Gasly warns Canadian GP could become an "elimination game" with rainy conditions

Pierre Gasly has issued a stark warning ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, suggesting that rain could turn Sunday's race into a survival exercise, with several drivers raising serious concerns about the performance of Formula 1's current wet-weather tyres.

A Circuit That Already Makes Tyre Management Difficult

With rain forecast for the grand prix and temperatures expected to drop as low as 11°C, the situation becomes significantly more complicated. Drivers have also been vocal about a more fundamental issue: that Pirelli's new wet tyres are simply too hard, making it even harder to generate the heat necessary for them to function effectively.

Gasly Expects "A Pretty Eventful Race"

"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."

The Alpine driver went further, hinting at the chaos that could ensue: "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."

Carlos Sainz elaborated on the specific problems Gasly encountered at Magny-Cours, noting that the Frenchman had reported the intermediates and wets failing to reach their operating range, along with aquaplaning — a particularly alarming finding given the Montreal conditions forecast for race day. This concern is not isolated to Gasly and Sainz; Oscar Piastri has also flagged a "large element of the unknown" at the Canadian GP, adding concerns over new-generation power units in the rain to the already troubling picture painted by the wet tyre performance.

Hamilton Calls for More Work After Pushing for Tyre Blanket Reinstatement

Lewis Hamilton brought an additional dimension to the debate, drawing on his own test experience with the 2026 Pirelli wet and intermediate compounds at Ferrari's Fiorano circuit. The tyres were originally designed to operate without tyre blankets, but Hamilton says the performance shortfall prompted him to push both Pirelli and the FIA to reinstate their use.

"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," Hamilton said.

His advocacy did yield some results — tyre blanket use was reintroduced following his intervention, and was subsequently extended to the extreme wet compounds too. But Hamilton remained clear-eyed about how much ground still needs to be covered.

"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."

Hadjar Dismisses Wets as "Not Made for a Race with 21 Other Guys"

Rookie Isack Hadjar also weighed in with a characteristically direct verdict. Having sampled the wet tyre during the Barcelona shakedown — a session that ended with a crash after he switched to intermediates in damp conditions — Hadjar was dismissive of their race-readiness, stating bluntly that they are "not made for a race with 21 other guys."

Taken together, the chorus of driver dissatisfaction paints a concerning picture for race day in Montreal. If the rain arrives as forecast, Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix could test not just the skill of the drivers, but the very limits of equipment that many on the grid already consider unfit for the conditions they are about to face.