🏁 We're Back in Montreal - EL BOX DE FRANCO

Franco returns to the circuit where he achieved his best qualifying result of the 2025 season

Published

19 May 2026

Est. reading time

3 min

🇨🇦 The Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve has something special about it

It's fast, technical, unpredictable and has walls everywhere. A track where Franco's confidence in the car will make the difference from the very first lap this Friday.

And he already knows what it's like to race here

Last year, on his debut in Montreal with Alpine, he achieved his best qualifying result of the season at that point: P12 in Q2, started P10 due to other drivers' penalties and completed a clean race through to P13, ahead of his teammate. This year he comes back with more mileage, more confidence and a determination to go one better.

🏟️ The circuit

The Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve is named after the first Canadian driver to win this Grand Prix, in 1978. It's a semi-street circuit on Île Notre-Dame, in the middle of the St Lawrence River, with some truly unique characteristics: - Long straights that invite flat-out speed. - Aggressive braking zones at the end of every straight. - Chicanes that punish any mistake. - The famous Wall of Champions at the end of the final chicane, where even world champions have crashed.

It's a circuit where brake management is crucial and the Safety Car almost always makes an appearance. In Canada, nothing is decided until the final lap.

🏎️ What they'll be working on this weekend

Montreal demands a very specific car balance: enough downforce for the slow corners, but without sacrificing speed on the long straights. The key areas where Franco can make a difference are: - Traction out of the chicanes: where time is won or lost against the closest rivals. - Stability under braking: the Wall of Champions does not forgive overconfidence. - Tyre management over a long stint: last year he showed he can look after his tyres and maintain pace right to the end. - Adapting to conditions: the weather in Montreal can change quickly, and Franco has shown he reads a race well.

👀 There's also a technical update to watch:

Alpine arrives in Montreal with an upgrade to the A526's rear end, which directs exhaust gases to generate extra load on the rear wing. It was tested in Miami with encouraging results, and the team is looking to take another step forward this weekend.

And a new rule born after Suzuka

Canada introduces a new safety regulation driven directly by the accident involving Bearman avoiding Franco in Suzuka.

From this weekend, cars will feature rear lights that change colour: purple, blue and yellow, to indicate the energy deployment state of the car. Drivers behind will know exactly how much power the car ahead is using. A measure that protects everyone on track, and one whose origins are tied to this very weekend.

What to watch this weekend

If you're following the race, these are the moments you can't miss:

- Opening the FC43 app on Friday at 14:20 to follow Franco live. - The start: Montreal's first corner is extremely tight and anything can happen. - The sector 2 chicanes: where Franco can gain positions with his aggression under braking. - The final stint: if the Safety Car comes out, strategy resets and everything can change.