F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Hulkenberg rates Montreal 'one of the best weeks of the year'

Renault's Nico Hulkenberg says that the time spent in Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix is one of the best weeks of the year.

The 29-year-old German driver is hoping to use the opportunity to bounce back after a disappointing outing in Monaco, after retiring just 15 laps into the race with gearbox issues.

The early exit put an end to three consecutive points-scoring finishes. He hopes to get back on track at the Circuit Gille-Villeneuve, where he finished in the top ten last year with Force India.

"Canada is a great Grand Prix weekend," he said. "The week in Montreal is always one of the best of the year.

"You can see how much Canada loves Formula 1 because the whole city embraces the race and the locals give us a very warm welcome.

"I love the circuit, I love the city and I love the atmosphere," he added.

"At the hairpin, you are surrounded by grandstands left and right. As a driver you get a really good sense of atmosphere there.

Hulkenberg goes back in time to sample some classic Renault chargers

"It is a track with a really nice flow so I enjoy it very much.

"The circuit is a combination of a street circuit and a race track. There are big walls on the exit with nice kerbs you have to ride ... You need to ride them well if you can, and use them to ensure a good lap time.

"Canada is all about high speed," he pointed out. "The low downforce configuration always makes the car feel light.

"It’s hard to overtake, but the final chicane is definitely the best opportunity. You have to try and stay out of the ‘Wall of Champions’, though!"

While Renault could probably do with some wet weather to help them get level with their mid-field rivals, the forecasts currently look set fair.

"Mixed weather conditions make things interesting and spices things up," agreed Hulkenberg. "But I don’t have any strong preference to weather.

"We will take it as it comes. Canada usually throws up some surprises!"

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Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.