Circuit Gilles Villeneuve: Canadian Grand Prix track guide, length, location, records, weather & more

Situated on a man-made island, just a stone's throw from Montreal, sits the picturesque Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, a favorite track of F1 drivers and fans alike.

Home to the Canadian Grand Prix, the track has developed a reputation for delivering exciting racing thanks to an abundance of overtaking spots, making it an event to look forward to every year.

The high-speed, low-downforce circuit features several well known sections, including the L'epingle hairpin and the Wall of Champions, named as such for having had Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve and Michael Schumacher hit it in the 1999 Canadian Grand Prix.

With Ferrari and McLaren beginning to catch up to Max Verstappen and Red Bull, the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix sets up to be a crucial race with the midpoint of the season coming closer.

Where is Circuit Gilles Villeneuve?

The track was built on Ile Notre-Dame, a man-made island initially constructed to host the 1967 World’s Fair, which was later used for the rowing events at the 1976 Olympic Games.

The island lies in Saint Lawrence Seaway, just across the river from Montreal. The track was originally named Circuit Ile Notre-Dame before being renamed in honour of Canadian great Gilles Villeneuve following his death in 1982.

When was Circuit Gilles Villeneuve first built?

Having previously been held in Toronto and Quebec, the Canadian Grand Prix found its now-home in 1978 when construction on the track was completed.

Over the years, the track has been transformed into a power circuit comprising fewer corners and long straights, making it more of a spectacle than the race preceding it, the mostly processional Monaco Grand Prix.

The facilities around it have been improved too, including the construction of a new paddock and garages between races in 2018 and 2019.

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve track length

The hybrid street circuit is 4.361km (2.71 miles) long with drivers racing at full throttle for 76 per cent of a lap and touching speeds of over 196 miles per hour along the one-kilometer straight.

The track features just 14 corners, including several break-busting chicanes, requiring a high-downforce set-up and aerodynamically-sound front wing.

However, the frequency of straights means getting the set-up of the car right to balance corner proficiency with straight speed can prove tricky.

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve first F1 race

The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve held its first Grand Prix in 1978, a race which was fittingly won by the driver for whom the track is named: Gilles Villeneuve.

The venue has staged a race every year since with a few exceptions. The 1987 edition was cancelled due to a legal row between sponsors, while the race was dropped from the 2009 calendar.

After a two-year hiatus in 2020 and 2021, the Canadian Grand Prix was back on the F1 schedule in 2022.

Who has won the most F1 races at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve?

Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton share the honor of most wins in Formula 1 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, taking the checkered flag seven times apiece.

Schumacher is responsible for half of the 14 wins Ferrari have enjoyed at the circuit, although two of Ferrari's wins at the Grand Prix happened before it was added to the Formula 1 calendar.

The Italians are the most successful team since the race was moved to Montreal, achieving two more wins than McLaren’s total of nine.

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve F1 lap record

Sebastian Vettel holds the record for the fastest lap seen at the circuit, the Ferrari driver clocking 1:10.240 in qualifying for the 2019 Canadian Grand Prix.

The record for the fastest lap during a race was set in that same year, Valtteri Bottas piloting his Mercedes around the track in a time of 1:13.078.

Does Circuit Gilles Villeneuve host any other events?

When Formula 1 isn’t in town, the venue is opened up for the public to put the track through its paces either on bikes, skates or running.

The track used to host the NASCAR NAPA Auto Parts 200.

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve weather

The Canadian Grand Prix takes place in late Spring, with the 2024 edition happening over the second weekend of June. That means the weather can get warm: temperatures have exceeded 80 degrees Fahrenheit in some years.

The early forecast predicts temperatures in the 70-degrees Fahrenheit range with rainshowers on all three days of racing.

Friday: 74 degrees Fahrenheit with a 49 percent chance of rain

Saturday: 72 degrees Fahrenheit with a 46 percent chance of rain

Sunday: 71 degrees Fahrenheit with a 42 percent chance of rain