Weekend preview (May 8-10): F1, FE, Gill and more

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton heads to this weekend Canadian Grand Prix with a 16-point advantage over Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel.

Hamilton has always been strong in Canada, having won six races - including the last three - at Montreal. Vettel, by contrast, has only won once in the North American country.

Hamilton and Vettel’s chances of winning this year’s Canadian GP will depend upon how much grunt their respective Mercedes and Ferrari engines can produce, for Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is one of the most power-critical tracks on the calendar.

It’s for that reason Red Bull may not feature in the fight for the victory; for all the improvements Renault has made, the French manufacturer’s engine is still not as powerful as Mercedes or Ferrari’s.

Force India, which recently announced that Vijay Mallya will step down as a director but will continue to function as principal, should be looking for another strong result after a sixth place finish in Monaco.

The recent upgrades have put the Silverstone-based outfit on an upward trajectory and the Mercedes engine on the back of the VJM11 will allow it to edge ahead of midfield rivals Renault, Haas and McLaren.

Switzerland will host its first motor race in 64 years when Formula E visits the streets of Zurich this weekend.

Jean-Eric Vergne can mathematically wrap up the title with two races to go, having established a 40-points lead over his nearest rival Sam Bird.

However, the uncertainty presented by a new circuit means the race could go anyone’s way - and could have potential ramifications on the title fight.

India’s Mahindra Racing team will be hoping for a reversal of fortunes after struggling for pace in the last two races. The outfit started the season on a very promising note with two wins in four races, but its title challenge never materialised after a downturn in results in the middle part of the year.

Gaurav Gill will make his much awaited World Rally Championship-2 debut in Italy this weekend.

After dominating Asia Pacific Rally Championship for several seasons, Gill and MRF Tyres are stepping up to WRC2 for a partial 2018 campaign.

As part of the deal, Gill will drive an MRF-branded Ford Fiesta R5, which will be run by renowned British rally squad M-Sport.

NRT will contest this weekend’s World Supersport round at the Czech Republic.

The Indian team has taken the World SBK-supporting category by storm this year, winning two races and fighting for the championship.

The outfit will be keen on carrying the momentum to Brno, with its hopes pinned on star rider Jules Cluzel.

Kush Maini will race at the legendary Silverstone Circuit during the fourth round of British F3 championship.

The younger of the Maini brothers has started his rookie F3 season on a strong note, winning one race and scoring four further podium finishes.

He currently stands third in the drivers’ standings and has made it clear that he won’t settle for anything less than the title.

Krishnaraaj Mahadik (British F3, Silverstone)

Although Krishnaraaj Mahadik hasn’t got the kind of top results his countryman Maini has managed, he’s been super-consistent all season.

A podium finish at the last round at Snetterton elevated him to fifth in the drivers’ standings - and he would be hoping for similar results at Silverstone.

Advait Deodhar will graduate to the Elite 2 class of NASCAR Whelen Euro series for this weekend’s Brands Hatch round.

Deodhar ended a three-year racing hiatus in 2018 by joining the Elite Club category of Euro NASCAR, the European edition of the popular American stock car championship.

He made an immediate impression by winning on his series debut at Valencia (Spain), before finishing second in Italy.

He will drive Dexwet - DF1 Racing’s #66 Chevrolet SS, having previously raced a Camaro for Mishumotors.

National Motorcycle Championship (Coimbatore)

The 2018 season of National Motorcycle Championship will get underway at the Kari Motor Speedway this weekend.

Some of the best riders in India will compete across various categories, including Super Sport 165cc and Super Sport 300-400. A separate race for ladies will also be held to promote participation of women in motorsport.