Canadian Grand Prix 2000
Montreal, 16th-18th June

TV screenshots

Race

Jaguar-Racing, 18th June: After the high of Monaco, the Jaguar Racing team had a difficult race in Montreal. The promise of Friday practice - when Johnny Herbert and Eddie Irvine were fourth and eighth respectively - was never realized, and the problems started from the moment the race began.

Eddie failed to get off the line at the start. He was pushed into the pitlane where the mechanics restarted his car, but it dropped him two laps down and the rest of his afternoon was spent chasing the rest of the field. He eventually finished three laps behind Michael Schumacher.

Johnny Herbert was in a solid 12th place after eight laps. However, he soon began to have trouble selecting gears, and pulled into the pits to retire on lap 15.

"Early on I was able to hang onto the back of Fisichella, but then I started to lose gears and eventually I had to come in," said Johnny. "It’s damn frustrating because I had a hell of a lot of problems in Monaco and I’ve had a lot of problems here this weekend."

Race results (from AtlasF1):

1. M Schumacher Ferrari 1h 41:12.313 
2. Barrichello Ferrari + 0.174 
3. Fisichella Benetton Playlife + 15.300 
4. Hakkinen McLaren Mercedes + 18.500 
5. Verstappen Arrows Supertec + 52.200 
6. Trulli Jordan Mugen-Honda + 1:01.600 
7. Coulthard McLaren Mercedes + 1:02.200 
8. Zonta BAR Honda + 1:10.400 
9. Wurz Benetton Playlife + 1:19.800 
10. Diniz Sauber Petronas + 1:29.500 
11. Button Williams BMW 1 Lap 
12. Mazzacane Minardi Fondmetal 1 Lap 
13. Irvine Jaguar Cosworth 3 Laps 
14. R Schumacher Williams BMW 5 Laps

Qualifying

Jaguar-Racing, 17th June: After showing well on Friday, Jaguar Racing might have expected so much more from qualifying at Montreal than the team actually achieved. Eleventh and 16th places mean that Johnny Herbert and Eddie Irvine will have their work cut out for Sunday's race.

For Johnny the good news was that not only did he equal his best performance of 11th in Monaco, but he did at least beat Eddie for the first time this year. Before Canada, the balance stood at 7-0 in Eddie's favour - and he was the only driver to have outqualified his team-mate at every race.

"I think on Friday we were running less fuel than some other people," said Johnny. "But the thing was we sort of improved the car with the track. We did a little bit of that this morning, but not as much. I did 1m20.0s this morning, and basically that seemed to be all I could do. Then in qualifying I did a 1m19.9s. So I think I just found the limit of the car.

"We tried a lot of things this morning, and we tried quite a few things for qualifying. It kind of made it a bit better here and a bit worse there, but as an overall package it was basically the same. At the time I thought the colder conditions in the morning might be a problem, and maybe when it got warmer it might come our way, but now I have to say that wasn't the case."

Johnny starts from the very middle of the grid, and with the Jaguar clutch much improved he is hopeful of making up ground at the start.

"I think we'll be better in a race situation, so from that point of view it shouldn't be too bad. It's normally high in attrition here, although I must say reliability has been good for most teams this year. But you've also got a lot of chances for drivers to make mistakes. Hopefully I won't, and I can get something from that. It's going to be hard, it's probably going to be very close, and it's probably going to be a train. We'll see how it goes."

Qualifying grid:

1. Michael Schumacher, Ferrari - 1:18.439
2. David Coulthard, McLaren-Mercedes 1:18.537 (+0.098)
3. Rubens Barrichello, Ferrari - 1:18.801 (+0.362)
4. Mika Hakkinen, McLaren-Mercedes - 1:18.985 (+0.546)
5. Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Jordan-Mugen Honda - 1:19.483 (+1.044)
6. Jacques Villeneuve, BAR-Honda - 1:19.544 (+1.105)
7. Jarno Trulli, Jordan-Mugen Honda - 1:19.581 (+1.142)
8. Ricardo Zonta, BAR-Honda - 1:19.742 (+1.303)
9. Pedro de la Rosa, Arrows-Supertec - 1:19.912 (+1.473)
10. Giancarlo Fisichella, Benetton-Supertec - 1:19.932 (+1.493)
11. Johnny Herbert, Jaguar - 1:19.954 (+1.515)
12. Ralf Schumacher, Williams-BMW - 1:20.073 (+1.634)
13. Jos Verstappen, Arrows-Supertec - 1:20.107 (+1.668)
14. Alexander Wurz, Benetton-Supertec - 1:20.113  + 1.674
15. Mika Salo, Sauber-Petronas - 1:20.445 (+2.006)
16. Eddie Irvine, Jaguar - 1:20.500 (+2.061)
17. Jean Alesi, Prost-Peugeot - 1:20.512 (+2.073)
18. Jenson Button, Williams-BMW - 1:20.534 (+2.095)
19. Pedro Diniz, Sauber-Petronas - 1:20.692 (+2.253)
20. Marc Gene, Minardi-Fondmetal - 1:21.058 (+2.619)
21. Nick Heidfeld, Prost-Peugeot - 1:21.680 (+3.241)
22. Gaston Mazzacane, Minardi-Fondmetal - 1:22.091 (+3.652)
 

Friday Practice

Jaguar Racing Press Release, 16th June 2000: The Jaguar Racing team had a productive practice session for the 2000 Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal today, putting in some solid groundwork for the weekend ahead. Johnny Herbert and Eddie Irvine finished in 4th and 8th places respectively at the end of the day.

Johnny Herbert (Chassis: R1-06; Position: 4th; Laps: 40; Best Time: 1:21.174)

"I think today was my best showing of the season so far, the team’s too as Eddie was always up there too. The result shows that we are definitely moving in the right direction and there is still a lot more to come from the car if we can get the balance right. With the right balance you can gain a lot of time in Montreal so it’s crucial we get that right. At the end of the day we’re pretty happy but it’s tomorrow that counts."

Eddie Irvine (Chassis: R1-04; T-Car chassis: R1-05; Position: 8th; Laps: 38; Best Time: 1:21.592)

"I’m reasonably happy with where we stand at this stage. I concentrated on race set-up work and getting the best out of the brakes. I’m not sure whether the grip level of the track improved as the day went on or whether we found big improvements in the car’s response under braking. I guess it was a combination of the two. I think we’re looking pretty good for tomorrow. We obviously have to tap into some more performance for qualifying but we know where it can be found."

Gary Anderson — Technical Director, Jaguar Racing

"We are reasonably content with our positions. We focussed on making the car work over the kerbs and finding stability under braking. We were encouraged by the way the car worked in low downforce trim. It was a very constructive day for Johnny, he did an excellent job and is well placed to land a good qualifying position. Eddie was concentrating on a different set-up. He caught yellow flags at the end when he was on a quick lap but showed enough potential to suggest that he will be on the pace for qualifying."

Jaguar-Racing, 16th June: David Coulthard held the advantage at the end of Friday's practice session for Sunday's Canadian GP, but not by much. The Monaco GP winner set a time of 1m20.602s, just pipping the 1m20.611s of Ferrari title rival Michael Schumacher. Rubens Barrichello was not far behind in the second Ferrari on 1m20.623s. The top three were covered by just two-hundredths of a second.

Johnny Herbert enjoyed probably his best day of the season so far to line up fourth for Jaguar on 1m21.174s, just over half a second down on Coulthard. For the first time this season, team-mate Eddie Irvine - who had a brief off-track moment near the end of the session - finished behind his team-mate and ended up in eighth with a time of 1m21.592s. Both drivers completed a lot of laps, suggesting that they were running heavy fuel loads.

Jaguar Racing enjoyed a good first day of practice for Sunday's Canadian GP. Bolstered by the team's first helping of points in Monaco a fortnight ago, Eddie Irvine and Johnny Herbert were both at the sharp end of the field throughout the day.

Johnny eventually edged ahead and finished an excellent fourth, ahead of double world champion Mika Hakkinen. And while nobody knows what fuel loads the others were running, Johnny definitely did not have the advantage of switching to a new set of tyres. In other words, it was a genuinely impressive performance.

"We always seem to be able to keep more ahead of the track changes than the others," said Johnny. "I think that was the good thing today, so that was encouraging. I always seem to have done relatively okay here, and I have done well in the past. It's a track where it's important to get the right balance. You can lose a lot of time if you haven't got it."

Johnny says he is not even worried about the prospect of rain, which has been proved an ever-present threat in Montreal so far this week.

"We'll have to see what the weather does tomorrow morning. If it is wet it's not a bad thing for us, but we should be okay in the dry with the set-up we've got at the moment."

Combined practice times:

1. Coulthard McLaren Mercedes 1:20.602 
2. M.Schumacher Ferrari 1:20.611 + 0.009 
3. Barrichello Ferrari 1:20.623 + 0.021 
4. Herbert Jaguar Cosworth 1:21.174 + 0.572 
5. Hakkinen McLaren Mercedes 1:21.370 + 0.768 
6. Trulli Jordan Mugen-Honda 1:21.380 + 0.778 
7. Salo Sauber Petronas 1:21.487 + 0.885 
8. Irvine Jaguar Cosworth 1:21.592 + 0.990 
9. Fisichella Benetton Playlife 1:21.687 + 1.085 
10. Villeneuve BAR Honda 1:21.846 + 1.244 
11. Alesi Prost Peugeot 1:22.022 + 1.420 
12. Verstappen Arrows Supertec 1:22.065 + 1.463 
13. Gene Minardi Fondmetal 1:22.176 + 1.574 
14. de la Rosa Arrows Supertec 1:22.176 + 1.574 
15. Frentzen Jordan Mugen-Honda 1:22.262 + 1.660 
16. Button Williams BMW 1:22.343 + 1.741 
17. Diniz Sauber Petronas 1:22.507 + 1.905 
18. Wurz Benetton Playlife 1:22.582 + 1.980 
19. Mazzacane Minardi Fondmetal 1:22.606 + 2.004
20. Zonta BAR Honda 1:22.668 + 2.066 
21. R.Schumacher Williams BMW 1:22.933 + 2.331 
22. Heidfeld Prost Peugeot 1:23.543 + 2.941 

Results of the first of today's two 1 hour practice sessions:

1. Michael Schumacher, Ferrari - 1:21.304
2. Rubens Barrichello, Ferrari - 1:21.398 (+0.094)
3. David Coulthard, McLaren-Mercedes - 1:21.850 (+0.546)
4. Mika Hakkinen, McLaren-Mercedes - 1:22.250 (+0.946)
5. Eddie Irvine, Jaguar-Ford - 1:22.319 (+1.015)
6. Johnny Herbert, Jaguar-Ford - 1:22.449 (+1.145)
7. Jos Verstappen, Arrows-Supertec - 1:22.460 (+1.156)
8. Giancarlo Fisichella, Benetton-Supertec - 1:22.651 (+1.347)
9. Jacques Villeneuve, BAR-Honda - 1:22.985 (+1.681)
10. Marc Gene, Minardi-Fondmetal - 1:23.026 (+1.722)

Race preview

Jaguar Racing Press Release, 12th June 2000: After scoring its first World Championship points in Monaco. the Jaguar Racing team sets off across the Atlantic with high hopes for the 2000 Canadian Grand Prix. The team has been hard at work in Monza in preparation for this race, testing aerodynamic modifications as well as set-ups and brake testing for the tough Montreal track. The Canadian Grand Prix is usually a race of attrition where it is rare to see half of the grid finishing the race so a strong car is vital. Gary Anderson explains:

"Montreal is a great place to go as everyone enjoys the circuit there and the city itself, It’s a demanding track on the brakes and you need good engine power to do well. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t get at least one car in the top six in qualifying - we should have done that in the last two races but it didn’t work out that way -which is where we need to be In order to score points. Otherwise you have to rely on other people being unlucky."

After a more competitive showing in Monaco, Johnny Herbert is looking forward to a good race in Canada:

"It’s difficult to get a good set-up in Montreal as we can’t test there before the race and the track is usually very dirty, at least until qualifying on Saturday. I do enjoy racing there as the circuit has good long straights with chicanes at the end where you have the opportunity to outbrake the car in front. It’s always difficult to get everyone around the first corner so let’s hope for no restarts this year."

Eddie Irvine could be on for a hat-trick of podium finishes in Canada:

"This is a strange place, being neither a street circuit nor a permanent race track. With some fast sections, short corners and a hairpin it can be very tough on the car, especially brakes. The surface is usually very dirty on the first day of practice and gets better as more rubber goes down. So it is important to let the right set-up come to you rather than make lots of changes while the track improves. 

"All these factors mean it can be quite a challenge and putting together a good lap is very satisfying. I’ve got quite a good record in Montreal, having scored my first podium in 1995 when I came third. I was also third in 1998 and 1999."

A lap of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve with Johnny

Autosport, 12th June: The first corner is very difficult and deceiving. There aren't any particular markers for braking, and it's quite bumpy as well, which can make the car a little bit excitable. And it's always important to get the braking point right, especially for the first left, because you want to keep as much speed up as you can through that.

It's fairly tight as you go into Turn 2, and it's only a second gear corner. You accelerate uphill out of there. By the time you're just past the apex you're giving it full power the whole way up towards Turn 3, getting into fourth gear as you go into three.

It's quite difficult, because as you turn right to go into Turn 3 it goes a little but downhill, and it's quite tight. The wall on the right makes it look tighter and it's a bit off putting. You're in second gear there, using the kerb. It's important to carry the speed through Turn 5. That's in fifth, flat out no problem. There's a little bump in the middle, but it doesn't really affect the car.

Turn 6 is difficult because there are no braking markers there. The corner itself is again quite important. You've got to use a little bit of the curb on the left at Turn 6, and you've got to keep it as tight as you can to come out for Turn 7 and carry the speed through there. It's second for Turn 6, and then into third half way around Turn 7, then accelerating down the straight.

Into Turn 8 you're using the kerb on the right in second gear, carrying the speed through that. Then you're flat out the whole way through Turn 9, into third gear half way round, fourth just on the exit and then fifth.

There are braking markers at the hairpin (Turn 10). It's like a little stadium, which is quite nice. It's very slow, in first or second gear. You can go very wide on the exit, up against the armco on the outside. As you're coming in you can normally see what's going on on the other side, and you can look at the big TV and see what's happening.

Then there's the straight, which is much better these days. The old fast chicane (pre'94) wasn't really a problem as it was always flat, but it might be a problem if something broke.

The final chicane is very good, and you can use all the kerbs. The exit of the last part is quite important, because you have to get really close to the wall to get a faster run down the straight. It's a very technical circuit but easy to learn, and it's not easy to set a car up.

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Last updated 18th June 2000