The Most Unforgettable Moments in Canadian Grand Prix History

Since its 1967 inaugural run, the Canadian Grand Prix has been a remarkable event in the Formula 1 scene producing many legendary moments. First appearing on the Formula 1 calendar in 1967, the Canadian Grand Prix carried the sport to the Great White North. Originally run under sports car and CAN-AM regulations, it formally joined F1 the same year. It has presented Ontario, Quebec, and Montreal’s finest motorsports throughout the years.

Montreal has seen Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton rule the Canadian GP throughout the years; both Formula 1 stars have had amazing success on the venerable circuit on Ile Notre-Dame. They are the most successful drivers in the competition after Jack Brabham won the maiden Canadian F1 title in 1967. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and revisit some of the most iconic moments in Canadian Grand Prix history.

Home Hero Villeneuve Wins 1978 Canadian Grand Prix

Gilles Villeneuve
Gilles Villeneuve (Credit Ferrari SpA via Wikipedia)

The 1978 Canadian Grand Prix did not have any say in the seasonal title races. Mario Andretti had won the Driver’s Championship and Lotus won the Constructors’ Championship. There was still significant buzz surrounding the race as the local crowd wanted to see their star Gilles Villeneuve win on Canadian soil.

Betting trends showed strong faith in Villeneuve especially after Andretti remarked that the design of the course would suit Villeneuve. Bookies were also offering short odds for the likes of Andretti, Jody Scheckter and Niki Lauda, but Villeneuve was the centre of attention among punters.

Since Canadian sports betting sites were not legal back then, we don’t know the exact returns bookies offered. Having said that, Vilenueve’s pre-race craze made it clear that the Canadian sensation was among the major candidates to finish first.

Rising to the challenge with a great drive, Villeneuve became the first Canadian to win his home Grand Prix, therefore sealing his place in history. Even a broken gear linkage could not stop the Quebec man from outpacing the chasing pack.

Piquet Denies Mansell in a Dramatic Finale in 1991

Nelson Piquet
Nelson Piquet (Credit Paul Lannuier via Wikipedia – CC BY-SA 2.0)

Record books say that Nigel Mansell has won the Canadian GP only once in his career. But five years after his only Canadian GP win, Mansell almost added a second to his tally in 1991. Mansell’s hopes were dashed when, with one lap to go, he started to celebrate around Ile Notre-Dame. This led to one of the most dramatic ends to a race in F1 history and cost the British driver the title.

Riccardo Patrese started off strongly from P2 but failed to catch Mansell for the lead. Mansell cruised ahead of the rest and at one point, his win only seemed a matter of formality. He slowed down at the turn, which was only a few hundred yards away from the finish point. Little did he know that his premature antics would deny him the win.

Nelson Piquet seized the opportunity to come from behind and leave an awe-struck Mansell in the dust, cashing in on Mansell’s blunder like a longshot bet that paid off big at the last minute. To rub salt into Mansell’s wounds, Stefano Modena and Patrese also beat him to the finish line.

The 1999 Wall of Champions

Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher (Credit Michael Cooper via Wikipedia – CC0)

The infamous Wall of Champions claimed the vehicles of three world champions in the 1999 Canadian GP. First to fall victim was Damon Hill, while Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve followed suit shortly after.

On Lap 14, 1996 champion Damon Hill lost control of his vehicle coming out of the chicane, marking the first crash. Fifteen laps later, going for the lead, Michael Schumacher, already a two-time world champion, stroked the wall with his Ferrari. Ralf Schumacher, Michael’s younger brother, had already had a run in with the merciless concrete at Turn 13 during 1999 Canadian GP qualifying as well.

The last corner claimed another high profile victim in that race. On Lap 34, home favourite and 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve slammed head-on into the barrier. Villeneuve had already collided with the Turn 13 barrier in 1997, so he was not unfamiliar with it. None of Hill, Schumacher, and Villeneuve were the first to hit the Wall of Champions in the 1999 race, however. The lesser known Ricardo Zonta gets that honour.

Lewis Hamilton – 2008 Kimi Raikkonen Crash

Räikkönen
Kimi Räikkönen (Credit ph-stop via Flickr – CC BY-SA 2.0)

For Formula 1, the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix was an unforgettable weekend in many different respects. Once more, the ground of course deteriorated. At Turn 2, T6, T7, particularly at T10, the severe winter conditions weakened the asphalt. This caused Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve’s organisers to react.

Not seeing the red light at the pit lane exit in time to evade the Finn’s car, Hamilton slammed Kimi Raikkonen in the pit exit. Because of Hamilton’s mistake, Robert Kubica went on to win his first and only Formula 1 race, making it an even more memorable Canadian Grand Prix.