GRAND PRIX DU CANADA 2011
Time: Sunday, June 12 at 5-PM - June 13 at 3-AM (GMT)
Location: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, QuƩbec, Canada
Information: "In the 1960s the rivalry between French and English speaking Canada meant that the country's Grand Prix had two homes: Mosport Park one year and Mont-Tremblant the next. By 1970, however, Mont-Tremblant was deemed too dangerous and the race moved full time to Mosport Park.
...In 1977 the French Canadians, motivated by the incredible success of Gilles Villeneuve, decided it was about time they built a race track. Building a new circuit simply wasn't feasible, however, as time and money were against them. Their solution was simple and effective. Taking the Ile Notre-Dame, they connected all the island's roads and made a circuit. The island had been the home of the 1967 World Fair (Expo'67) and was full of futuristic looking buildings. It was, everyone agreed, a perfect venue for a Grand Prix.
After $2m was spent on upgrading the circuit to Formula One standards, the first race was held there in October 1978. Gilles Villeneuve, in his first season with Ferrari, was yet to win a Formula One race, but at his home Grand Prix he took a memorable debut victory. Following his tragic death in 1982, the track was renamed in his honour.
His son, Jacques, never won at the track but some of the great drivers of the sport have taken the spoils here. Michael Schumacher holds the record of having won seven times in Canada. It is also the scene of Jean Alesi's single Grand Prix victory in 1995, driving the number 27 Ferrari, the same car number which carried Gilles Villeneuve into the hearts of the Canadian Formula One fans." (Formula1.com)
"Formerly called the Ile Notre-Dame Circuit and built on a partly man-made island in the Saint-Lawrence River, the circuit held its first race in 1978 after too many complaints over the safety levels at Mosport. It was renamed in 1982 to honour the late French-Canadian driver Gilles Villeneuve who claimed his maiden Formula One victory at the venue's inaugural F1 race in 1978.
Known for its tricky hairpin bends and the kilometre-long straight, the circuit is also famous for its "Wall of Champions". Situated at the end of the very long high-speed straight, the chicane has caught out many drivers over the years, notably in 1999 when three world champions - Michael Schumacher, Jacques Villeneuve and Damon Hill - all fell foul of the tricky chicane.
The first lap is notorious for accidents, the cars are funnelled from the grid into the tight Senna curves, and so frequent is the safety car deployed that teams actually prepare strategies with one or two safety-car periods in mind.
The 2009 Canadian Grand Prix was dropped from the calendar following the failure to reach a deal with F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone. The government refused to pay the increased fee that they were faced with on renewal of the contract. However, after further discussions a deal was brokered that saw the popular event making a return in 2010."
