Pierre Gasly has predicted the Canadian Grand Prix could be an “elimination game” if it rains, with many drivers worried about the performance of Formula 1’s current wet tyres.
Even in dry conditions, the drivers found that they required a second warm-up lap to get their tyres into the right window. The relative lack of heavy loading in the tyres, as most of Montreal’s corners are of a stop-start nature, plus lower track temperatures put a premium on tyre preparation.
With rain forecast for Sunday’s grand prix, temperatures are also expected to be as low as 11C. Drivers have also suggested that Pirelli’s new wet tyres are too hard, which makes it even more tricky to get heat into them.
Gasly, who tried the tyres when Alpine conducted a Pirelli test at France’s Magny-Cours circuit, was of the opinion that the race could be incredibly chaotic.
“I think just the track on itself in the dry, it’s difficult to warm up the tyres. So, I think in the rain, it will be extremely difficult,” Gasly explained.
“From what I’ve experienced, that will make for a pretty eventful race. So, I think it’s going to be important to see the chequered flag. I don’t want to say too much, but I expect a pretty difficult condition if it’s wet.
“I would not be surprised that we end up having a bit of an elimination game. I might be wrong. I’ve just tried it in Magny-Cours, and it was a bit of a surprise. Let’s see what happens.”
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Photo by: Mark Thompson / Getty Images
Carlos Sainz expanded on the surprise Gasly experienced, stating that the Frenchman reported “the inters and the wets not getting into a range, and aquaplaning.”
Additionally, Lewis Hamilton has been critical of the 2026 Pirelli wet and intermediate tyres, having experienced them in a test at Ferrari’s Fiorano circuit.
Although the wets were initially designed for use without the need for tyre blankets, Hamilton says that he pushed Pirelli and the FIA to reinstate their use – but that this is “still not enough”.
“Ultimately they’ve had to build a tyre that works with those low blankets and the tyres don’t work. So we’re constantly battling the tyres that don’t work.
“From my test, I’ve pushed them to raise the blankets. They did it. And from the test, I pushed them to add the blankets onto the extreme tyres, which they have. But that’s still not enough, there’s still a lot of work to do.”
Isack Hadjar also garnered experience with the wet tyre in the Barcelona shakedown, later crashing after switching to the intermediate compound in the damp conditions – and dismissed the tyres as “not made for a race with 21 other guys”.
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