Bridgestone ran the same two compounds at the last round in Monaco, a track which at first glance looks far removed from its Montreal counterpart. The two venues do, however, have some features in common.

“Similar to Monte Carlo, being more or less a street circuit, Montreal is not used many times so it's very dusty and very slippery, which is why we've opted for the soft and super soft compounds,” explained Kees van de Grint, Bridgestone’s Head of Track Engineering Operations.

That is where the similarities end, though. With long straights followed by tight corners, the heavy braking requirements in Canada could have an important effect on tire wear.

“There's a lot of heat generated and because of this we can also expect high temperatures in the tires,” added van de Grint. “It will be a bit of a challenge to make the tires survive on this track, especially at the beginning of the weekend with the high speeds and the expected high temperatures."

Current forecasts suggest an ambient high of around 24 degrees Celsius for Sunday’s Grand Prix - a lot cooler than last year’s race, which peaked at 32.