Last Updated on June 13 2025, 11:39 am

This will be the last running of the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix in what has become its traditional mid-June slot on the calendar. The FIA in an attempt to regionalise F1 racing has decided the weekend in Montreal will now sit at the end of the opening flyaway races and for 2026 is set for the final weekend of May.

This will be the sixtieth running of the Canadian Grand Prix and the 45th visit to the Circuit de Gille Villeneuve on the Isle de Notre Dame, which was created from spoil when the downtown subway system was built. The circuit has been described as somewhat of a karting style circuit for F1, something it shares with the Hungaroring track in Budapest.

Memories from yesteryear are many as the island track has seen some of the most iconic moments in F1 racing over the year’s it has hosted a Grand Prix. There’s the moment in 1991 when all but having won the race, Mansell inexplicably slowed after the final chicane and while he waved to the crowd, his nemesis Nelson Piquet nicked up his inside to take the chequered flag along with Stefano Modena and Riccardo Patrese who filled the remaining podium steps.

 

 

The wall of champions born

In 1999 the Wall of champions was born when at that meeting not one, not two but three F1 world champions crashed their cars at the final corner. Damon Hill was the first to hit the wall on lap 14 losing the rear end of his Jordan on exit, Michael Schumacher was next some 15 laps later and finally come lap 34 Jacques Villeneuve ploughed nose first into the barrier – and the wall was named.

Of course the Canadian Grand Prix has played a huge part in the life of Lewis Hamilton. He claimed his first victory here during his rookie season in 2007 and a year later suffered the embarrassment of crashing into Kimi Raikkonen in the pit lane. Hamilton failed to spot the red light until it was too late and so where he had been waved to victory by marshals just a year previous, the same folk were forced to  sweep up the wreckage and shards of carbon fibre from his stricken MP3-23.

Inadvertently Hamilton’s mistake led to another unforgettable moment in Montreal, as Robert Kubica went on to win his first and only F1 race. He led home team mate Nick Heidfeld for a highly unusual BW-Sauber 1-2 and this was just 12 months on from his dramatic high speed crash at the same circuit.

Whilst there are many moments to celebrate from the running of the Canadian Grand Prix, the Gilles Villeneuve circuit has been known to suffer at times from processional racing. In their ongoing attempts to ensure more Grand Prix are at least two pit stop races, Pirelli have brought their softest three dry weather tyre compounds to the French speaking city in an attempt to spice up the on track action.

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Pirelli softest tyres to spice things up

Last time out in Barcelona it was the three hardest compounds, yet the teams hardly used the unfavoured hard tyre due to its lack of pace and grip. This is the third time this year when Pirelli have brought their C6, C5 and C4 dry weather tyres after they debuted in Imola and appeared the week later in Monaco. This selection is one step softer than last year and with the entire range also being softer than in 2024 the net effect is tyres which are close to two steps softer.

When debuted in Imola in similar temperatures, the softer tyres in cooler climes appeared to favour Max Verstappen but not the McLaren drivers, who had no answer for the race pace of the RB21 in the hands of the world champion. With the surface of the track being smooth, the lack of adhesion may see drivers in Friday practice struggling for grip and graining up their tyres.

Yet as the weekend progresses and the rubber goes down, tyre management will become much easier and lap times can fall dramatically, not merely across the weekend but from the start to finish any on track session.

The temperatures this year will be much cooler than last time out in the searing heat of Spain and despite no rain forecast during the daytime, there may be some showers on Friday and Saturday night which could wash the track green for the start of the next day.

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Cooler temperatures aid Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton has a record here in Montreal matched only by the great Michael Schumacher. Seven wins and six pole positions have set the British driver apart in ex-colonial parts and it could be here this season where the Ferrari driver gets back his mojo.

Despite all the doom and gloom headlines, much of which have emanated from Hamilton, the new Ferrari driver is closer to his team mate than maybe the obvious statistics show. Yes he has been beaten 7-2 in qualifying nay Charles Leclerc, but his average lap time deficit to his team mate in qualifying is merely 0.045s slower than Carlos Sainz managed across the 2024 season.

Cooler temperatures will be music to Ferrari’s ears, given their tyre management this year has left a ,other to be desired. Last time out Leclerc sacrificed two or three positions in qualifying to save an extra set of fresh tyres for the race which proved a pivotal decision. Despite starting two places behind Hamilton in P7, the extra new rubber propelled the Monegasque to third place at the chequered flag in Barcelona – whilst his team mate languished down in P6 being overtaken by the Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg in the dying seconds.

Team boss Fred Vasseur revealed after the race that Hamilton had a problem with his Ferrari in Spain. Lewis was asked about the on the media day in Montreal although he reveals the team have placed a gagging order on him and his team mate.

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Hamilton reveals disagreement with Ferrari engineers

“Unfortunately the team don’t really want us to talk about it but we both had issues that were hindering [us]. I didn’t know if we had that problem, but I said on the radio that it was the worst feeling the car ever had. And it truly was,” said Hamilton.

Despite all his success here in Canada, the seven times champion was quick to observe that history was exactly that, but Lewis did suggests there was a bit of a disagreement between him and his engineers. “Even just coming from engineering now, how they set the car up compared to any other year that I’ve been here is completely different,” Hamilton said.

“Having discussions with engineers to change things, there’s a certain way they like to work and I say, ‘hold on a second that doesn’t actually make sense, this is what I’ve done for the last 18 years here’. And it’s worked in a lot of them.” Clearly Lewis is having a bit of a fight within his own group of engineers to have the SF-25 set up the way he likes to drive an F1 car.

 

 

 

 

Legal action brought against new Madrid F1 circuit

Lawsuit filed against new Formula 1 circuit – The long-awaited arrival of Formula 1 in Madrid has hit a major legal roadblock, with the city’s ambitious plans to build a street circuit for the 2026 season facing fierce opposition in court. Despite a ten-year agreement with Formula 1 and an official unveiling earlier this year, the project’s future is now under threat following the filing of a formal lawsuit by the opposition political group Más Madrid.

The party has accused the local authorities of serious regulatory oversights and environmental neglect, raising concerns that could jeopardise one of Spain’s most high-profile sporting ventures….. READ MORE