Onboard at Montreal

Where does the time go? It seems only yesterday we were discussing the first race of the season in Australia and already we are preparing for the seventh round of the season. In 10 days time is the extremely popular Canadian Grand Prix. Always an exciting race, here are a selection of onboard laps as an appetiser.




I've been wanting to upload a video from this driver for some time. Jean Alesi's heart ruled his head on a number of occasions and his move to Ferrari in 1991 was no different. The French-Sicilian opted to pull out of a move to Williams from Tyrell in favour of joining the Prancing Horse. It was undoubtedly a move which cost him the chances of not only more victories, but potentially a world title. He only managed a solitary victory in his eleven year stay in F1 which ironically occurred in Canada in 1995.

Unfortunately I do not have an onboard clip of Alesi from that race but here is his opening laps from the 1992 Grand Prix, in which he finished third. Although sounding absolutely spectacular, Alesi unfortunately inherited Ferrari's that were not overly quick in his five year stay at Maranello. Nevertheless, his sheer passion and determination was unrivalled.




Lewis Hamilton is undoubtedly the current master of the Montreal circuit. A two-time winner here in three attempts, Hamilton will be keen to make it a hat trick after a difficult weekend in Monaco. He has also never qualified off pole position in Canada and, like he did brilliantly last year, will be gunning to break the Red Bull stranglehold on pole position. Here is his pole lap from 2008.




I think I credited this as one of the best qualifying performances from last season and with good reason. Vitantonio Liuzzi has had a rather underwhelming F1 career to date and despite his obvious talents has rarely shined. There have been glimpses of raw speed but not enough to convince the entire Grand Prix paddock. Nevertheless he is no doubt a very good racing driver and this lap from last year's Canadian GP qualifying session proves it. He put his Force India a remarkable sixth on the grid, which would become fifth after Webber's penalty. Wheel-banging at the start with Felipe Massa dropped to the back of the field but his sheer speed around the Montreal track propelled him back up the order. He finished ninth.

Josh.