Circuit
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
Montreal, Canada
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a fast, stop-start lap on an island in the St Lawrence river. Long straights lead into hard braking zones and tight chicanes, so strong traction and stable brakes matter enormously, and the walls leave little room for error. The exit of the final chicane is guarded by a barrier nicknamed the Wall of Champions, which has caught out many great drivers over the years. Over a race distance the constant heavy braking is punishing on a car.
Named after the Canadian racer Gilles Villeneuve, the track is famous for producing eventful, unpredictable races in front of a knowledgeable and enthusiastic crowd. Its heavy braking and demand for precision make it a proper test of a car's composure under load.
Montreal track layout
Montreal circuit facts
- Lap record
- 1:13.078Valtteri Bottas, 2019
- First Grand Prix
- 1978
The gap, in metres
2026 Qualifying here. Every driver’s time gap converted to the distance it actually puts them behind at racing speed. The field covers 328.4 m from first to last.
On the radio here
1,221 messages recorded at this circuit, 2018 to 2026.
- “And we're done. Pichu, that was a great fight. Good job, good job. Whoo! That was tough, guys. Make a job this weekend. Definitely the result we deserve. Thank you so much to everyone back at the factory. Gracias a tutti. Let's keep pushing. This is a good step. Let's keep working to try and close that gap. Thank you, Luis.”Lewis HAMILTON · 2026 Race
- “Well done guys, I really struggled to put pace in that race, I think we missed it though, at the start especially, but even on the last set. Yeah, probably out of balance a bit, and we will show you some things when you come back. Copy that, otherwise really good job.”Liam LAWSON · 2026 Race
- “But there's no reason to go back anymore. I have a very big reason. If you get a penalty for Monaco, I'm going to win. OK? So I want you to be back on track, even if you are two or three laps down or you go slow. I don't care. I want the penalty today.”Lando NORRIS · 2026 Race
- “So, Oscar, our tyres have dropped quite a lot. Everyone on SOC must have very cold tyres by this time. Yeah, but if we fit now, we will have cold tyres. We will have warm tyres. So, I don't know. It's... I mean, it's... These engines are a mistake now.”Oscar PIASTRI · 2026 Race