Sebastian Vettel expects Canada return to be "worth the wait"

Aston Martin

Sebastian Vettel expects Canada return to be "worth the wait"

F1 has not raced in Canada since 2019

Sam Hall

Friday 17 June 2022 11:37 Updated: 13:31

Sebastian Vettel is hopeful F1's long-awaited return to Canada this weekend will be "worth the wait" after a two-year absence.

Strict Covid requirements made it impossible to stage a race in Montréal over the past two years, but this weekend the sport is back in one of it's popular locasions.

On his last visit to Canada, then Ferrari driver Vettel was controversially denied the race victory after he was deemed to have gained a lasting advantage by running off the track at turn three during his battle with Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton.

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Looking ahead to this weekend, the Aston Martin driver said: “It is always nice to come back to a circuit after a couple of years away, as it makes for a bit of an extra challenge to find a nice rhythm around the track.

"But it’s definitely going to be worth the wait - the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a fantastic track and a great venue for racing."

Aston Martin unveiled a radical upgrade package in Spain, with its car bearing a striking resemblance to the championship-leading Red Bull RB18.

After finishing in the points at both Monaco and Azerbaijan, Vettel added: "The team has learned a lot from the past few races and the car is feeling better every week, so it will be good to see how everything translates in Montreal.”

Stroll excited for home race return

In his five-year career to date, Vettel's team-mate Lance Stroll has raced on just three occasions in his home country, finishing ninth twice.

Stroll has naturally described himself as "super excited to be back in front of a home crowd and racing in Canada again".

He added: "It is a shame we haven’t been to Montreal for the past couple of years, so there will be lots of work and preparation to get our car ready for the first practice sessions.

"As a team, we have made solid progress so far this season, so hopefully we can achieve a good result in front of my home crowd.”