The prestigious reputation that Formula 1 racing circuit enjoys today wasn’t built overnight – it was a process that took many decades and depended on contributions of countless individuals, companies, and whole nations. International nature of this competition was always one of its main draws, with races taking place in different continents and featuring drivers hailing from dozens of countries.
Photo: Mercedes
Canada is one of the countries that has been associated with F1 racing for a very long time. Not only it hosts one of the standard races on the calendar, but it also has a huge number of fans who are following the entire season very closely. In tribute to this nation’s role in developing the automotive sport, we will present some interesting facts about Canada’s relationship with Formula One.
Best Canadian F1 Drivers in History
A total of 15 drivers who appeared in at least one F1 race were born in Canada. Of course, not all of them have been successful but some have reached the top tier of the sport and are forever remembered as champions. The name you want to pay homage to is Villeneuve – as in Giles Villeneuve who drove 68 Formula 1 races between 1977 and 1982 and won 6 of them, before meeting a tragic end in a crash at the ’82 Belgian Grand Prix. The family tradition was continued by Jacque Villeneuve, his son who had an even more impressive career that lasted between 1996 and 2006, and included 11 Grand Prix wins as well as the 1997 Formula One Drivers’ Championship with Williams. In recent years, Canada had two drivers actively competing for F1 teams, both of them highly experienced – Lance Stroll has collected 169 races over 7 seasons, while Nicholas Latifi had 61 start between 2020 and 2022. While the number of drivers may not be huge, Canada still lays claim to a piece of F1 history based on the success of the handful of drivers.
Canadian Grand Prix through the Years
One of the F1 races with the longest tradition is the Canadian Grand Prix, which was first organised in 1961 and became a part of the Formula One circuit in 1967. The race was originally held in Bowmanville, Ontario, but since 1978 it takes place on the Notre Dame Island in Montreal on the Circuit Giles Villeneuve racetrack, and it runs for 70 laps of 4.3 km each. At times, this was the only North American race sanctioned within the F1 Championships so it is considered very important, especially for fans from this continent. Historically, Ferrari and McLaren have dominated this race with 14 and 13 wins respectively, while Mercedes has only four wins – all collected between 2015 and 2019 by Lewis Hamilton, who incidentally picked up his first career win here in 2007. Hamilton and Michael Schumacher are tied for the individual driver record, with 7 Canadian Grand Prix wins apiece. The race is immensely popular, and in 2005 was the third most watched sport event on television worldwide, trailing only the Super Bowl and the Champions League Final.
Popularity of F1 Racing in Canada
Like in many other parts of the world, F1 has a stable core of fans in Canada and it keeps attracting new ones. According to some reports, the number of fans had nearly doubled over the previous decade, and now can rival sports such as hockey and basketball. Formula One races are viewed by millions of spectators on TV, while the Giles Villeneuve racetrack attracted nearly 350,000 visitors in 2023. It’s especially encouraging that fans of both genders and all generations are interested in automotive sport, and advertisers are becoming aware of the potentials. Presence of a Canadian driver on the circuit is another factor that drums up interest, especially among people who don’t follow this sport too closely. Fans can also make wagers on F1 races using one of the legally registered online sportsbooks, and even place a live bet here after the race has already started. All things considered, it takes less effort to be a Formula One fan today than in the past, which explains the soaring popularity of this competition.
What Is the Role of Canada for Growing F1 Further?
By the virtue of hosting an important Grand Prix race, Canada is an essential part of F1’s future. The nation also has a role as a source of capable drivers and engineers who might bring their talents to the racing circuit one day. It remains a big market for Formula One, and given the current trajectory its value is expected to grow exponentially. With all this in mind, it is clear that Canada has a vested interest in the continued success of F1 and will do what it can to protect the brand and increase local revenues. Hopefully, it won’t be too long before we see another Canadian-born driver reach the highest levels of the sport and match the achievements of the legendary Villeneuve family. This would reignite the love Canadians have for this sport and open the doors for even greater market penetration.
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