Canadian Grand Prix: key figures and records at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve

The Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve: Construction and History

Notre-Dame Island is an artificial island created from excavation materials from the construction of the Montreal metro to host the pavilions of the 1967 World Expo. Today, it is home to the Gilles-Villeneuve Circuit. Built in record time in 1978 by repurposing the existing roads on the island, the circuit allowed for cost savings while quickly meeting the requirements of Formula 1.

Its layout, which winds between the Olympic Basin, the bodies of water at Jean-Drapeau Park, and the pavilions of Expo 67, has only undergone minor adjustments for safety reasons, thus retaining its original route. Known for its non-abrasive asphalt and exceptional setting on the Saint Lawrence River, the circuit offers spectacular views of Montreal and is open to the public in the summer for cycling and rollerblading.

6 First Wins

For six drivers, the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve was the stage of their first Formula 1 victory. This was the case for Gilles Villeneuve (1978), Thierry Boutsen (1989), Jean Alesi (1995), Lewis Hamilton (2007), Robert Kubica (2008), and Daniel Ricciardo in 2014.

A safety car record

39: With a total of 39 deployments since 1973 (including three times during the 2022 edition, twice in 2023, and twice in 2024), the Canadian Grand Prix holds the record for the highest number of safety car interventions in Formula 1 history. Its winding track and the proximity of the walls often lead to race neutralizations, adding an element of strategy and uncertainty. Another interesting point is that it was during the Canadian GP that the first ever Safety Car was introduced, back in 1973.

Other key figures

54: In 2025, it will be the 54th edition of the Canadian GP. There have been 2 editions on the Mont-Tremblant circuit, 8 at Mosport Park (in Ontario), and 43 editions on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

7: This is the number of different layouts in Montreal. The circuit in its current configuration dates from 2002.

14: With 14 turns, 8 to the right and 6 to the left, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve features a straight line of 1064 m, almost 1/4 of the track which totals 4.361 km.

2: This is the number of DRS detection zones.

12.6 and 17.8: This is the minimum altitude in meters (between turn 12 and 13) and the maximum altitude (between turn 2 and 3).

345,000: The Canadian Grand Prix is a major event for Montreal. In 2023, the event attracted more than 345,000 spectators over three days, confirming its status as a major tourist event in Canada.

4 hours 4 minutes and 39 seconds: the longest Grand Prix in F1 history was won in the final lap by Jenson Button in 2011.

7: The two most victorious drivers in Montreal are Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton. Ferrari has shone 11 times, McLaren 9, Williams 7, Red Bull 5, and Mercedes 4 times.

1’10″240: While the 2019 Grand Prix is mostly remembered for the intense battle between Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton, it’s often forgotten that the German driver had achieved a remarkable pole position. With a masterful lap completed in 1’10″240, Vettel snatched the first place from Hamilton, to everyone’s surprise. It is still the track record today.

21/43: This is the number of polemen who converted their pole position into a victory at the Canadian Grand Prix, which is a success rate of approximately 48%.

223: This is the average speed, in km/h, reached during the 2019 qualifying sessions on a circuit that alternates between slow corners and long straights.

18: This is the number of seconds lost per pit stop at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (one of the shortest in the championship with 417 m).