Formula One back on track in North America

Montreal: A little more than two years after Roberta Kubica took the chequered flag in his breakthrough Canadian Grand Prix victory, Formula One is finally back on track at quirky Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

"The return of Formula 1 to North America is a very positive move for the sport," McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh said. "I think everybody is tremendously looking forward to the Canadian Grand Prix."

A fixture on Isle Notre Dame from 1978-2008, the race was scrapped in 2009 after F1 president Bernie Ecclestone failed to reach a deal with organisers.

Late last year, the race was revived through to 2014 with over $70 million in public money. The Canadian government and Montreal tourism bureau are providing $24 million each, Quebec is giving $19 million and the municipal government nearly $5 million.

"The residents of Montreal really take this race to their hearts, and there's always a fantastic atmosphere throughout the race weekend," Whitmarsh said. "The circuit itself is fast and unforgiving — practically the perfect recipe for exciting, unpredictable and close racing."

Red bull: No team orders

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix represents one of the "biggest challenges of the year" to his squad, but he is adamant his drivers, Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel, will be allowed to race each other despite their collision in Turkey a fortnight ago.

"We won't be instructing one driver or the other to concede or overtake," said Horner. "They will be racing each other; the most important thing is they respect they are driving for a team and I believe they do. Red Bull is about racing, it's not about processions, otherwise we would have given team orders after the first turn or the pit stop," Horner said.

- The Telegraph Group Limited, London 2010