Canadian GP track breakdown: Groundhog Day at Montreal’s ‘semi-street circuit’

Formula One is returning to a waterfront(ish) race, this time in Quebec for the Canadian Grand Prix.

Montreal is the largest city in the Canadian province and known for its famous food culture, a triple-peaked hill called Mt. Royal (located in the heart of the city) and a race circuit that boasts a rich history as one of the most popular stops on the F1 calendar. Just east of the bustling International District, in the middle of the St. Lawrence River, sits the manmade Île Notre-Dame, home of Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.

The track is best characterized as a “semi-street circuit,” as Fernando Alonso said last year. With few run-off areas, drivers have to get close to the wall and nail riding the curbs to put together a competitive lap. And there are a few unknowns at this circuit, like the threat of rain and the groundhogs that pop up every once in a while and run onto the track.

Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve is also known for its iconic hairpin (look out for the overtaking opportunities!), the legendary “Wall of Champions,” and as the host for Lance Stroll’s home race. And just beyond the track limits, team members used to compete in the F1 Raft Race in the river.

As F1 prepares for the standalone race ahead of the European summer stretch, here’s what you need to know about Montreal’s bumpy track with a leafy setting.

The history of the Canadian Grand Prix

The Canadian GP has been part of the F1 calendar since 1967 (though has missed a few years), but it hasn’t always been held in Montreal.

The GP alternated between Ontario’s Mosport Park and Quebec’s Circuit Mont-Tremblant until 1971, when F1 dropped the latter over safety concerns: It was a rather bumpy circuit and harsh winters damaged the track surface. But Mosport Park had its own issues.

In 1977, Ian Ashley flipped over the guardrails after cresting a bump, hitting a television tower. Later that same weekend, Jochen Mass nearly flattened a guardrail upon impact. The FIA eventually decided that the track was unsuitable. The Toronto city council ended up rejecting the proposal to move the grand prix to its Exhibition Place, and the race subsequently moved to Montreal.

A tribute to a Canadian star

The manmade Île Notre-Dame was built for the 1967 Expo 67 World’s Fair, and once the 1976 Summer Olympics left Montreal, a race circuit was created out of the roads. It was fittingly named Île Notre-Dame Circuit and hosted its first F1 race in 1978. And it was renamed four years later after a Canadian motorsport hero.

Gilles Villeneuve won the first Canadian Grand Prix held in Montreal for Ferrari, his first F1 victory. During that time, he was competing against the likes of Niki Lauda and Mario Andretti, both well-known motorsport names to this date. Four years later, Villeneuve died following a collision during the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix qualifying session, when he was launched out of the cockpit and fractured his neck. He later died in the hospital, and the Canadian track was renamed in his honor.

What the drivers are watching

Similar to Albert Park in Melbourne, Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve’s surroundings feature a mix of trees and public roads. The layout hasn’t been changed since 2002, and is characterized by fast, long straights split with lower-speed corners and chicanes, creating a stop-and-start feeling for the drivers. Keep an eye on Turns 9 and 14 in particular to see how the drivers navigate the curbs. Lewis Hamilton said in 2023, “You’ve got these long, long straights, but it’s a bit like a go-kart track in how you have to throw the car over the curbs.”

To prioritize top speed, the cars typically run low downforce setups; however, this means the tires tend to slide more heading into the corners. Drivers can seize overtaking opportunities in these moments, like at the hairpin at Turn 10.

As the lap comes to a close, drivers zip past the track’s most famous feature: the ‘Wall of Champions.’ It’s been the site of numerous infamous crashes, like those of Michael Schumacher, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve during the 1999 race. What makes this section tricky is the drivers are braking from their highest speeds after barreling down the straight, and it’s a bumpy portion.

The Canadian track presents various unpredictable factors, weather being one of them. The temperatures fluctuate, and rain is a threat on and off throughout the race weekend this year. And there’s also the groundhogs to take into account.

“It could be a very boring race, maybe you’re outside of the points, and then someone hits one of these, and they’re out, new front wing,” Zhou Guanyu said in 2023. “Definitely keep my eye on that.”

(This is an updated version of a story originally published in June 2023.)

(Track video courtesy of EA Sports F1 — learn more about “F1 24″ here.)

(Lead image: Getty Images; Design: Drew Jordan)