Formula One Vault

PRIXVIEW – Canadian Grand Prix 2025

Round ten of the 2025 season sees F1 head back across the Atlantic and Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Norte Dame Island has been the permanent home of the race since 1978, one of the hybrid circuits as it mixes the roads used for the 1978 Olympic and Paralympic Games with the rowing lake running behind the pit lane, long since closed, Expo 1967 and permeant sections.

First held in 1961 the race became a world championship round in 1967 when it was held in Ontario before alternating between Mosport and Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, after Formula One took over the event. During the 1970s safety concerns saw the race move to Norte Dame Island, with the renamed after Gilles Villeneuve shortly after his death at the Belgian Grand Prix in 1982.

Montreal can be compared to Albert Park in Melbourne as it uses public roads running around the island though much of the barriers and infrastructure is permanent and it hosts other races and sports like triathlons, rowing and swimming across the complex spanning two islands.

The current circuit layout dates back to 2002, though most of the facilities around the circuit were rebuilt in its 2009 and during its Covid-19 hiatus in 2020-21.

The circuit can be described as both a street and purpose-built circuit as it’s lined with walls and runs around the island. But unlike the last race, this is more in-between circuit with teams needing the straight-line speed of Baku but the low downforce of Monaco, overtaking is very likely as it has wide-open corners and tricky chicanes.

Perhaps the best and worst places to overtake, is the Turn Twelve-Thirteen Chicane or The Wall of Champions, officially named the Quebec Wall, a tricky low-speed chicane following a very long Casino Straight (Droit du Casino) which adds to the high brake demands on the cars. As of 2023, Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve all in 1999 gave the wall its name.

Since then, the wall has claimed Carlos Sainz Jr, Nico Rosberg, Sebastian Vettel, Derek Warwick and Jenson Button. It’s a tricky low-speed chicane following a very long straight which adds to the high brake demands on the cars, and missing the turn-in point.

The street-style circuit means accidents can lead to safety cars and red flags we have seen many dramatic moments around one of the fans and drivers enjoy, as it offers something very similar to Melbourne being in the heart of the city.

This Montreal circuit is fast and flowing but the chicanes and several braking points can punish the cars, there can also be the chance of changeable conditions. Mistakes can see drivers crash or become beached in the gravel traps.  The race has a reparation for throwing up odd results and surprises.

The first world championship race was held in Mosport Park as part of an alternation deal with Mont Tremblant near Montreal. The race was won by Jack Brabham with his New Zealander teammate Denny Hulme completing a Brabham 1–2.

The 1969 race saw the two Jackie’s (Jackie Stewart and Jacky Ickx) battle for the lead until lap thirty-three, when Stewart tried to pass Ickx instead crashing into the back marker Al Pease who had been lapped several times before becoming the only driver to be disqualified for being too slow.

The 1974 event saw Fittipaldi win while his championship rivals Clay Regazzoni finished 2nd and Jody Scheckter crashed heavily after a brake failure on his Tyrrell. The race in 1976, was one where James Hunt found out that his nine points from Brands Hatch were taken away and he was disqualified; Hunt won the Canadian Grand Prix event that year, driving furiously throughout the race.

1978 saw the race move to the Circuit Ile Notre-Dame, Notre-Dame Island Circuit, renamed Gilles Villeneuve after his death in qualifying for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix, which has hosted the race on all but four occasions the latest interruption caused by the pandemic. But more death followed on Notre Dame Island a month later after Riccardo Paletti crashed into the back of the Ferrari of Didier Pironi.

Like many races in the late 1980s and early 1990s, like many races were dominated by Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, as well Nigel Mansell. Senna took victory in 1990 despite the weather and several incidents. The only expectation was 1991 when Mansell looked on course for the win before his Williams failed on the final lap and allowed; Nelson Piquet to take his twenty-third and final F1 victory in a Benetton. Gerhard Berger won the 1992 event after the dominant Mansell spun off after a collision with Berger’s teammate Senna.

Michael Schumacher won the first of seven wins in Montreal in 1994, the following season he encountered electrical issues and his main rival Damon Hill also retired with hydraulic failure gifting Jean Alesi his only win of his career. Between 1997 and 2004 (except 1999 and 2001) saw a romp of Schumacher victories, all in a Ferrari. 1999 saw Finn Mika Häkkinen win, and in 2001, there was the first sibling one-two finish in the history of F1, as Ralf and Michael Schumacher topped the podium. The Schumacher brothers would repeat it again in 2003.

Lewis Hamilton has always gone well in Montreal, 2007 saw him take his first pole and win, first of wins seven in Montreal, after fending off teammate Fernando Alonso Hamilton built a lead early on. His first win is seen as one of the best of his career, making him at the time the then-youngest pole sitter, race winner and championship leader.

Robert Kubica who had a huge crash into the wall on the approach to L‘Epingle in 2007 would take his only race win the following year after a pit lane shunt involving Hamilton, on lap 19 after crashing into the back of Kimi Räikkönen’s Ferrari followed by Nico Rosberg crashing into Hamilton.

2011, has gone down in history as one of the greatest and longest Grands Prix of all time, a race defined by the weather in biblical conditions Jenson Button came from last following an early collision with Hamilton to win following a dramatic last lap overtake after Sebastian Vettel, after the German got caught out on a damp patch and ran wide dropping to second.

Vettel won in 2013, on a race which saw the first race-related fatality in twelve years when marshal Mark Robinson was run over by a recovery vehicle, and the accident happened while marshals were removing the Sauber of Esteban Gutiérrez after the Mexican had spun off during the closing stages of the race.

Despite the Mercedes domination at the beginning of the V6 hybrid era, the 2014 race was the only one not won by the Silver Arrows after an ERS issue. That allowed Daniel Ricciardo to take his first win.

Hamilton would win three in a row between 2015 and 2017. But his 2019 victory during his title fight with Vettel saw the German overtake Hamilton for the lead-off track, Hamilton was squeezed towards the outside wall and was forced to slow down to avoid a collision. Vettel was given a five-second penalty, meaning he had to build a five-second lead and failed.

After the race, rather than park his car in Parc Ferme, Vettel pulled over much earlier in the pit lane and had to be collected by an official to attend the podium. On the way, Vettel removed the #1 sign from in front of Hamilton’s car and moved it to the empty space where his car should have been parked

Following the pandemic hiatus, all three races have been won by Max Verstappen, his 2022 victory being despite heavy pressure from Carlos Sainz following a restart the race became a sprint to the flag. Hamilton finished third ahead of teammate George Russell, while Leclerc recovered from nineteenth thanks to a grid penalty to finish fifth after penalty after taking a new power unit.

Race & Circuit Guide

Fast facts

• Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton share the record for the number of wins at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Schumacher won seven times between 1994-2004, while Hamilton equalled his tally with victory in the 2019 race.
• The 2001 Canadian Grand Prix was unique in that it was the first time two brothers finished 1st and 2nd in an F1 race. Ralf Schumacher won and Michael followed him home.
• Robert Kubica’s victory here in 2008 was the first, and so far only, F1 victory by a Polish driver.
• German drivers have more podium finishes than drivers from any other nation at this circuit (twenty-four). Strangely, Sebastian Vettel’s third-place finish in 2014 is the only time a German has finished on the final step of the podium here.
• Pole position has been decided by less than a tenth of a second at four of the last six Canadian Grands Prix. But twenty-two of the last fifty Grand Prix’s have been won from pole.

Event timetable

What happened in 2024?

Qualifying saw George Russell and Max Verstappen set identical lap times with Russell taking the pole having set the time on the first run in Q3. Mercedes were having their strongest weekend of the season so far following the latest row of upgrades. Lando Norris put his McLaren third in what was another close qualifying, he was two hundredths off pole, and nine hundredths faster than his teammate Oscar Piastri. McLaren also could have been a threat for pole, while Piastri was just over a tenth off pole.

Verstappen won an action-packed race after taking the lead by undercutting Norris at the final round of stops and the McLaren driver was unable to close the gap. He had been caught out by the timing of the safety car which was called just after he passed the pit entry and then was caught out by the timing of the safety car.

At that phase of the race, Norris was trying to build a sufficient advantage to come out in the lead, and it was close – he looked to be set to race wheel to wheel with Verstappen as the McLaren exited the pits. But Norris lost grip on the damp area off-line and Verstappen was able not only to retain the lead but finished the lap nearly four seconds ahead.

Russell, who started on pole led much of the opening part of the race before being passed by Norris through the final chicane on lap twenty-one. In a race which was about strategy and reading the weather conditions correctly, but Mercedes are certainly back in the hunt behind Red Bull on what has been a strong weekend.

The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve delivered yet another classic, four changes of leads and two crashes which lead to safety cars. As ever the race was again dominated by changeable conditions, that added to the complexity of the fight at the front.

Championship Standings

What to watch for?

You need to say this race again favours McLaren given its mix of straights and corners, they have largely been strong and in the mix every race. But I think we have perhaps underestimated Oscar Piastri as he has steadily picked up the points and wins to fight for the championship, which we didn’t expect this season. They I believe have the best all-around car, though I think they can’t rest on their Laurels as if they get it wrong they will be challenge.

The feeling I had from Barcelona and what was being written is this championship is becoming between Piastri and Norris as they are the most consistent team at the moment, but when he has the car and things are going his way Max Verstappen is keeping himself in this fight. June and July with four races is the slowest less busy part of the season as we head to the summer break which is different this year given we have two two-week breaks between Silverstone and Spa, Budapest and Zandvoort five races in seven weeks.

Ferrari, I think may be turning a corner here as we have had two decent weekends over the triple header but the feeling is that they still might have a bit more to do if they aren’t going to rely on McLaren and Red bull making mistakes to pick up wins and decent points. But they are making progress, McLaren it should be said convincingly won in Barcelona with Charles Leclerc roughly eight seconds behind Norris in third.

We know its so tight between Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull with McLaren two hundred roughly ahead every weekend has been different in terms of who takes the fight to McLaren. I will be interested to see if in the coming weeks when the ATR reset kicks in on 1^st July,  if we get a situation like we did last year where Red Bull were struggling.

Lewis Hamilton has a chance to take a record-breaking eighth win in Montreal, and this is where he took his first win in 2007. It appeared to me in Barcelona and Monaco things are starting to come together for him and he will be hoping that the first Grand Prix win for Ferrari isn’t far away, there is something magic about watching him drive in Montreal.

Montreal is one of these permeant-street circuit hybrids meaning we get plenty of wheel-to-wheel racing but there is a higher chance of safety cars both because the walls are closer and collisions, historically this has been a demanding race for the cars. But again this is a race the drivers love as it is a classic as well as giving great racing.

2023 vs 2024 Race Data

2024 Lap time comparison

Tyres