Formula One‘s upcoming Canadian Grand Prix faces a significant threat from last week’s wildfires. However, the threat is not from the fire but from the smoke being emitted that has blanketed large areas. With more than 200 locations said to be affected, the air quality worsened to an alarming level.
The situation led many to question whether F1 would go on with the race, considering the smoke from the wildfires that covered the circuit last week. Poor air quality could affect breathing and even cause other respiratory illnesses.
The scale of the disaster is evident from the BBC’s report, which states that smoke from the wildfires caused orange skies in the United Kingdom. Speaking of the Grand Prix in Canada, which is scheduled for this weekend, a report from Motorsportweek.com confirmed that there are no plans in place to cancel the race, considering the present situation.
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According to IQAir, the current air quality in Montreal is 97 US AQI, which is forecast to decrease below 60 from Thursday. Thus, F1 teams will most likely adhere to their schedules and arrive in Canada on Wednesday.
Track action will commence on Friday with Free Practice 1 and 2. The third practice session will take place on Saturday, followed by the qualifying session. The Grand Prix will be held on Sunday.
Both McLarens are expected to be the favorites, especially given the 1-2 finish in the Spanish Grand Prix. However, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is also expected to be in the mix.
The 2025 championship leader, Oscar Piastri, has showcased stellar performances so far, and his flawless performance in the previous round at Barcelona suggests there’s more to come. Speaking after the race in the post-race interview, Piastri said:
“I think the pace was really good. We could turn it on when we needed to and just very proud of the work we’ve done this weekend. It wasn’t the best first practice and then we got our stuff together and, yeah, it’s a nice way to bounce back from Monaco. So, been a superb weekend.”
Speaking on his fifth win of the season at the Spanish GP, he said:
“Hard to complain. Yeah, very hard to complain. It’s been a great year and this weekend’s been exactly the kind of weekend I was looking for. You know, we executed everything we needed to when it counted and that’s all you can ask for. So, the team gave me a great car once again.
“It’s a lot of fun winning races at the moment. So, I’ve been enjoying it, and I hope the team are too. So, thanks to the crowd for being out here. It’s been a great weekend, a lot of support out here. A lot of traffic as well, but that’s the sign of a lot of fans. So, it’s nice to be here.”