F1 Canadian Grand Prix preview: Mercedes back on track, Martin urgently needs to be promoted, Zhou Guanyu needs to continue his form

The 2023 F1 Canadian Grand Prix will officially start this weekend on June 16, and each team will have different highlights.

Aston Martin: Stoll at home The team is in desperate need of upgrades to meet the challenge

Aston Martin driver Alonso has already secured a car with a chance to win, so this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix is likely to see Alonso and his new team, Aston Martin, looking for even greater improvement as they embark on new upgrade plans in Montreal this week.

Aston Martin's most uncompetitive performance of the season was failing to finish on the podium at the Barcelona circuit, but if the team had sounded the alarm in the run-up to the race, that race might not have been so tough.

Mercedes and Ferrari's cars have made very visible changes in recent weeks, finally coming out of the cul-de-sac of pre-season design work. Alonso spoke about the need for Aston Martin to react and that there is a level of urgency in the work or risk being left behind.

At first glance, the layout of the Canadian Villeneuve circuit doesn't seem like a good fit for a race car that has struggled for straight-line speed so far this season, but with almost half of the track currently covered by the DRS zone, teams can have more speed and more overtaking opportunities.

Add to that upgrades and a bit of luck, and will that be enough for Alonso to get an unexpected surprise against Red Bull in Verstappen?

This reminds us of 2014 when Daniel Ricciardo ended Mercedes' all-winning start to the season with a chronically underpowered and unreliable Red Bull Renault team, albeit after Hamilton and teammate Rosberg's cars fell into reliability problems.

And what about Alonso's teammate and home player Lance Stoll?

Unsurprisingly, he came under criticism after several disappointing matches in Miami and Monaco. But the last time he finished sixth in Spain, there was a sense of consistency and recovery ahead of the home game.

Red Bull and Mercedes: Verstappen wins sixth win of the season Mercedes back on track

If Red Bull's RB19 car sometimes looks almost specifically designed for Barcelona's high-speed corners, how much does Red Bull Racing value Canada's DRS zone, given the car's performance on the straights?

Realistically, Verstappen has a good chance of winning his sixth championship trophy in 2023. On this track, good following conditions should provide Verstappen's team-mate Perez with a chance to emerge from his recent crisis of confidence.

With the first double podium in Barcelona in 2023, Mercedes has regained its strong competitiveness on the track.

The Canadian Grand Prix is one of Mercedes' most intense races in 2022, and there is also a scene of Wolff roaring at a team principal's meeting, famous for Race Fast. Last year's Hamilton finished third and this year they are still looking to finish on the podium.

Ferrari: Upgrades need to show strength It should be on par with the Le Mans team

Carlos Sainz started in the first row in Spain, but this was not so much a sign of Ferrari's breakthrough as a demonstration of his ability to control tyre temperatures. Teammate Leclerc spent the weekend adrift.

Sainz was just a second behind Verstappen in Canada last year, and when Scuderia Ferrari's success at Le Mans, with its complete and confident all-round team performance, in stark contrast to F1 team operations, Ferrari is sure to achieve a Le Mans-like result in this race.

Alpine: Emerging strength is expected to join the "Mars Group" competition

Alpine seems to be in crisis for much of the season, but in the meantime, will Alpine step in the battle for Aston Martin, Mercedes and Ferrari?

Alpine finished fourth and seventh on the track in Spain and added more valuable points to their team. When Ocon finished the podium in Monaco, anyone thought the team would return to normal levels

Alfa Romeo: 2022 season needs to regain last year's form in Canada

For the Alfa Romeo team, the Canadian Grand Prix is a pivotal moment in their 2022 season. In that race, Zhou Guanyu and Bottas brought back valuable points.

Their strong start to the 2022 season – only two of the first nine races without scoring – was enough to put Alfa in 2022 in sixth place in the Constructors' Championship for his best result in years.

However, the Alfa Romeo team has only eight points so far this year, and despite Zhou Guanyu struggling to finish ninth in Spain and teammate Bottas again failing to collect points, the Canadian Grand Prix is a good chance to regain their form last year.

Tencent Sports will bring a full live broadcast to car fans and friends this week:

2023 F1 Season 9th Canadian Grand Prix (Live Broadcast Platform: Tencent Sports Tencent Video)

Saturday, June 17 01:30-02:30 One practice

Saturday, June 17 05:00-06:00 Second practice

Sunday, June 18 00:30-01:30 Three exercises

Sunday 18 June 04:00-05:00 Qualifying

Monday, June 19 02:00-04:00 Main Match