The Canadian circuit in Montreal - dedicated to Gilles Villeneuve in the year 1982, just weeks before his fatal accident – is located on the artificial island of Notre Dame, built at the estuary of the St. Lawrence river on the occasion of the Olympic Games in 1976. The track hosted the Formula 1 Canadian GP for the first time in 1978 and has been used for motorsport competitions such as Champ Car and NASCAR.
The track sports several s-bends with straights, which makes it extremely challenging for the brakes and ups the cars’ fuel consumptions. Originally the box was behind the corner followed by a series of fast corners, leading to the actual pitlane and a series of variants followed by a slow corner. In the year 1987 the GP wasn’t held due to economic reasons. On this occasion the track’s layout was modified and the box and the main straight were brought closer together with the slow corner; in 1994 the fast section was slowed down by a provisional chicane, while in 1996 the same section was definitely straightened up to the section leading onto the main straight. In the year 2002, to improve safety, the track was modified again. The tracks semi-permanent state has limited its development: the walls next to the track have to be there and it’s impossible to widen the track or to install run-off areas. This is why even after small accidents the race has to be neutralised and the safety car comes in, because even removing a car from the track is extremely difficult.
Inauguration 1978
Length 4,361km
Curve 15
Lap Time Record: 1.12.275, Ralf Schumacher, June 2004, Pole
Date:
11 – 13 June 2010
Event Location:
Venue: CIRCUIT GILLES VILLENEUVE
City: Montreal, CANADA
More Information:
Address: Ille de Notre Dame, St. Lawrence River (CA)
http://www.grandprix.ca