Race Week in Canada

It's Race Weekend in Montreal, Canada.

Canada GP History

Formula 1 stops in Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix, hosted at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Originally named the "Île Notre-Dame Circuit," the circuit was built in 1978 as part of the Olympic games hosted in 1976; the circuit was renamed after the Canadian F1 driver in 1982, following his passing earlier in the season at the Belgian GP.

The inaugural race was held in 1961. The first official Canadian Grand Prix was added to the F1 calendar in 1967 and won by Australian Jack Brabham, driving for Brabham-Repco. During the late '60s and '70s, the race alternated between Mosport and Mont-Tremblant (circuit later owned by Aston Martin boss Lawrence Stroll). Since 1978, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has been the host venue for the Grand Prix.

Ten different winners have been named since 2000. McLaren is the most successful manufacturer in Canada, with thirteen victories. Ferrari technically leads with fourteen victories if you count non-F1-sanctioned races, but only twelve with races sanctioned as part of the official F1 season. Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton are tied with seven victories each for the most wins in Canada. Max Verstappen has won the last three races in a row: '22, '23, '24.

The Canadian Grand Prix is contracted to remain on the Formula 1 calendar until 2031.

About the Circuit:

The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a fourteen-turn, 4.361 km (2.71 mi) racetrack that hosts Formula 1, F1 Academy, and the Porsche Cup. Located on Montreal's man-made Notre Dame Island, the island was created for Expo 67, Canada's landmark World's Fair. The island itself was formed from rock excavated during the construction of the city's metro. During the Expo, it showcased several international pavilions and later served as the site for rowing and canoeing events during the 1976 Summer Olympics. Its flat terrain and picturesque river setting made it an ideal location for large-scale events, but it found a new purpose in motorsport.

In 1978, the roads built for the Expo were converted into a temporary street circuit for the Canadian Grand Prix. In 1982, the track was renamed to honor Canadian driver Gilles Villeneuve. It has since become a favorite among racers and fans for its combination of high-speed straights, challenging braking zones, and the infamous "Wall of Champions." Nestled between the water and trees, the circuit offers a unique blend of natural beauty and urban energy.

McLaren. Lando must start a streak, or Oscar will run away with this title. The constructor's title is all but wrapped up at this point, and we're only thirty percent done with the season. Unless McLaren falls off a cliff, they will have their first back-to-back constructors title since the 1990-1991 titles, part of a three-peat '89-'91. The teammate battle is changing from a simmer to a low boil, and each race is becoming increasingly important.

Ferrari. Another "good" weekend for Ferrari, a third-place podium and sixth for Hamilton, the team left with a nice points haul. "If your enemy is making a mistake, don't interrupt." Ferrari has maintained consistency, while Red Bull and Mercedes have suffered some collateral fallout. Ferrari still has more to prove, but consistency is on their side, and regardless of how things go, if you're doing the basics well and not making mistakes, you will score points. Ferrari needs a win; they need to kick it up a notch for overall morale. Ferrari struggled last season in Canada with double DNFs; I don't see that being the case, a double podium at best, but I see a fourth and fifth, again bringing home good points.

Mercedes. George is driving well; he is proving he is battle-tested; he did compete for three seasons against the most decorated driver in F1 history, and George is used to competing against the greats; this is showing. George is putting in the fast laps during qualifying and showing great race pace with four podiums this season. Even with this from George, the team is not complete at the moment. Engine trouble and crashes have taken rookie Kimi out in three consecutive races, which is unfortunate, but Kimi is showing he has pace in the car. He's being tested at the moment, and he and the team need to put together a clean weekend, shake off this streak of bad luck, and get back to it; they are right in the middle of a battle for second in the constructors with only twenty-one points separating second from fourth.   

Red Bull. Red Bull took a small step backward after Spain. Max's frustration with the car boiled over into an on-track incident with George Russell, resulting in a time penalty for Max and a significant hit in the points. I expect Max to respond like the multiple-time champion he is, and he has also had a great run in Canada in the last three seasons with victories. Yuki still can't seem to make it click, and the RB's second seat feels like it's come to almost a complete stop. I don't know what it will take to turn this around, but it is reaching a critical level for the team to fix this problem. Red Bull needs to figure this out quickly; it's vital for constructors' prize money.

Williams. Williams has been riding high, but Spain had a certain stench; it looked more like 2023 Williams and not the much-improved team we have seen in 2025. Dust that one off and move on to the next. A new precedent has been established; anything underneath will feel like a major disappointment. Williams is about to go on a run: Canada, Austria, England, and Belgium; I predict 2 to 3 of those weekends will be double points. I'm not overthinking Spain; I'm just moving on to the next. Refocused for Canada with a good clean race; get back to good racing.

VCARB. Isack is driving lights out. The team is performing well. Isack is currently "best of the rest"; he's sitting just outside the top 5 each week and eating up every opportunity thrown his way, stacking points consistently. Liam seems more in a groove; his qualifying and race pace are more consistent, and it's showing with a points finish and fighting for points each weekend. VCARB is hitting its stride, and they need to let it ride, currently sitting in sixth in the constructors, with a close battle with Haas.

Haas. Haas has hit some turbulence in the last few races. Even with Ocon's seventh at Monaco, the team has not had the race pace. Both drivers are performing well, but the pieces are not falling into place. Haas needs to round a corner and make a run until summer break, put some pressure back on VCARB, and turn this into a battle.

Stake Sauber. What an interesting year Stake Sauber is having. Some weekends look almost hopeless, and then Nico finishes fifth in Spain...I don't even know, but wow. Nico is a magician and has some of the best racecraft on the grid, even a late race pass on Lewis Hamilton to secure fifth, giving him his best finish since 2019 Monza with Renault and Sauber's best finish since 2015 Australia with Felipe Nasr. Nico was epic; do I think it will happen again? Honestly, who knows? I didn't expect it to happen in the first place. The weather looks clear for the weekend, but you never know. In Canada, rain can pop up quickly. The team is riding high; Bortoleto is a complete driver for a rookie but could use a little luck to boost his confidence. Let's see if Stake can hold this position in the constructors with two capable teams behind them.

Aston Martin. It's a home race for Stroll, potentially. It is still not confirmed that Stroll has fully recovered from a wrist injury that withdrew him from the Spanish GP following qualifying. It was questioned if reserve driver Felipe Drugovich would take the wheel in Canada, but he appears to be in full competition mode with Cadillac in Le Mans, showing up for pre-race activities. Until further notice, Lance is assumed to be there. Alonso finally broke the seal and scored points at his presumed last time racing at home in Catalunya. We've been waiting for Aston Martin to find its footing and make a charge. Newey has to be brewing up something.

Alpine. Gasly finished eighth in Spain for his second Grand Prix points finish. Franco has not had the same "pop" as last season, and this has been a bit tougher transition for him. Franco is essentially driving for his next opportunity, and if he wants to finish the season in the second Alpine, he needs to show that same "it" factor in the next few races.