F1
Bulls Guide to the Canadian Grand Prix
Everything you need to know on the Canadian Grand Prix.
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, F1’s very own island at the top of the world (sort of), is fast, flowing and tons of fun. So, get ready for plenty of pace, characteristic Canuck politeness and poutine, as we head to one of our very favourite races, the Canadian Grand Prix
Stats & Facts: Canadian Grand Prix
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Canada calling
Sun Shining Over Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve
© Getty Images
Round 5 takes us to Montréal and one of F1’s most historic city races. Grand Prix racing has been happening in Montréal since 1978, and this weekend is the sport’s 45th visit to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (and its 55th time in Canada overall). The race around the edge of the Île Notre-Dame has been good to us over the years with a first win in 2013 with Sebastian Vettel, a maiden victory for the Honey Badger, Daniel Ricciardo, in 2014, and hat-trick of victories for Max Verstappen between 2022 and 2024. Can we do it again in 2026’s new era of F1? Let’s take a look and see what we’re up against…
The Montreal Biosphere
© Getty Images
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What makes the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve unique
On track there are a few things that stand out. Firstly. It’s a semi-permanent facility and for most of the year these roads around the island’s Parc Jean Drapeau and quiet havens of sylvan tranquillity. On race weekend… Not so much. That infrequent use normally means a dust, dusty, dirty track at the start of the weekend and plenty of track evolution. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is no exception but thanks to a smooth, low abrasion surface it all happens quite quickly in Montréal, meaning that quali is a real case of leaving it late if you can in order to get the best conditions. As these are semi-permanent there’s not much run-off and the barriers are close, making for thrilling racing, especially when there’s a battle in progress.
Pierre Gasly at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
© Getty Images
What else? How about wildlife. The island is home to a healthy population of marmots (like a groundhog but more Canadian) and the pesky little critters have staged the odd track invasion in the past. It’s not just marmots that present a hazard, however, as Max knows all too well. On his way to victory in 2023, the Dutchman’s car struck a bird, and while his RB19 was not badly damaged, the poor creature’s remains got stuck just behind the front brake duct. So remember, it’s a zoo out there.
Away from the track, the city embraces its grand prix like few others and during grand prix weekend large areas of downtown, around Crescent Street are transformed into what amounts to an F1-themed party zone. It all makes for one of the most entertaining weekends of the year and one fans should definitely mark as a must-attend, although you will need deep pockets.
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Circuit Characteristics
Montréal’s island track is a semi-permanent, low-downforce, stop-start 4.361-kilometre circuit built around short, sharp straights, heavy braking zones and a series of chicanes and low-speed corners. The barriers are close, the pace is frenetic, and it puts plenty of stress on driver and machine.
2 min
Isack Hadjar Pushes to the Limit at the Wall of Champions!
Get ready for our next stop on the 2026 Formula One calendar, the Canadian Grand Prix!
The fast straights into heavy braking zones put a premium on braking efficiency and stability. The kerbs are also quite aggressive, so finding good balance is key and good traction out of those slow-speed corners is important. The heavy stops mean brakes take a lot of punishment. It’s one the season’s worst for brake wear and teams regularly bring larger ducts to aid with cooling.
After all those short, sharp blasts and sudden stops, the lap ends with one of Formula 1’s most iconic hazards: the final chicane and the ‘Wall of Champions’. This barrier earned its nickname after world champions including Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve and Michael Schumacher hit it during the 1999 Canadian Grand Prix weekend, and it remains a defining challenge of the Montréal circuit.
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Key overtaking zones
Montréal has plenty of decent overtaking spots. The first key opportunity lies in Turn 1. Overtake Mode will be available on the pit straight, which also features Straight Mode. In Turn 1 cars decelerate to 130 km/h and drop to fourth gear for a left-hander that then loops through Turn 2 before a short blast to the flick through Turns 3 and 4. The next major opportunity comes at the Turn 10 hairpin. The third Straight Mode starts just after Turn 9 and a strong run through here provides a good chance in the heavy braking zone. The final big chance is at the end of the final Straight mode, into the Turn 13/14 chicane at the end of the lap.
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Strategy watch
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Oracle Strategy Guide: Canadian Grand Prix 2026
Last year, the unpredictable C6 Pirelli compound was in play, but that tyre has been axed for 2026. As a result, we’re moving a step harder, and even though the tyres are new, the C3-C5 allocation that should make things a bit more predictable, particularly in quali, where the C6 presented a real curveball. In 2025, a two-stop strategy proved the quickest route to the flag, with the top three finishers, George Russell, Max and Kimi Antonelli, all starting on used Mediums before running two Hard stints. Max won in wet/dry conditions in 2024 running two Inter stints before finishing on a set of Medium tyres. And in 2023 Max won a dry race starting on C4 Mediums before a C3 Hard stint and a final run on Mediums. Two stops are therefore likely this time round, though a one-stop might work depending on conditions. For the Sprint, the expectation for the 23-lap race is Mediums all the way to the flag.
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What fans should look out for?
Montréal holds its first Sprint this weekend and that should make for an exciting Saturday. Good overtaking opportunities, close barriers, densely packed SM and OM zones – this one could be action-packed.
The other thing to look out, of course, is the weather. The Canadian Grand Prix has never been run in May before and that comes with some degree of unpredictably. It’s not forecast to be particularly chilly but there is rain forecast for Sunday and that could spice things up.
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