Mika Hakkinen: Red Bull had no reason to change the line-up

Before the Canadian Grand Prix, two-time world champion Mika Hakkinen not only shared his predictions for the weekend in Montreal, but also commented on the most important news of the past week…

Sergio Perez has extended his contract with Red Bull Racing until 2026, and this was the news of the week that surprised some fans and commentators. But the team had no reason to change the line-up as Max Verstappen and his partner finished the last championship in first and second place. On the one hand, it is good if the riders push each other, on the other hand, it is important that there is harmony in the team.

This season Sergio had problems in Imola and Monaco, but before that he took second place in races three times and was also on the podium in China. Therefore, he can be considered the ideal partner for Max, allowing Red Bull to achieve a kind of balance.

It is very important that the riders do not conflict with each other, as this can ruin the team. Over the years of my career I’ve had a lot of fast teammates, but if you’re the faster of two riders you get an advantage, so it’s all simple. You start from higher positions, the team develops the optimal tactics for you and they also focus on you while fine-tuning the car.

Therefore, over time it may seem that one of the riders is in a more privileged position than the other. But in reality this is what happens: a faster driver, who shows good results, provides the team with the necessary information that allows them to choose the right direction for upgrading the equipment.

At the same time, the clash between Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly in Monaco became a bitter example of what can happen when there is no agreement between teammates. Normally you want to support a driver who is trying to take every opportunity to regain position, but in Monaco Esteban’s decision to overtake at the Portier Corner led to an accident and his retirement. After all, Pierre could easily have left the race.

But unlike Red Bull, Alpine decided it wasn’t worth keeping the same lineup in 2025 and so Ocon will have to look for a job with another team…

Training in the rain can be a challenge

Montreal has a great old-fashioned circuit with three very fast sections, as well as heavy braking zones before the chicanes, which consist of corners to be taken at medium to very slow speeds. Here you need the car to be well balanced, because there is a constant change in the direction of movement.

I won the Canadian Grand Prix in 1999 – it was the same race in which Michael Schumacher, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve crashed into the barriers at the exit of the final chicane, after which it became known as the “Wall of Champions”. Personally, I have always tried to avoid contact with the bump stops, because on circuits like Monaco and Montreal, where there are almost no departure zones, it is still better to leave a small gap!

The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is located on an artificial island in the middle of the St. Lawrence River, and local weather often influences the course of the race. We all remember the incredible 2011 Canadian Grand Prix, which was stopped several times due to terrible rain. That race lasted over four hours and was won on the last lap by Jenson Button in a McLaren!

This weekend too, the chance of rain on all three days is quite high, and since the track surface has been completely renewed, training on wet asphalt will cause certain difficulties for everyone at the start of the weekend. So surprises can be expected.

Mika’s prediction

I expect Max Verstappen to return to his usual form this weekend and fight for victory. The idiosyncrasies of the Montreal circuit won’t have as strong an impact on the RB20’s performance compared to Monaco.

However, it is also worth keeping a close eye on Ferrari, because Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz also have fast cars; Both have already won races this year and the Scuderia is only 24 points behind Red Bull Racing in the team standings.