Canadian Grand Prix

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve Track Guide

The start/finish line of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is half way up the pit straight, also the first DRS straight of the track before heading to turn 1. Turns 1 and 2, similar to the Brazilian GP are known as the Senna ‘S’ turns as they go from a sharp left to a right hairpin towards turn 3.

Turns 3 and 4 make up a fast right-left chicane before carrying on flat-out through the right of turn five down to turn six. The Canadian GP is known for having its barriers close to the edge of the track leaving little run off for drivers. Brendon Hartley fell victim of this last year after being pushed wide by Lance Stroll into the barrier at turn 5.

Braking hard into the left of turn 6 before gaining momentum and speed through the right of turn 7 what is essentially the ‘back straight’ of the track and second DRS zone before the sharp right of turn 8, a good opportunity for overtaking if timed well.

Turn 9 is a left hander that sets up drivers for a quick stretch down to slowest corner of the race, a sharp right-hand hairpin in turn 10, before going flat-out through 11 and 12, through the third and final DRS zone before the chicane at the end of the track.

The right-left chicane in turns 13 and 14 have become a feature of history over the years, labelling the exit of turn 14 ‘The Wall of Champions’ as many drivers have fallen victim to it.

Race history

MoSport Park and Mont-Tremblant rotated the hosting of the Canadian GP for the first four years it was held before Mosport Park officially held it from 1971-77. During these years we saw winners such as Jack Brabham, Jacky Ickx, Jackie Stewart, Emerson Fittipaldi and James Hunt in his Championship winning season of 1976.

Canadian Gilles Villeneuve won the first race at the Circuit Île Notre-Dame in 1978 (later named after his death in 1982). The 1982 race started with an incident in which Didier Pironi stalled his car at the front of the grid, was then hit by Raul Boesel and then Riccardo Paletti who was going at 110 mph. Paletti was aided by an F1 doctor and Pironi, later to be flown to hospital.

Ayrton Senna won the first of his two victories in 1988, other coming in 1990, before Michael Schumacher dominated the GP, winning a record eight between 1994-2004. 1999 became the year the exit on the final corner was known as the ‘Wall of Champions’ when Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve all crashed at the same point.

Nico Rosberg, Juan Pablo Montoya, Carlos Sainz Jr, Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel have all fallen victim since.

Lewis Hamilton won his first race as a rookie in F1 for McLaren in 2007, the first of his seven victories at the track, other coming in 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016 & 2017.

Jenson Button recorded a famous win in 2011, a race that is the longest recorded to date. Rainstorms delayed the race for hours and, after a restart on lap 41, Button made his way through the field catching Vettel and forcing him into making a mistake on the last lap, winning the race.

A track marshal was fatally run over by a recovery vehicle in 2013 as it went to collect the Sauber of Esteban Gutierrez.

When is the 2019 Canadian Grand Prix?

The race weekend in Montréal kicks off Friday June 7th, with Free Practice 1 starting at 10am local time (3am BST). FP2 starts that afternoon at 2pm (7pm BST). On Saturday, FP3 starts at 11am local time (4pm BST), and qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix takes place at 2pm on Saturday (7pm BST).

The Canadian Grand Prix will start at 2.10pm local time on Sunday June 9th (7.10pm BST).