Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a racing venue that hosts one of the Formula One World Championship races - the Canadian Grand Prix.

While it might not look like it at first glance, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a street circuit. It is situated on Notre Dame Island in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The circuit is best known for hosting the Canadian Grand Prix.

Along the Albert Park Circuit that hosts the Australian Grand Prix, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is one of only two circuits in the calendar that are situated in a public park. It was the first time it opened on October 6, 1978, and since then, it has gone through five revisions.

In its first year of opening - 1978, the circuit became part of the Formula One calendar right away. Back then, called "Montreal Island Circuit" or "Circuit Île Notre-Dame," saw a special opening grand prix as hometown hero Gilles Villeneuve himself won the race driving a Ferrari.

Circuit holds a strange record - in 2011, the longest-ever Formula One Grand Prix race took place at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The race has been interrupted and prolonged by rain and multiple safetycars. After an unbelievable 4 hours, 4 minutes, and 39.537 seconds, the race ended with Jenson Button as a winner.

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a street circuit, so the walls run very close to the track on multiple sections of the track. Perhaps the most famous of all places on the track is the "Wall of Champions". It is located on the exit of the final chicane heading into the start/finish straight.

In 1999 the wall caught out 3 Formula One world champions during the race - Michael Schumacher, Damon Hill, and Jacques Villeneuve along with FIA GT champion Ricardo Zonta. Subsequently, the wall has been given its name - the "Wall of Champions". 

However, both Formula One fans and drivers still love the circuit. Lewis Hamilton said about this track: "I love this track! It's a really exciting circuit, very high-speed, and it's one where you have to get as close as possible to the walls."