Canada has a habit of producing memorable races and Max Verstappen's rivals will be hoping for some sort of drama in Montreal as no-one looks likely to beat the dynamic Dutchman on merit any time soon.

The Racing Post's Adam Scriven gives his best bets for this weekend's action at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.

Adam Scriven's Canadian Grand Prix Tips

George Russell Podium Finish @ 9/4

Esteban Ocon Top-Six Finish @ 5/2 

Yuki Tsunoda Points Finish @ 2/1

Odds displayed were correct at the time of writing and subject to fluctuation.

Setting the scene…

Red Bull star Verstappen arrives at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve with a 53-point lead in the standings, looking for his fourth win in a row and second straight victory in Canada. 

In Spain last time Verstappen led every lap of the race after starting from pole position and also set the fastest lap. In motor racing that's known as a Grand Slam, and that was only the third time the double world champion has achieved the feat.

So the man to beat couldn't be in better form, but the first potential banana skin could come in qualifying, during which there is a high chance of rain.

What	Canadian Grand Prix
Where	Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Ile de Notre Dame, Montreal
When	19:00, Sunday June 18
How to watch	Sky Sports F1
Odds	Max Verstappen 1/3, Sergio Perez 9/2, Lewis Hamilton 11/1, Fernando Alonso 12/1, George Russell 22/1

George Russell Podium Finish

Mercedes will have made the journey across the Atlantic in a confident mood after Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished second and third in Barcelona last time out.

The team have pursued a strategy of aggressive development of their car after a disappointing start to the campaign, and it seems to be paying off.

The Spanish result came despite Hamilton starting fourth and Russell down in 12th on the grid following a mistake in qualifying, and was their first double-podium since their 1-2 finish in Brazil last season.

Adam Scriven's Tip

Hamilton is preferred in the betting, which is understandable given his eight victories at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, but Russell looks a decent bet to make it back-to-back podiums at 9/4.

The King's Lynn racer finished ahead of Hamilton on other fast park-style tracks in Saudi Arabia and Miami, and he even led the race in the early stages at another similar circuit in Australia.

Esteban Ocon Top-Six Finish @ 5/2

While Mercedes have made a forward move in recent races, things seem to be coming undone for Ferrari, and the backwards slide of the Scuderia could let Alpine join the fight on the fringes of the podium places.

It could be argued they already have, given Esteban Ocon's third-place finish in Monaco, although the unique circuit there does tend to throw up statistical outliers.

That was in fact the team's only top-six finish this season, but they were very unlucky in Australia where Pierre Gasly ran fifth for most of the race before the French teammates collided following a late restart. 

Adam Scriven's Tip

Alpine have been super consistent of late, with both cars in the points in all of the last three races. While their results don't show it, they are also getting more competitive and could soon be challenging the teams ahead of them.

Ocon has tended to have Gasly's measure this season and the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix winner is worth a nibble at 5/2 to finish in the top six in Canada.

Yuki Tsunoda Points Finish

Japanese ace Yuki Tsunoda has revelled in the role of de facto team leader at Alpha Tauri. 

He has really stamped his authority on rookie team-mate Nyck de Vries and has cut out the mistakes he made when overdriving in an attempt to keep up with former partner Gasly in previous seasons.

Adam Scriven's Tip

Tsunoda has two top-ten finishes this season as well as three 11th-place results, and it would be no surprise to see him make a strong challenge for points again this weekend.

The 23-year-old crossed the line ninth in Barcelona two weeks ago but was given a very harsh penalty for a robust overtaking move. He is worth backing to make amends and increase his tally at 2/1.

Adam Scriven's Canadian Grand Prix Tips

George Russell Podium Finish @ 9/4

Esteban Ocon Top-Six Finish @ 5/2 

Yuki Tsunoda Points Finish @ 2/1

Odds displayed were correct at the time of writing and subject to fluctuation.