Five Things You Didn’t Know About the Canadian Grand Prix

We’re back for another Sprint race weekend, and a return to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.

Originally called the Île Notre-Dame Circuit, it was renamed in honour of the Canadian racing icon after his tragic passing in 1982.

George and Kimi shared a Grand Prix podium here, for the first time, last season, and it’s a track that we have many happy memories at as a team.

Formula 1 started racing here in 1978, and it’s a place with lots of history. Here are some statistics and stories you might not know about the Canadian Grand Prix.

A Grand Prix Like No Other

The 2011 Canadian Grand Prix will forever go down in Formula 1 folklore.

Heavily impacted by rain, the race remains one of the most memorable moments in the championship’s 76-year history and even holds several records. The first, and perhaps the most known, is the title of ‘longest ever F1 race’ at a total of four hours, four minutes and 39 seconds. It’s also a record that can never be beaten, because of changes in FIA regulations.

During the same event there were six safety car periods, one to start the race and a following five deployments for the Mercedes SLS AMG and Bernd Mayländer behind the wheel.

It remains the most Safety Car appearances across a single race.

Eventual race-winner Jenson Button, who clinched first place on the final lap, made six pit stops on his way to victory and finished with an average winning speed of 46mph. It’s a must watch for any Formula 1 fan, new or old, with Michael Schumacher just missing out on a podium with Mercedes.

Island Life

Did you know that Montreal is located on an island, and that the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is on a separate smaller island within that?

The Notre Dame Island, home to the Canadian GP, is man-made and sits to the East of the Saint Lawrence River. It was built in 10 months and created for Expo 67, a world fair that celebrated the country’s centennial anniversary. It was constructed using rock that was excavated for the metro, with 15 million tonnes being used!

The island later welcomed the 1976 Summer Olympics and a huge two-kilometre rowing basin was built – still the largest in North America – before F1 came to town two years later.

Competition on land and water?

Formula 1 is known as a sport where the best and brightest brains come together. Although it’s usually towards building the best vessel on tarmac, the Canadian Grand Prix has sometimes seen that same level of competition switch to other surfaces.

With the Olympic rowing basin not far, the idea of a boat race soon came to light. The mission? Using materials found around the paddock, each team must be able to carry two team members on their raft and collect an item on their way back to the starting point.

The ‘rules’ soon started to bend in typical Formula 1 fashion, with it reported that one year a team turned up with a conveniently discovered two-man canoe and motor attached.

After hosting the last event in the ‘90s, Formula 1 brought it back in both 2017 and 2018.

Teams were given 45 minutes to build their boats and space needed for at least six individuals, with former Race Director Charlie Whiting on hand as a scrutineer!

Identical Pole Times

Over the 2024 Canadian GP, George achieved his second career pole position for the Silver Arrows.

However, it was under rather unusual circumstances as the exact same time was also set by Max Verstappen moments later – an event that hadn’t happened since three drivers all set the same pole time for the 1997 European Grand Prix at Jerez, Spain.

Because George set the time first – 1m12.000s – he was crowned the pole-sitter. This rare occasion hasn’t happened since in Formula 1, but shows just how impossibly close these drivers can be across the 4.361km circuit.

One and Only

Several drivers have taken their maiden wins in Canada, including Lewis Hamilton, Daniel Ricciardo and Canadian hero Gilles Villeneuve. But two drivers took their first and sole Formula 1 wins at this special circuit.

Achieved on his 31st birthday, Jean Alesi managed to break his curse of bad luck at the track – and in general – to win in front of the Canadian fans when running Gilles’ famous #27 race number.

Fans stormed the circuit, celebrating the achievement of the French driver, but it was to be his only victory.

Robert Kubica is the other example, returning after a horrifying crash during the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix to win the following season. It remains one of motorsport’s best comeback stories, after Kubica suffered the 75G crash on approach to the hairpin and thankfully only suffered minor injuries, before returning the next year to win from second on the grid.