2025 Canadian Grand Prix: Fast Facts

The Canadian Grand Prix is the tenth round of the season, the second in North America after Miami. Montreal is one of the staples on the calendar, for many years the only round in this part of the world. It is popular with drivers and teams because there’s always a real buzz around the event thanks to the enthusiasm of the local fans. For the whole week, the city in the Province of Quebec comes alive with events linked to the Grand Prix.

The Compounds

For the third time this season, the softest trio of compounds will feature on track. That means, after appearing for the first time in Imola and again in Monaco, the C6 will be in use, alongside its closest relatives, the C5 as Medium and the C4 as Hard. The selection is therefore one step softer than last year when the chosen compounds were the C3, C4 and C5.

This weekend, when using the new C6, teams and drivers will be able to make the most of the information and data gathered at its two previous appearances. The Gilles Villeneuve Circuit is a track where the lateral forces exerted on the tyres are medium to low, while the longitudinal ones are a bit more severe, although not particularly high, because of the cars being subjected to strong deceleration followed by sharp acceleration. The track surface is very smooth and not very abrasive and is never used for racing apart from the Grand Prix weekend. Graining, especially during free practice on Friday, could put in an appearance, but as the track gradually rubbers-in it shouldn’t be a factor. Lap times come down really quickly, not just from one day to the next, but also during each session.

On top of that, the unpredictable and changeable weather is a factor to consider, a wildcard that’s been known to disrupt the on-track action here, while fluctuating temperatures are a feature of the Montreal event.

The Track

The Gilles Villeneuve Circuit is a semi-permanent facility built on the manmade island of Notre Dame, on the Saint Lawrence river, which was home to the Expo ’67 World’s Fair and some events in the 1976 Olympic Games.

The track was completely resurfaced last year, but it has retained its low abrasiveness and reduced grip that has always been one of its characteristic features. 4.361 kilometres long, it features a sequence of straights and tight chicanes, with 14 corners (six to the left and eight to the right). It’s a real stop ‘n go track where stability under braking and efficient traction are vital.

Overtaking is possible, partly down to the three DRS zones. The best bet has always been the braking point at the end of the straight that takes the drivers back to the start. The following chicane, where drivers can still use DRS from the previous activation zone, has often seen some spectacular accidents, which has led to it being known as the “wall of champions” after no fewer than three world champions, Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve all crashed into it during the 1999 race.

The Stats

This year’s event will be the 54th Canadian Grand Prix, with the first one dating back to 1967. The race has been held at three venues: prior to Montreal, it has been run at Mosport, around a hundred kilometres from Toronto and at the Mont Tremblant ski resort, 145 kilometres from Montreal.

Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton top the tables for the most wins with seven apiece and most pole positions with six. With four to their name, Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen lead the way for fastest race laps, with the German out on his own when it comes to podium finishes with 12. The most successful team is McLaren on 13, followed by Ferrari (12) and Williams (7).

The 2011 race is in the record books as the longest Grand Prix ever in terms of time, having lasted for four hours, four minutes and 39.537 seconds. It featured six Safety Car appearances, but the biggest factor in this record was a very long red flag period due to torrential rain, because a regulation that had been in force since 2005 meant that the race clock was not paused during stoppages. Eventually, Jenson Button, who had been last on lap 37, won the race for McLaren!

2025 Canadian Grand Prix Scheduling

The Canadian Grand Prix is set to take place from June 13 to June 15, 2025. Here’s the breakdown of the event’s schedule:

• June 13
  • Practice 1: 13:30 – 14:30
  • Practice 2: 17:00 – 18:00
• June 14
  • Practice 3: 12:30 – 13:30
  • Qualifying: 16:00 – 17:00
• June 15
  • Race: 14:00

All times mentioned above are in the local time zone of Montreal, Canada.

How to Watch the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix

Formula 1 fans around the globe can catch all the action from the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix through various broadcasters and streaming services.

In the United Kingdom, viewers can watch every session live on Sky Sports F1, with comprehensive coverage of the practice sessions, qualifying, and the race itself.

For fans in the United States, the Canadian Grand Prix will be available through ESPN and its associated channels. ESPN offers extensive coverage of F1, including live broadcasts and replays. Cord-cutters can also stream the race live through various over-the-top (OTT) services that carry ESPN channels.

Viewers in Australia can tune in to watch the Grand Prix weekend unfold live on Fox Sports, which offers complete coverage of F1 races. For online streaming, fans can subscribe to Kayo Sports, a streaming platform that includes all Fox Sports content.

Additionally, F1 TV Pro offers live streaming of every track session to viewers in many countries worldwide.

This subscription service provides access to onboard cameras, team radios, live timing, and more, for an immersive viewing experience.

Remember to check the local listings and services for the most up-to-date information regarding broadcast times and availability in your region.

Canadian Grand Prix Fast Facts

• The 4.361 km Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is similar in its characteristics to that of the Baku City Circuit in Azerbaijan. Long straights requiring lower drag are punctuated by slower speed corners such as chicanes and hairpins that require higher downforce.
• The 14 corners of the circuit comprise six left-hand and eight right-hand turns. Most of the corners are in a similar speed range, which is at the lower end of the scale compared to the rest of the circuits on the 2025 calendar.
• This will be the 44th F1 Grand Prix to take place at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Only Spa, Silverstone, Monaco, and Monza have hosted more.
• Several corners come as a double change of direction (left/right or right/left combinations) that require good responsiveness from the car. These include the combinations that comprise turns one and two, turns three and four, turns six and seven, turns eight and nine, and the final chicane at turns 13 and 14.
• The 405-metre pit lane ranks eighth in terms of length across all the circuits we race at. However, time expended during a pit stop is not especially high, as drivers are spared the inconvenience of going through the last chicane, instead entering the pit lane directly. Additionally, the pit exit feeds in at Turn two, thus drivers avoid having to negotiate the first corner too.
• The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is traditionally regarded as tough on brakes, similar to the Austrian GP. However, there are usually fewer cooling problems in Canada than in Spielberg because the lap distance is greater and there is more time for the brakes to dissipate temperature.
• The wall on the exit of the final corner has been dubbed ‘The Wall of Champions’ ever since 1999, when Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher, and Jacques Villeneuve all had their races ended at the turn through crashes.
• Along with Miami, Austria and Las Vegas, Montreal has the most heavy-braking zones on the F1 calendar with three.
• Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher share the record for the most wins at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve with seven.
• The circuit is located on the Île Notre-Dame, an island that hosted the World Expo in 1967. The Expo 67 American Pavilion, which became the Montreal Biosphere and is now an environmental museum, is a visible reminder of this.
• The man-made body of water outside the track – which drivers cross over to get into the paddock – was built to host the rowing and canoeing events at the 1976 Summer Olympic Games.