Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve sits on the Île Notre-Dame, a man-made island in the St. Lawrence River built for Expo 67 just across from downtown Montreal. The track has hosted the Canadian Grand Prix almost without interruption since 1978 and remains one of the most popular events on the calendar, both for the city's vibrant race-week atmosphere and for the regular drama the circuit produces.

The venue is named after Gilles Villeneuve, the beloved Canadian Ferrari driver, who fittingly won the very first race held there in 1978 in front of his home crowd. After his death in 1982, the circuit was renamed in his honour. Over the decades it has been a happy hunting ground for the sport's greats, with Michael Schumacher a record-breaking seven-time winner and Lewis Hamilton also amassing a remarkable tally of victories here.

A semi-permanent street circuit threading between the island's parkland and waterways, Montreal combines long straights, hard braking and unforgiving walls. It has a reputation for high attrition and unpredictable weather, which has repeatedly turned races on their head and made it a favourite of fans and drivers alike.