The layout of Circuit Gilles Villeneuve explains the record. The track sits on an artificial island in the St. Lawrence River, surrounded by concrete walls and guardrails with virtually no runoff areas. Where modern circuits are equipped with large gravel traps and grass that cushion rather than punish mistakes, Montreal punishes bad choices instantly. One wheel wrong and you’re in the wall. And those walls don’t give.

The track consists largely of long straights connected by heavy braking zones and tight chicanes. Those chicanes are not only technical but also dangerous: drivers who brake too late, get overzealous when overtaking, or suffer a puncture can end up stationary within a few meters. The pit lane, at 417 meters, is one of the shortest in Formula 1, which means time losses during a stop are small — but it also means drivers are quick to gamble on a stop at odd moments, creating extra chaos.

The absolute peak of Montreal chaos took place in 2011. The race began behind the safety car due to heavy rain, stopped after 25 laps for a red flag lasting more than two hours, and then saw four more safety car periods. In total, the safety car was needed six times, the most ever in a single F1 race. The race lasted 4 hours, 4 minutes and 39 seconds — still the longest in Formula 1 history.

Jenson Button won that race, doing so from dead last, with a drive-through penalty, a collision with Fernando Alonso and a puncture. He took the lead in the final sector of the very last lap after Sebastian Vettel slid off the track. It was the race that definitively gave the circuit the status of the most unpredictable venue on the calendar.

This year there’s an extra dimension. It’s a sprint weekend, which means there’s less time for practice and drivers have less opportunity to test their new cars on this unique circuit. That increases the chance of mistakes, especially if it rains — the weekend forecast shows a chance of precipitation. Moreover, the 2026 cars run under new regulations that drivers have not yet fully mastered. More uncertainty, same circuit. The chance of safety cars is greater than ever this year.

– At Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, the safety car has been deployed more than 40 times: more than at any other F1 circuit

– The first safety car in F1 history appeared in 1973 at the Canadian GP (Mosport)

– In 2011 there were six safety cars in one race: also an F1 record

– That 2011 race lasted 4:04:39 — the longest F1 race ever

– In 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 combined, the safety car was already needed eight times