Drivers ’afraid’ of rain as F1 faces wet-weather unknown
"You guys are going to be shocked"
Pierre Gasly says Formula 1 drivers could be in for a major shock if rain hits Montreal this weekend.
Wet weather remains possible across the remainder of the Canadian GP weekend - a potentially critical issue given the radically different characteristics of Formula 1’s new 2026 cars.
So far, teams have done virtually no meaningful wet running under the heavily electrified regulations.
However, Alpine driver Gasly has at least experienced the conditions after completing a recent wet-tyre test for Pirelli at Magny-Cours.
Asked about the possibility of rain in Montreal, Gasly warned his rivals.
"You guys are going to be shocked," he said.
"I’m glad I’ve done these two days. It’s going to be interesting for you guys."
Gasly compared the experience to an earlier wet-weather test at Silverstone.
"I’ve had Silverstone, 20th of January, which was memorable and I think will stay with me forever," he said.
"But Magny-Cours was also something."
Former Formula 1 driver Martin Brundle says many drivers are privately anxious about how the new-generation cars will behave in the wet.
"The drivers are all a bit afraid of how these cars will behave in the rain," he told Sky.
"They have a huge amount of power, but less downforce and less grip, and they simply don’t know it yet."
"No one really had the chance to push it full in a competitive situation. We could just get some drama."
Meanwhile sprint qualifying in Montreal strengthened the growing impression that Mercedes may manage to stay ahead of the field in 2026.
Mercedes locked out the front row, with George Russell returning to form after insisting earlier in the weekend that he had "no need to panic" despite teammate Kimi Antonelli leading the championship.
Even so, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff warned the margins remain extremely small.
But Dr Helmut Marko sounded more pessimistic. "They have the best package," the former Red Bull advisor told Osterreich newspaper when asked about Mercedes.
"If the updates work now, the world championship is practically over."