Formula One resumes this weekend in Montreal with the spotlight on Mercedes team-mates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.
Their strained relationship deteriorated in Monaco where a controversial qualifying session saw Rosberg use an escape road to bring out yellow flags, aborting Hamilton’s last chance to seize pole position. An intense duel between the two in the race saw Rosberg victorious, his second win of the season allowing him to oust Hamilton from top spot in the drivers’ standings.
The Monaco incident provoked much speculation about the partnership, observers drawing parallels with the sparring between Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber last season. Hamilton responded to the media circus by uploading an old photo to Twitter of himself and Rosberg riding unicycles, with the message: “Today we spoke and we’re cool, still friends”.
Lewis Hamilton’s Twitter photo hits back at media speculation.
The sub-plot in Montreal will be whether Red Bull Racing and Ferrari can stick with the blistering Mercedes. Fernando Alonso and Daniel Ricciardo, third and fourth on the table, will be hoping to break Mercedes’ monopoly.
The Montreal weekend is unpredictable. The weather is always a factor, with forecasts predicting variable conditions. The 13 fast-flowing corners of Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve will be sure to entertain in race seven of the 2014 Formula One season. – Jake O’Brien
Top photo from Erik Dunham’s Flickr photostream.
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