The track in Montreal requires a high top speed as well as good mechanical grip. The surface is quite slippery there, so the tyre compound will be important. The way the tyres warm up is especially significant, because we have to keep in mind that they have a lot of time to cool down on the long straights. The track itself is a combination of a street and permanent circuit. There is a lot of history behind the Canadian Grand Prix, and it is a traditional race. Overall, it is a nice event. We have to approach the race weekend with a positive mindset. The whole team is pushing very hard to improve our current situation.

I am looking forward to the Canadian Grand Prix. It is a nice track and I like racing there. Because of the many long straights, you can easily overtake. That’s why the races there are mostly quite exciting. On the other hand there quite a few schicanes as well. That requires a relatively smooth car set-up, as you need to ride the kerbs. Generally the engine power and brake balance are important. The weather also comes into play, as in the last couple of years it has occassionally started to rain during the races. I hope this track suits us better than the ones before.

The Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve is the first track on the calendar where specific wings are used with the objective to reduce the drag at the cost of some downforce. It will be extremely interesting to see how the teams will balance the higher efficiency requirements with their 2014 power units. The alternation between long straights and low speed corners makes a demand for sheer speed, braking stability, quick change of direction and good traction, as well as smooth riding of the bumps and kerbs. The C33 will get some fine aerodynamic upgrades and, of course, a specific rear wing. The soft and super soft compounds allocated by Pirelli may offer some interesting scenarios on the race strategy side.