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The Canadian Grand Prix is taking over Montreal this weekend, calling Formula 1 drivers and fans from across the world to the iconic Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. But the history of this race goes beyond the track’s infamous Wall of Champions and even the circuit itself.
From being cancelled over a beer dispute to holding the record for the longest grand prix ever, here are three things that you may not have known about the lore of this beloved race.
The race that was cancelled over beer
Rivalries are a staple of any sport, and in F1, these clashes extend all the way to the brands that sponsor the races themselves. One rivalry in particular got so heated that it proved to be the demise of the very race they were fighting over.
The Canadian beer giant Labatt had become the title sponsor of the Canadian race in 1972, and had held on to that position for 15 years. But in 1987, things started to get a bit shaky for them when another major Canadian beer company, Molson, decided to get into the mix.
Labatt was already on the back foot, having admitted that, since taking on the role of title sponsor, it had faced a loss of $26 million and was relying on government funding to help keep the Canadian Grand Prix afloat.
Meanwhile, Molson had been steadily gaining popularity as a beer brand, and adding teams to its roster of sponsorships, from baseball, football and hockey, and even the IndyCar race. This upward trajectory in the brand’s success led to the promoter of the Canadian Grand Prix striking a sponsorship deal with Molson for the 1987 Grand Prix.
Labatt, whose contract with the race had yet to expire, took Molson to court, and a long and arduous legal battle ensued, with the final ruling being that Molson had sponsorship rights to the Grand Prix, while Labatt had rights to the race venue.
Naturally, this result didn’t please anybody involved, with Bernie Ecclestone getting so frustrated that he outright cancelled the race in March of that year, just two and a half months before it was initially scheduled to take place.
2011: The longest F1 race ever recorded
F1 is a sport where speed is everything, and the faster you get to the finish line the better. So with the average F1 grand prix lasting about one and a half to two hours, a race that takes over four hours to finish is truly noteworthy.
This is what happened at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in 2011. It was a particularly rainy Sunday, with standing water building up on the track even before the race began, forcing the officials to call for skipping the formation lap altogether and starting the race under safety car with everyone on full wet tires.
“In Canada, when it rains and pours down, the track condition is always dangerous,” explained then-Lotus driver Jarno Truli in an article on F1’s official website recounting the race. “First, because of the track layout – you have long straights, so the spray is very high. Second, because of the top speed, and in this case the risk is very, very high. Third, because the surface typically is very, very slippery.”
Indeed, these conditions, and several bumps and touches between drivers resulting from a lack of grip, are what led to six safety cars–an all-time record that still stands today–as well as a red flag that lasted for over two hours. In the end, the total race time recorded was 4 hours 4 minutes and 39.540 seconds.
But these aren’t the only records the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix holds. That year’s winner, Jenson Button, also holds the record for making the most pit stops before claiming the top spot of the podium, having come in a total of six times (one of which was a drive-through penalty for speeding under one of the six aforementioned safety cars).
Mosport: The original home of the Canadian Grand Prix
While the Circuit Gilles- Villeneuve is one of the most beloved tracks on the F1 calendar, it is not the original home of the Canadian Grand Prix. In fact, this race got its start on another incredibly historic circuit in a completely different province: the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP).
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Originally named the Mosport International Raceway (“Mosport” for short), this circuit is one of the most well-known and cherished race tracks in all of Canada with an extensive history of hosting countless national and international racing competitions.
“It was the first major motorsports circuit built in Canada, and along the way, they've hosted a lot of firsts in terms of motorsports,” explained the track’s then PR and marketing consultant, Jerry Priddle, during the 2025 IMSA Chevrolet Grand Prix. “The first F1 race in Canada was held here in 1967, as part of Canada's Centennial celebration. The first IndyCar race, not only in Canada, but also on a road course, was held here at [CTMP], also in 1967… [We were] the first ones to hold the World Endurance [Championship] back in the 80s.”
But that’s far from everything. MotoGP, the Motocross World Championship, the American Le Mans Series, the GT World Challenge America, and so many more championships all called CTMP home at one point or another. Today, it hosts the IMSA Sports Car Championship, NASCAR Canada and Radical Cup Canada, among others.
As for its F1 history, CTMP hosted the eight editions of Canadian Grand Prix between 1967 and 1977, before the race moved to its current home in Montreal. And in those first years, we saw some truly incredible race winners including the great Jackie Stewart, Emerson Fittipaldi, and James Hunt.
Want more surprising facts about this year’s F1 drivers and race tracks? Check out our other Speed Reads:
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