The Canadian Grand Prix history has been marked by the career of Gilles Villeneuve, driver's native American country wings and gave life to motor racing in his country.
In the U.S., and therefore across North America there is some suspicion towards Europe. This is evident in Formula 1, which has never fully studded on American soil. However, this does not extend to the city of Montreal, which hosts the famous forward test of the World. At the time ChampCar and IRL currently dominate the U.S. automotive scene and Canada, and the GP of Vancouver or Toronto for the championships Americans try to outshine the territory F1 Canada. Yet like car racing and the pilgrimage to Montreal is the same now that the early 80's.
But Canada's relationship with the pinnacle of motorsport is not simply the Gilles Villeneuve street circuit since its premiere at the headquarters of the test was the Mosport circuit, located in Bowmanville, Ontario. Furthermore, in the first four seasons are alternated with the Circuit Mont-Tremblant (Quebec).
In these early years, as was the case until 1982 in Montreal (now known as Gilles Villeneuve in honor of the pilot who died during the Belgian GP, \u200b\u200b1982) the appointment in Canada was part of an American stage in the United States and Mexico were included and to be held after the passage through Europe in September and October. However, in the 80's he moved to the summer, position on the calendar that still lingers.
From the quotations in Mont-Tremblant Mosport and include the supremacy of McLaren, with four wins and two pilots in particular: Jacky Ickx and Jackie Stewart, who won only twice before F1 landed in Montreal, where a driver and a team dominate above the rest: Michael Schumacher and Ferrari. The German driver is more than comfortable in Canada, where most wins second circuit has won seven. Only Magny-Cours, with eight wins, is above the American path.
Meanwhile, Ferrari has won Montreal on ten occasions, the winningest team in Canada, a detail that might well consider Fernando Alonso, Scuderia, needed this year to achieve a good result . The Spaniard, of course, already knows how to win here, and in 2006 achieved a valuable victory with the R26.
Gilles Villeneuve circuit is a circuit where it's always fun things happen and that pilots are seen each year with more excitement and more enthusiasm. Nestled in the artificial island of Notre Dame de Montreal, the circuit hosted the first F1 race in 1978 and the local driver Gilles Villeneuve won the victory in the race with the lowest temperature of the history of the competition.
In 1982, in honor of the then recently deceased Gilles renamed the circuit Gilles Villeneuve and from 1983 is painted on the grid Salut Gilles slogan that read hundreds of banners in every track of the time. The track, however, have a history "black" like most tracks related to F1 for years. In 1982 Ricardo Paletti died at the output of GP to be trapped in their burning car after a collision with Didier Pironi.
Grand Prix 1997 is another dark memory. Olivier Panis, in the final laps, had an accident when they hit the wall. The pilot, who that year had won a third place in Brazil and a second in Spain, broke both legs and was cut short which was undoubtedly his best season in F1. He did not return to racing after eight races and many believe that this incident overshadowed the rest of his career.
But without doubt, the accident that everybody remembers every year is that of Robert Kubica in 2007. Then BMW-Sauber driver touched with the Toyota of Jarno Trulli in Turn 9, hit a bump in the grass, lifting the nose of the car and preventing it to stop or steer the car. So, hit the wall at a speed of 230 km / h, ending before the tenth turn of the path. The car crossed the track giving over several times to hit the opposite wall and rear brakes. He ended up in such bad shape that his car was feared the worst, but the Pole was only a sprained ankle and only missed the next race in Indianapolis. Of course, next year is indemnified by the best: achieving so far is their only victory in Formula 1.
The output of the GP tends to be uneven, since few years in which no driver abandoned the race after the first corner. In 1998 the race had to be abandoned by the accident involving Alex Wurz and Sauber's Jean Alesi. Wurz took over several times and fortunately escaped unhurt in an incident with Jarno Trulli and Johnny Herbert were also involved. Another critical point is the chicane to the finish line, the famous Wall of Champions with his slogan Bienvenue au Quebec, a wall that challenges riders and cut the wings to excessive daring. In 1999, four pilots ended up against the barrier and three of them were World Champions. Zonta, Hill, Schumacher and Villeneuve was given the nickname that still survives today in such a delicate point of the path.
Since its release, the Canadian Grand Prix has only been out of F1 three times: in 1975, in 1987, motivated by the changes that were made on the track, and in 2009, when economic problems left North America without a Formula 1 test. This year, becomes the pinnacle of motorsport.
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