Five Fast Facts about the Canadian Gran Prix

The first Canadian Grand Prix was held in 1961, and the country was included on the world championship calendar from 1967 onwards. Over the following years, the race alternated between Motorsport Park near Toronto and Mont-Tremblant, north of Montreal, before safety concerns over both circuits triggered a move to a new track on Notre Dame Island on the Saint Lawrence River in Montreal. It proved to be a popular solution, combining the vibe and accessibility of a city centre race without the disruption of closing everyday streets, and the race has been run almost every year since.

The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is the first of three venues on the F1 calendar named after famous racing drivers (all of them situated in the Americas – the others being the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City and Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace in Sao Paolo). Local hero Villeneuve won the first race to be held on the new circuit at the end of 1978, which was also his first victory in Formula 1. The track would be renamed in his honour ahead of the 1982 race, following his tragic death at the Belgian Grand Prix just a month earlier. Villeneuve remains the last Canadian to win their home grand prix.

The track layout in Montreal is dominated by long straights and by the proximity of the barriers. And nowhere do the walls seem closer than on the exit of the Turn 13/14 chicane that connects the longest straight of all to the pit straight. Villeneuve's son Jacques was world champion in 1997 but hopes of a home win that year ended when he crashed into that very wall. And Villeneuve, Michael Schumacher, and Damon Hill all crashed there during the 1999 race, leading it to be christened the ‘Wall of Champions'. It's continued to claim some high-profile victims ever since, including Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel.

The weather is often a factor during a race in Montreal. The rain-hit 2011 race was the longest in Formula 1 history, lasting four hours, four minutes and 39 seconds including a lengthy red-flag stoppage to allow the conditions to ease. Jenson Button somehow won the race after making five pit-stops and serving a drive-through penalty. He had to fight back from last position after separate collisions with Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, passing Sebastian Vettel for the victory on the very last lap.

Montreal has been the scene of the first Formula 1 victory for many drivers. As well as Villeneuve Sr, others to claim their maiden wins there include Thierry Boutsen, Jean Alesi, Lewis Hamilton, Robert Kubica and Daniel Ricciardo. For Alesi and Kubica, it would be their only victories. The unusual circuit and often eventful races in Montreal create opportunities for a less likely winner. So, looking down the current standings ahead of the 2023 race, who's the first driver still searching for a win – equipped with a decent car to do it in? A certain Montreal native by the name of Lance Stroll, perhaps? In this race, crazier things have happened...