Rain, a rookie on form, and tension at Mercedes

From the increasingly tense battle between the Mercedes drivers to the threat carried by McLaren, and from another wet weather forecast to a track that can heavily punish mistakes, here are five things to keep an eye on when the lights go out on Sunday afternoon’s race at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

1. Another Mercedes head-to-head

The two Mercedes drivers have been engaged in a battle of sorts for the entire 2026 season already, given the performance of this year’s W17. They’ve won all four Grands Prix between them so far, but rarely have they actually been fighting over the same piece of track during those races.