Canadian Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton will be hoping for Groundhog Day
Last updated on .From the section Formula 1
What's the "best" grand prix of the year?
On the basis of "best" meaning a bit of everything, with no single aspect falling short, there is a strong case for it being Canada.
The track is no Suzuka or Spa, but the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve combines a spectacular location in one of North America's most vibrant, interesting cities with a layout that both challenges the drivers and never fails to provide drama.
The ambience is terrific, with grandstands packed full of enthusiastic fans, and a liveable city that contains something for everyone and seems to turn itself over to the race for four days.
And Montreal itself? A characterful blend of Europe and North America; grid pattern streets, high rises, brownstone townhouses fronted by stoops and a cobbled old town that dates right back to the early colonial times.
That's just for the evenings, though. The days are passed on the Ile Notre Dame, a man-made island built in the middle of the imposing St Lawrence Seaway for Expo '67, whose futuristic buildings still dot the 21st century parkland.
The track winds around the perimeter road, a challenging combination of long straights and chicanes, bounded by walls waiting to trap the unwary or wayward.
What appears nondescript at first glance is anything but; the combination weaves a special kind of magic, and rare is the Canadian Grand Prix without incident and drama.
The best grand prix of the year? Melbourne, Monaco, Spa, Monza, Singapore, Suzuka and lately Austin all have their appeal.
In the end, it comes down to personal choice. But Canada is right up there.
Andrew Benson, chief F1 writer
The track
The one and only
Schumacher out in front
Groundhog day
Bigger than the Super Bowl...?
Best corner
Riding the crest of a wave
Tyre info
Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.
Comments
Join the conversation
So you say F1 is dead because Schumacher had a good car, yet you say F1 was great when you watched Senna Prost and Mansell?
Are you forgetting that Senna and Prost won because they had a dominant McLaren (the most dominant car until the current Mercedes)? Or that Mansell won in a dominant Williams?
You must have a memory like a sieve.
Extra pic of LH (on a tiny wave) just invites people to take the mick
Think of it this way. The driver is analogous to the striker in a football team. He needs to have skill, determination and sharpness of thought under pressure to score the goal, but it's the rest of the team that put the striker in a position to take the shot.
The team needs a great striker and the striker needs a great team.
Now that's what sporting drama is supposed to be..
It will be interesting to see how Red Bull match up with Ferrari. This circuit should give us a good idea how fast Red Bull are with their latest engine upgrade.
Just more haters talking rubbish about LH, you don't like him, ok, no need to keep posting ridiculous statements about his tax status, what would you do if you had his income?
Why? Would you apply that to all the British citizens - about three quarters of a million of them - who live in the USA and therefore pay tax to the IRS and, if they have no financial interests in the UK, not to HMRC?
Anthony Davidson you bad man!
I would agree. Although I follow a team, not a driver and see the WCC as more important than the WDC so I would rather the teams recognised more on the podium.