Parc Ferme: Montreal’s battle of Formula 1 upgrades

The performance of the major “new parts” being introduced by the two main protagonists could have a lasting impact on the season’s shape.

Both Mercedes and McLaren are allegedly bringing major upgrades to the game, which is bad news for everyone else. Especially Ferrari, whose SF-26 currently seems to have the start of a racehorse and the finish of a donkey.

The circuit Gilles Villeneuve favours, amongst other things, brute power in the dry. An advantage for those running Mercedes Power Units. However, it’s possible that both heavyweights will cancel each other out with their new tweaks and that silver arrows will continue to have a couple of tenths in the bag with their PU still enjoying a better chassis/software fit.

If Charles Leclerc or Lewis Hamilton covet a podium, then they will need to offer up a sacrifice to the rain Gods. Fortunately, for Maranello, it’s predicted that they are in the mood to listen and deliver.

A wet race with multiple fortuitous safety cars could well play into the Italian team’s hands.

This, coupled with their car’s strong mechanical grip, could see a Ferrari amongst the top three. That is, so long as they don’t rely on their “magic eight ball” to make pit box decisions.

While things may look good for the teams, spare a thought for some of their drivers.

George Russell is on the ropes, and this weekend we’re going to find out if he can punch his way out of them.

His nemesis, Kimi Antonelli, is on a roll, the kind that gives a driver an automatic two-tenths over his teammate before the weekend even kicks off.

Parc Ferme would wager that it will take some big punches from fate to put Antonelli on the back foot. Technically, and statistically, this circuit is Russell country, but the young Italian pup had his podium breakthrough here last year, so…

There must also be some question marks in the McLaren corral for Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. The announcement of Gianpiero "GP" Lambiase’s switch to the Woking Teams camp must raise the spectre of Max Verstappen in papaya clothing.

The implications here are obvious; either Norris or Piastri will be left without a chair when the music stops. Ironically, Parc Ferme believes that neither outcome (staying or leaving) is particularly appealing to them with Max in the next garage.

No doubt they are hoping the five-time world champion is finished with F1 at the end of 2027.

Finally, whilst we are on McLaren, they have one other upgrade that’s not been mentioned - Lando Norris. Parc Ferme would like to give recognition where it’s deserved, especially since he publicly doubted his credentials.

Lando was always quick, but last year, he needed a lot of handholding to get him across the line. However, 2026 has seen a totally different Norris.

He’s gone from looking and sounding like an impostor to a guy who owns it and everyone else on the grid.  If he is given the car and continues to carry himself in the same vein, then we could well see a Norris double.

He has that look of a real race driver about him now, both on and off the track. Respect!