.
How to watch: Sky Sports with coverage throughout the weekend
Sky Sports start their Canadian Grand Prix weekend coverage by showing both of Friday’s free practice sessions on Sky Sports F1. On the next day, FP3 follows suit by being solely on their designated Formula 1 channel as well.
Contrastingly, the hour-long qualifying session will be on both the F1 channel and Sky Sports Main Event. Their build-up and post-session analysis is not scheduled for Main Event, though.
Finally, Sky have put the Canadian Grand Prix on both channels from its 7pm start time to the chequered flag. As ever, you need a Sky Sports subscription in order to watch these channels on your TV.
Alternatively, NOWTV offers various packages which allow viewers to access Sky Sports channels across numerous devices. For example, users can pay for a 24-hour day pass or buy a monthly pass.
UK race fans can also watch extended highlights for free thanks to Channel 4. Both qualifying and race highlights are available on their service on Sunday 18 June. Qualifying will be on at 8:30am on Sunday, with the GP best bits broadcast at 11:30pm.
Now, recent wildfires across Canada have cast doubt on the air conditions in the Montreal area. But could they cause a cancellation of the race?
Canadian GP weather update
The wildfires in the Quebec region have had a big impact on air quality. Despite this, BBC Sport reports that F1 are confident that the Canadian Grand Prix will go ahead.
Montreal’s air quality is still at a “low risk”, according to Environment Canada at the time of writing. Further encouraging updates from across the Atlantic say that the forest fires raging across Quebec are “stabilising” as well.
At Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, the drivers may have to deal with the possibility of rain. Environment Canada reports a 30% chance of showers in Montreal on Saturday, rising to 60% on Sunday.
Contrastingly, the Met Office predicts a very low possibility of rain at the track this weekend. It could definitely be something to look out for, though, as changing conditions have produced some classic races in the past at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.
Don’t forget to tune in at the 7pm start time if you want to catch all the Canadian Grand Prix action.
Featured image credit: Getty