Martin Brundle believes that current Formula 1 drivers approach the new 2026 cars with some concern, especially regarding their behavior in the rain.
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F1 has undergone a major technical revolution this season, with significant changes made to aerodynamics as well as power units.
While drivers have already accumulated many kilometers in dry conditions, the new cars have hardly ever been tested on wet tracks, except for some limited runs during the Barcelona shakedown, when some teams tried to gather initial data in the rain.
Leap into the unknown
Under these conditions, the Grand Prix commentator for Sky Sports F1 Martin Brundle believes that a form of uncertainty remains in the paddock.
“The drivers are all a bit afraid of what these cars might do in the rain,” he explained to Sky Sports News. They have enormous power, less aerodynamic downforce, less grip… and they still don’t really know how they will behave.”
The Canadian Grand Prix, held this weekend, could precisely become the first real full-scale test since rain is currently forecast for Sunday.
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And according to Brundle, this could quickly turn the race into a real trap: “No one has yet had the chance to push these cars in a truly competitive race situation in the rain, so we could see a lot of spectacle… and maybe drama.”
An old-school circuit
The former driver also reminds that Montreal has historically always been a particularly tricky circuit when weather conditions worsen: “Only one of the last eight editions in Montreal has taken place without safety car intervention, in one form or another.”
The Brit highlights that the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve remains a very demanding and “old school” track, where the slightest mistake is immediately costly: “If you have an accident here, you generally stay on the track. It’s a very tough circuit in that sense, old school… and that’s exactly why we love it.”
The forecast for this weekend predicts generally dry weather on Friday and Saturday, but more than 85% chance of rain for Sunday (see table below). Facing the ice rink of Île Notre Dame without any prior training in these conditions could therefore prove perilous…
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