2024 Canadian Grand Prix weather forecast: Will it rain at the race today?

Weather has always been a crucial part of the Canadian Grand Prix weekend since its inception. The iconic Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, located in Montreal, has been known for hosting some of the most dramatic wet-weather races so far.

The weekend began with drivers tackling a rain-soaked race track during the Free Practice 1 (FP1) session. However, as the day progressed, the weather became much clearer ahead of FP2. All teams got a chance to sample the track on slick racing tires during the second half on Friday. While FP3 was largely dry, the all-important Qualifying session saw a slight drizzle.

Despite this, Q3 (the third part of Qualifying) saw George Russell of Mercedes-AMG and Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing produce identical lap times in the closing stage.

Now, ahead of the race, a Formula 1 fan page has posted the weather forecast on X:

"Weather forecasts suggest there is a chance of rain in today's race."

While everyone is hoping for a dry race today, rain could likely make things more exciting for fans around the world. Such tricky conditions separate the good drivers from the rest of the pack, producing unusual results sometimes.

Some of the iconic moments in the history of the Canadian Grand Prix have come under bad weather conditions. For instance, Gilles Villeneuve's first-ever Formula 1 win in the rain-soaked race in 1978 or Jenson Button's legendary last-to-first drive in 2011, where he overtook Sebastian Vettel in the last lap to clinch victory.

However, if conditions get treacherous, there is also a possibility of a red flag ruining the day for drivers and fans alike.

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Has bad weather been responsible for ending a Grand Prix weekend early in recent years?

Formula 1 is one of the motorsports around the world that permits racing in rain, granted the conditions are within acceptable limits. However, one example that comes to mind where bad weather resulted in the shortening of a race weekend is the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix.

What began as Formula 1's 1500 race weekend ended up disastrously with Lando Norris's massive crash in Qualifying and Sergio Perez's accident during the formation lap.

The former had a heart-stopping moment going up the iconic uphill Eau Rouge section. With a lot of standing water on the track, the young British driver lost grip on the rear of his McLaren, causing him to aquaplane into the barrier and spin wildly, before coming to a halt. Luckily, Norris escaped unscathed and was cleared for the race.

The torrential downpour continued on the race day. Despite attempting to start the race behind the safety car, the then-race director Michael Masi decided to red-flag the race permanently for the day.

While the move was applauded for the safety of the drivers, several fans showed displeasure against the organizing body which offered no compensation for the rain-shortened Grand Prix weekend.