Canadian GP braced for weather disruption

The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve hosts the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend, the fifth round of the 2026 F1 season.

The iconic track has a well-earned reputation for weather chaos, from the four-hour epic of 2011 to the hail-disrupted sessions of 2024. 

This weekend's Canadian Grand Prix could add another chapter to that unpredictable history.

Friday's opening practice sessions should be straightforward as there is no chance of rain, with temperatures sitting around 19°C and a gentle WNW breeze of 13 km/h. 

Teams will welcome the stable conditions during the sole free practice session before sprint qualifying.

Saturday looks similarly benign for the sprint race and qualifying. 

A negligible 1 per cent chance of rain, temperatures again hovering around 19°C, and a light ENE wind at 13 km/h should ensure a clean two sessions. 

Sunday, however, is a different story entirely. The rain probability jumps to 60 per cent, temperatures drop to around 17°C, and the wind shifts to SSE at a more noticeable 19 km/h with higher gusts. 

For a circuit located on an island in the St. Lawrence River, where conditions can close in rapidly, that is a recipe for strategic uncertainty.

It is looking increasingly likely that teams will have to keep the wet tyres on standby, as if the track's history is anything to go by, a 60 per cent rain threat on race day rarely passes quietly.