As Formula 1 gears up for the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, all eyes in Germany are turning to Nico Hülkenberg. The 37-year-old veteran is riding a wave of confidence after an impressive fifth-place finish in Barcelona, which earned him ten championship points. Speaking ahead of the race weekend, Hülkenberg reflected on his performance, describing it as “one of those rare races where everything just came together perfectly.”
His strong result has propelled Sauber up the constructors’ standings, where the team now holds eighth place with 16 points—already four times the total it achieved throughout the entire 2024 season. Last year, Sauber finished dead last with only four points, highlighting the scale of the turnaround.
Interestingly, Hülkenberg has previously achieved a fifth-place finish in Canada as well, though that was over a decade ago. Despite the encouraging signs, the Sauber driver remains realistic about the challenges that lie ahead. “We’ll give it everything we’ve got again this weekend,” he assured. However, he acknowledged that the unique demands of the Canadian track present a very different test compared to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
“The surface here is bumpy, and the speeds are generally much lower,” Hülkenberg explained. “We’ll have to wait and see how the car responds to those conditions.” While expectations are tempered, he added with a smile, “it never hurts to dream.”
Meanwhile, Max Verstappen arrives in Montreal with a different kind of pressure. The three-time world champion is navigating a more complicated weekend, as Red Bull faces growing competition from rival teams. Though Verstappen remains a favourite, the narrow margins and technical nature of the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve could lead to surprises.
The Canadian Grand Prix is the fourth of seven races this season being broadcast free-to-air on RTL, a welcome move for fans eager to follow the action. The remaining races scheduled to air on RTL in 2025 include:
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March 23 – Chinese Grand Prix (Shanghai)
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May 18 – Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix (Imola)
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June 1 – Spanish Grand Prix (Barcelona)
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June 15 – Canadian Grand Prix (Montreal)
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July 27 – Belgian Grand Prix (Spa-Francorchamps)
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August 31 – Dutch Grand Prix (Zandvoort)
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November 23 – Las Vegas Grand Prix (USA)
The Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, a 4.361-kilometre track located in Montreal, will host the 70-lap race on Sunday. Known for its long straights, tight chicanes, and unforgiving walls, it has crowned legends such as Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher, each with seven victories on Canadian soil.
For viewers wanting full race coverage—including practice sessions, qualifying, and sprint races—all events will continue to be available on Sky Sport via Sky and WOW.
As the season progresses, the race in Montreal promises to be a critical moment—not only for title contenders like Verstappen but also for underdogs like Hülkenberg, who are eager to seize every opportunity and push their teams higher up the standings.
