Check out a short list of favorites for Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix at Montreal:
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| | Barrichello |
Rubens Barrichello (Brazil)
Posted a seventh-place finish
two weeks ago at the Monaco Grand Prix; the race before in
Austria, the consummate teammate followed orders from team boss
Jean Todt to allow Michael Schumacher to pass for victory over
the last 100 yards; he dominated that race and the entire
weekend; last year at Montreal, crashed with Juan Montoya on
the 20th lap and did not finish; came in second place at this
event in 2000; is fourth in the World Drivers' Championship
standings with 12 points.
David Coulthard (Scotland)
Coming off first victory of the
season at the Monaco Grand Prix, winning from the second spot
on the grid; had his best qualifying effort in Monaco; started
the year with DNFs in Australia and Malaysia, but has earned
points in the next five grand prixs; win in Monte Carlo moves
him into fourth place in the World Drivers' Championship
Standings; started third and did not finish last year in Canada;
McLaren-Mercedes' most recent success at the event was in 1999
when Mike Hakkinen secured victory.
Juan Pablo Montoya (Brazil)
Started the Grand Prix of Monaco from
the pole position but failed to finish two weeks ago; it was the
first time he did not gain a point this season; was runner-up
three times, with a third, fourth and fifth-place efforts; third
in the World Drivers' Championship standings with 27 points;
started from the 10th spot in his first trip to Canada, but
retired on lap 20 after an accident during which the Colombian
lost the back end of his Williams and slammed into a wall.
Michael Schumacher (Germany)
The four-time world champion had
his four-race winning streak stopped two weeks ago with a
second-place effort at Monaco; sits atop the World Drivers'
Championship standings with 60 points; has won four times in
Canada and said, "I like the circuit a lot, even if it is not one
of my outright favorites. But for whatever reason, I have always
gone well in Montreal, even if the circuit does not particularly
suit my driving style. I tend to prefer fast corners and there
are none of these, so I can't really explain it;" Ferrari
seeks its 150th Grand Prix victory.
Ralf Schumacher (Germany)
Won his second career race at this
event last year; notched his fourth career win by taking the
checkered flag in Malaysia this season; also was second in
Brazil, third in San Marino and Monaco last week; moved into
second place in the World Drivers' Championship standings with
27 points; Williams is second all-time with seven wins in Canada;
"I a very happy to go racing in Canada," the German said. "I had
a good result there last year and if it is possible, I would be
obviously very pleased to repeat the outcome."
Jacques Villeneuve (Canada)
Never won at the track named after
his father; did finish second in Canadian Grand Prix debut in 1996;
has not finished higher than seventh place this season, with a pair
of seventh-place efforts his best results; has 12 career Formula
One wins but none since Luxembourg GP in September 1997, his
championship season.