Canadian Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton will be hoping for Groundhog Day

Last updated on .From the section Formula 1comments145

carlos sainz
Carlos Sainz has already fallen foul of Montreal's 'Wall of Champions'

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

F1

The one and only

Canada
Gilles Villeneuve won the inaugural race in Montreal in 1978. No Canadian has won it since

Schumacher out in front

F1
Michael Schumacher is far and away the most successful driver in Canada with seven wins. Lewis Hamilton won the race last year to move into second on the list with four

Groundhog day

Canadian Grand Prix
When it comes to local wildlife in Canada, look no further than the humble groundhog. The risk-loving rodents played 'chicken' with F1 cars in the 2008 and 2015 Canadian GPs. However, while those plucky groundhogs survived, one was not so fortunate in 2007 when it was struck by Anthony Davidson's Super Aguri

Bigger than the Super Bowl...?

Superbowl
...not quite, but in 2005 the Canadian GP was the third most-watched sporting event with 51 million viewers worldwide, behind the Super Bowl and the Champions League final

Best corner

Wall of Champions
The most famous feature of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is the 'Wall of Champions', where many a big name has crashed. Overshoot the exit of the final chicane, and you'll soon find yourself skipping over the kerb and into, well... the wall

Riding the crest of a wave

Lewis Hamilton

Tyre info

Canada tyre choice

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145 comments

  • Comment posted by Bodie, at 21:35 7 Jun 2016

    JB, 2011, fantastic.

  • Comment posted by Number9, at 02:15 8 Jun 2016

    @38: "CARS not drivers decide who wins"

    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.

  • Comment posted by U16437141, at 10:10 8 Jun 2016

    What's the matter with having a dominant car exactly? That's what F1 is and always has been an area for manufacturers to invent new technologies and use them. The whole idea is to invent the best car every season and have the best drivers drive them. I have watched F1 for over 35 years I think some people on here have no clue about what F1 is and always has been since its invention.

  • Comment posted by Grumpywebbo, at 08:59 8 Jun 2016

    All these people who used to love F1 but don't like it anymore since Schumacher/Vettel/Hamilton spoiled it by winning too much with their superior cars (Not to mention superior skills!) Why are they even on here moaning when there is the pigs bladder kicking completion starting this weekend. If you don't like it, bore off, and let those of us that do enjoy (highlights of) the weekend of racing.

  • Comment posted by taylor01pe, at 21:12 7 Jun 2016

    Thank goodness lewis won at Monaco. Livened up what was becoming a boring season marred by reliability issues and ridiculous tyres which mask the ability of the drivers. Here's hoping he can win again in Canada.

  • Comment posted by johnny herbert, at 12:14 8 Jun 2016

    Really like the tyre info image. Maybe a bit of an elaboration on this would help the article and promote better discussion.

    Extra pic of LH (on a tiny wave) just invites people to take the mick

  • Comment posted by tim, at 09:41 8 Jun 2016

    @54 John Blake and @38. Dr Hurt

    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.

  • Comment posted by Ledwulf, at 21:40 7 Jun 2016

    Every time you see your fav driver approach the Wall Of Champions you hold your breath.

    Now that's what sporting drama is supposed to be..

  • Comment posted by Doc Daneeka, at 21:25 7 Jun 2016

    Ah Canada; scene of one of my all-time faves, JB's win in 2011. I've still got the whole five odd hours recorded and flick through it from time to time. Brilliant race.

  • Comment posted by DS002, at 23:09 7 Jun 2016

    I wonder if Red Bull will get their pit stops right this time... third time luck and all that

  • Comment posted by Templar, at 22:27 7 Jun 2016

    Groundhog day...no that is the new Top Gear with Chris Evans

  • Comment posted by Plasma_Man, at 10:05 8 Jun 2016

    I'd expect Mercedes to be strong at Canada. LH or NR? That will probably depend on who finds the best setup and has the best qualifying. I'm hoping there'll be no reliability problems and there can be a straight fight.

    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.

  • Comment posted by axl, at 05:50 8 Jun 2016

    Whats with the stupid LH photo ? Nothing at all to do with Montreal track or results.

  • Comment posted by LivingDeadGrrrl, at 06:40 9 Jun 2016

    Why are people so obsessed with LH living in Monaco, JB does too. Also to say LH should 'race under the Monegasque flag', why then does NR race under the German flag when he was actually born in Monaco?

    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?

  • Comment posted by Tanglewood, at 21:08 8 Jun 2016

    #115: "High time [Lewis Hamilton] did the decent thing and gave up his UK passport."

    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?

  • Comment posted by Rosbif, at 12:43 8 Jun 2016

    I'm hoping for a weekend free of mechanical problems ( if that's possible ) and pit crew errors. There hasn't been a race yet this season where somebody hasn't had bad luck or errors by others hold them back. Canada is a good track to see equal racing ( or rather as equal as is possible )

  • Comment posted by Juggernaut, at 12:29 8 Jun 2016

    @74 - I agree, tyre analysis should have been given more of the focus and less comparisons to football, shots of animals on the track or LH on a board. It only serves to highlight how little there really is to write about outside of F1 tech and fuels the haters (for F1 in general and LH in particular).

  • Comment posted by Diddleypete, at 08:42 8 Jun 2016

    Bucket list GP to visit, that is if the poisoned dwarf & the rest of the cronies don't kill GP racing in the near future!

  • Comment posted by DMA, at 23:50 7 Jun 2016

    Oh the poor groundhog! Is he ok?

    Anthony Davidson you bad man!

  • Comment posted by Newsense, at 14:02 9 Jun 2016

    @130 - I am not a free man - I am a number

    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.

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