WHY RAIN IN MONTREAL WILL BE A STEP INTO THE UNKNOWN

Montreal faces a major unknown as rain threatens Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix. With no official wet sessions this season, teams have limited data on how the 2026 cars and Pirelli tyres perform in the rain. This creates significant jeopardy on the tight street circuit, where walls are unforgiving.

A few teams, including Alpine, Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, and Racing Bulls, have conducted limited wet test running with their current or mule cars, potentially gaining a crucial advantage over rivals. McLaren's Andrea Stella admitted this testing could be beneficial for understanding power unit management in tricky conditions.

Drivers are openly concerned. George Russell and Lando Norris specifically noted poor tyre feel in past wet tests and the inherent dangers of a street circuit in low-grip conditions. Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen echoed concerns about getting and maintaining tyre temperature. Expect a chaotic race if the skies open up, a true test of driver skill and team preparation that could reshuffle the grid.