F1 Predictions: 5 Things likely to happen at the Canadian Grand Prix

With yet another incredible win added to his tally at Monaco, Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes arrive at Canada along with the rest of the F1 circus. But can anyone else apart from the Silver Arrows clinch the contest?

While the answer to that one rests in the lap of the future, what doesn't are the numbers, an overwhelming majority of which point to Mercedes' great form at Montreal.

The Silver Arrows starting 2015 have gone on to win the Canadian Grand Prix for a record 3 occasions with Ferrari winning only one contest, in 2018.

Round seven of the current season brings us to Gilles Villeneuve-land, a venue where Lewis Hamilton has raised the Mercedes flag to new heights with the possible exception of the 2018 Canadian Grand Prix.

It was none other than Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel who would win the 70-lap contest. While Hamilton would miss out on a podium, Ferrari ruled. But can they this year?

Let us look at the 5 possible outcomes at the 2019 Canadian Grand Prix in Sportskeeda's predictions for the 2019 Canadian Grand Prix:

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#5. Nico Hulkenberg returns to scoring points, finally

F1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan - Hulkenberg looks pensive, but it would all change at Canada

Nico Hulkenberg last scored a point this year at Australia. Remember, it was the season-opening race.

Since then, in the next 5 races, Nico Hulkenberg has managed no more than a seventeenth, DNF, fourteenth, thirteenth, and another thirteenth, at Bahrain, China, Baku, Spain, and Monaco, respectively.

Time to return to some points again, Nico? Well, the 2019 Canadian Grand Prix shall see the German driver, someone who's greatest F1 feat is a single pole position, return to scoring some useful points for the Cyril Abiteboul-led team.

In so doing, the Emmerich am Rhein-born driver shall end the draught. The reason to believe this is pretty simple. In the past occasions, the Renault driver has collected pretty solid points at Montreal. For instance, in 2018 Hulkenberg would score a P7 at Canada. This would be an improvement over his P8 at the same track a year earlier.

So get going Nico! Time to deliver again.

#4. Gasly sets another fastest lap

Gasly in action for the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco

Not many drivers may have expected something stellar from the inexperienced Frenchman Pierre Gasly. And this isn't down to the fact that Gasly lacks any talent. Because had that been the case, the French racing driver wouldn't have collected two fastest laps already this year, one each at Monaco and China.

It could be argued that driving for a team that has none other than "Mad Max" as its senior driver would never have come easy for the former Toro Rosso driver.

Yet, the 23-year-old has shown tremendous form this season. He's already collected a total of 32 points from the six races held thus far and can be expected to unfurl a memorable performance up ahead this weekend.

While he'd enter only his third-ever Canadian Grand Prix, it can be argued that Gasly, currently sixth on the driver's standings will exhibit some class and possibly collect another fastest lap award.

#3. Raikkonen ends the scoring lull as seen in Spain and Monaco

F1 Grand Prix at Canada might see Kimi return to his impressive scoring ways for Alfa Romeo

The only time that Kimi Raikkonen has ever won at Canada is the 2005 race, where the Iceman ruled with clinical precision in a McLaren.

But then, that was nearly over a decade and a half back in time. While surely there's no question of a win here in the 70-lap run in an Alfa Romeo, what can be expected from Kimi is to see the Finn return to the scoring ways.

As seen at the last two Grands Prix, Raikkonen, who has been responsible for scoring all of Alfa Romeo's 13 points in the season, failed to pick up a single point. This was disappointing. In fact, Monaco, the enigmatic driver's 300th Grand Prix, proved to be a no-show.

But can the most experienced man on the grid return to some point-scoring at the Villeneuve-land? Yes, sir! Purely, on experience and form, it cannot be doubted that Raikkonen wouldn't do all in his might to pull off some moves in emerging competitive in the contests involving the midfielders.

That said, his task would require something stellar during qualifying, not Kimi's biggest strength- right?

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#2. Magnussen goes into the top five - his best-ever finish at Canada

K-Mag's best-finish in Canada is the P9 he got in 2014

It seems that Kevin Magnussen could be mong the most understated drivers on the current grid. The young Danish driver, who drove his first-ever F1 race back in 2014, in a McLaren, has come a long way.

This year, the somewhat temperamental but mercurial driving talent has already collected 14 valuable points for his Rich Energy Haas F1 team and stands eighth on the current driver's standings.

At Canada, a track where Magnussen has previously raced on 4 separate occasions, it can be said that the 26-year-old will score a fighting fifth, or who knows, even a career-best finish at Montreal, in the form of a P4?

Previously, Magnussen, who's done the better part of the scoring for the Haas team, collected a personal best finish of his ninth, back in 2014. But then, hasn't a lot changed since then?

How can only merely rely on an effort that was exhbited over half a decade ago?

#1. Ferrari take their maiden race win

F1 Grand Prix of Spain where both Ferrari drivers were found battling each other

So far in 2019, they haven't even won a single race. Apart from his single podium as seen at Bahrain, arguably, among the best races held thus far, alongside Monaco, Charles Leclerc hasn't done anything really fantastic.

That doesn't mean that his experienced teammate, Sebastian Vettel has been exhibiting any record-shattering feats either.

The widely-experienced German driver, whose been in F1 for over a decade recently earned his best-place finish, in the form of a second at Monaco. Since then, there's been a question in the form of the German's imminent F1 future.

But truth be told, the string of low-scores for Ferrari could be set for a major rejig at Montreal, a track where Vettel's previously won on two different occasions, one each in 2013 and 2018.

Starting with a key positive that it were none other than the Ferrari who won the 2018 contest, what remains to be seen is whether anyone among young Leclerc or Vettel would be able to clinch a win and hence, put an end to the question surrounding the team and its drivers' repeat failures.

That said, just imagine how incredible would that sort of a performance be where a red car finally puts an end to the hegemony that Mercedes have clearly established in the current era in motorsport's finest template?

The reason to believe the above is simply down to the fact that Ferrari 'could' make use of their better straight-line speed.