Grand Prix de Formule 1 de Montréal

[Maisonneuve]

The city is so electric during F1 weekend. It's almost as if downtown Montreal transforms into NYC for a weekend. The people on the sidewalks, the traffic on all streets. The buzz. Miss it.

[Habsfan]

En passant. Nico Rosberg est allé à une école secondaire sur l'île de Montréal hier pour parler aux élèves de l'importance de rester à l'école. Je trouve que c'est un bon geste de sa part!

[pedepy]

The city is so electric during F1 weekend. It's almost as if downtown Montreal transforms into NYC for a weekend. The people on the sidewalks, the traffic on all streets. The buzz. Miss it.

 

we'll have the world cup under way as well, and the francopholies around qds ... just imagine if the habs had just clinched their 25th cup last night, would've been a mad weekend in the city !

[Habsfan]

we'll have the world cup under way as well, and the francopholies around qds ... just imagine if the habs had just clinched their 25th cup last night, would've been a mad weekend in the city !

 

Had the habs won their 25th last night, i'd still be out in the streets partying. I would have stayed out all night and would have warned my boss in advance that I would be M.I.A. in case of a Habs victory. I was sooooooo jealous of Hawks fans last night!!!

[mtlurb]

Le retour du cirque de la formule 1 à Montréal a coûté 15 millions de dollars aux contribuables. À 89 millions de dollars, il semble bien que les retombées économiques de l'événement rendent profitable sa tenue dans la métropole.

 

Pour en lire plus...

[MTLskyline]

F1 feels the love in Canada

 

Post categories: Formula 1

 

Sarah Holt | 14:35 UK time, Saturday, 12 June 2010

 

The Canadian Grand Prix is back on the F1 schedule after missing out in 2009. Photo: Getty Images.

 

If Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone wanted an endorsement for his decision to restore Canada to the grand prix calendar then nothing is more ringing than the sound of cash in the coffers - and this weekend is a sell-out.

 

After a year off, Montreal expects around 300,000 fans to make their way to the man-made Ile Notre Dame to watch the cars weave round its tight walls and hurtle down its high-speed straights over the course of this weekend.

 

More than 10,000 people turned up for the circuit's free-of-charge 'Open House' on Thursday when fans could wander down the pit lane, peer into the garages and line up for autographs from the drivers.

 

Many grandstands were already full by Friday's first practice while DJs playing pumpingly loud music were geeing up the swarm in the fans' zone - and banishing jet-lag in the neighbouring TV compound.

 

Another drizzly start to Saturday hadn't deterred early-bird fans making the trek across the churning St Lawrence Seaway to the track.

 

The race was left off the F1 schedule in 2009 after a contractual dispute last year - and now that has been settled, the locals are as glad as F1 personnel that the race is back in Montreal.

 

"Of course we're pleased the Canadian Grand Prix is back," said Tadek, who is attending his 26th race in his hometown.

 

"When you go for 25 years and one year you don't, it's like a loss. Just once a year you get Formula 1 in front of your eyes, you can smell it, hear it - it's a feeling you can't get from the TV.

 

"I've been to other grands prix in Argentina and France but it's special on this island - it's the best."

 

Jacques Villeneuve, Canada's first and only world champion, agrees.

 

"Montreal is special," he told BBC Sport. "It's a fun, party weekend and the fans are very enthusiastic."

 

This passion for Formula 1 was ignited by Villeneuve's father, the late Gilles Villeneuve.

 

The first Canadian GP was held in Ontario in 1961 but its move to Montreal in 1978 was celebrated by a first victory by Villeneuve, Ferrari's beloved swashbuckler.

 

When Villeneuve died at the 1982 Belgium GP the Montreal circuit was renamed in honour of the racer, who began his career competing on snowmobiles in his home province of Quebec.

 

Jacques Villeneuve says: "The fans had a hero in the past - my father Gilles.

 

"When he won his first race here, it grew from there. The fans remained and the love of F1 has gone through the generations.

 

"What I remember about my Dad was that he pushed the limit, all through my upbringing there were conversations about the risks he would take and how he would push to an extreme that was higher than anybody else.

 

"There was a lot of pride in that - and he was my Dad so he was my hero.

 

"When I started racing it was great to see that he was still alive in the hearts of many."

 

Patrick, another local fan from Montreal, added: "The Villeneuve family is important here. We all know about what Gilles did and Jacques after him.

 

"Now, the whole city feels the grand prix and people from all around the globe come here to be part of the fun."

 

The sell-out crowd is good news for the city's local economy and the Canadian government, which is investing £8.5m annually over the next five years to fund the grand prix.

 

It is also a boon for a sport still struggling to sway motorsport fans hooked on Nascar stock-car racing in North America.

 

Even with fewer car manufacturers fielding teams, the continent's lucrative market - second only to Asia in global sales with a 27% share of worldwide sales - is still a big draw for F1 and its sponsors.

 

So much so that Ecclestone has struck a deal to stage a race in Austin, Texas from 2012 if all goes to plan.

 

But Paul, also from Montreal, says the sport still has more to do before it can fully establish itself across the border in the States.

 

"There's a big cultural difference when you go down and watch Nascar and Indycar in America," he says. "They are much more accessible to the fans.

 

"F1 is still widely regarded as a little more pretentious, snotty and exclusive because it's more expensive.

 

"But the Canadians embrace it and I kind of like the fact that we're the only North American stop at the moment."

 

The return to Canada has also seen another local native re-emerge - and the first sighting of a groundhog scurrying off the track was made during opening practice.

 

There are probably a few drivers on the track hoping it won't be groundhog day come the race - Renault's Robert Kubica won't want to repeat his spectacular 2007 plunge into the wall and Lewis Hamilton will be aiming to avoid the kind of pit-lane shunt he triggered when he drove his McLaren into the back of Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari in 2008.

 

On second thoughts, both Kubica and Hamilton both took their maiden F1 wins in Montreal, so perhaps they might be wishing for a groundhog day after all.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sarahholt/2010/06/f1_feels_the_love_in_canada.html

[Maisonneuve]

I'm surprised nobody went out this weekend to take pictures of the city during Grand Prix weekend. No one thought to captures images of Montreal streets filled with people and cars many times beyond the usual. No one thought of capturing the often innovative ways in which companies or clubs try to advertise during the weekend. I would have loved to get a visual feel for the weekend since I was stuck in my downtown Toronto in my G20.

[WestAust]

go have a look there, you'll find plenty of pictures

http://forums.montrealracing.com/showthread.php?t=709369

[Malek]

I'm surprised nobody went out this weekend to take pictures of the city during Grand Prix weekend. No one thought to captures images of Montreal streets filled with people and cars many times beyond the usual. No one thought of capturing the often innovative ways in which companies or clubs try to advertise during the weekend. I would have loved to get a visual feel for the weekend since I was stuck in my downtown Toronto in my G20.

 

I was assigned to do just that, but subcontracted it to a buddy.

 

I'll post his pics soon!

[Alexcaban]

Metro was crazy on friday!!