FIA shares Canadian Grand Prix changes

The FIA has rolled out several last-minute changes to the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix, touching on everything from the nuances of track limits to updates in DRS zones and pitlane practices.

The tweaks to the track and certain corners are particularly notable. Drivers will face new challenges such as mandatory passage to the left of an orange bollard at the exits of Turn 9 and Turn 14, a change aimed at enhancing safety during critical exiting maneuvers. Furthermore, if a driver overshoots Turn 1, they are now required to continue along the run-off and re-enter just before Turn 2, ensuring more consistent and regulated track re-entry across the competition.

Equally impactful are the adjustments to the DRS zones, which directly impact the race’s competitive dynamics. The FIA has shifted the activation of the first DRS zone to shortly after Turn 7, with additional zones placed after Turns 12 and 14.

The Montreal circuit itself has undergone significant changes, with a comprehensive resurfacing that includes lowering the track segment between Turns 7 and 8 for better clearance under the Concorde Bridge. All kerbs have been fully replaced though they retain their original dimensions.

Pit lane protocols have not been left untouched. The FIA has refined the practices for performing starts within the pit lane to enhance safety and reduce pre-race disruptions. Clear rules have been set to control conduct in the pitlane’s fast lane, where overtaking is strictly regulated to prevent accidents and uphold fairness among competitors. These changes are crucial as they ensure a smoother flow of cars in and out of the pit lane, which can be pivotal to race strategies.

The full list of changes comprises, as quoted in the Race Notes:

• The track has been fully resurfaced.
• All kerbs have been replaced with new kerbs of the same specifications.
• The track surface between Turn 7 and Turn 8 has been lowered to increase the clearance between track and the Concorde Bridge to min. 4.0 m.
• The opening before Turn 2 on LHS at Pit Exit has been moved a few meters further downstream.
• The access road into Turn 5 and Turn 7 has been asphalted.
• The run-off at Turn 8 has been rebuild with asphalt and grass. The walls have been realigned.
• The grasscrete behind the kerb in Turn 1, Turn 3 and Turn 6 has been replaced with concrete.
• All walls have been realigned to guarantee 1.0 m height.
• The walls at pit exit have realigned on LHS at Pit Exit.
• The debris fence on LHS after Turn 11 has been upgraded to 3.5 m height.
• All TSP have a min. height of 2.5 m.
• The white line between Turn 2 and Turn 3 on LHS has been moved closer to the wall (1.8 m).
• The white line between Turn 7 and Turn 8 on LHS has been moved closer to the wall (1.8 m)

The Race Notes from the FIA also state:

“Any car(s) driven to the end of the pit lane prior to the start or re-start of a free practice session, qualifying session or sprint qualifying session must form up in a line in the fast lane and leave in the order they got there (…) It is noted that a car will be considered to be “in the fast lane” when a tyre has crossed the solid [white] line separating the fast lane from the inner lane, in this context crossing means that all of a tyre should be beyond the far side, with respect to the garages, of the line separating the fast lane from the inner lane.

“For the avoidance of doubt, ISC Appendix L, Chapter IV, Article 5b) states that: Once a car has left its garage or pit stop position it should blend into the fast lane as soon as it is safe to do so, and without unnecessarily impeding cars which are already in the fast lane. Thus, after the start or re-start of a free practice session, qualifying session, or sprint qualifying session, if there is a suitable gap in a queue of cars in the fast lane, such that a driver can blend into the fast lane safely and without unnecessarily impeding cars already in the fast lane, they are free to do so.

“Furthermore, it is noted that during a free practice session, qualifying session, or sprint qualifying session a car driving in the inner lane, parallel to the fast lane, will not be considered to have blended into the fast lane at the earliest opportunity. Additionally, ISC Appendix L, Chapter IV, Article 5d) states that: Cars in either the fast lane or working lane may not overtake other cars in the fast lane except in exceptional circumstances. In this context a “stopped car” is one which has an obvious mechanical problem.”