COME RAIN OR SHINE
2022 FORMULA 1 CANADIAN GRAND PRIX.
PHOTOS: lILIAN mICHEL (@TWINDRIVEN) | WRITER: KYLE LITHERLAND (@6IXCARS_)
It’s been a long two years for Canadian racing fans. Many of our favourite international racing series have been absent from our favourite tracks and and it has left a gaping void. But there was light at the end of the tunnel and the world’s favourite travelling motorsport circus finally made its way back to the great white north.
Yes the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal was finally hosting a Formula 1 race again for the first time since 2019. Fans from across the country and around the world could finally return to the famed circuit to cheer on their favourite drivers.
The atmosphere at a Formula 1 Grand Prix is really unlike anything else out there and something that every racing fan needs to experience. It is, after all, the largest spectator sport in the world with hundreds of thousands of fans attending the biggest races throughout the course of a weekend. When hometown heroes or world champions come flying past a grandstand at maximum speed, the sounds of the crowd can be deafening. It’s an incredible experience.
Friday was full of fun and excitement for many, seeing formula 1 cars back on track in Montreal for the first time in 3 years. Even though mother nature decided to rain on the parade a bit towards the end of the day, nothing short of an earthquake was going to keep F1 fans away from the track after missing out on the biggest spectacle for consecutive years.
Even after the action was finished at the track for the day and the rain started to come down hard, the party was far from over. Montreal on grand prix weekend has a reputation for being one of the funnest places on planet Earth. Parties, supercars, celebrities, loads of poutine, downtown Montreal has it all and it gets turned up to the max when Formula 1 is in town.
Saturday at the track picked up where Friday left off. Lots and lots of rain. This meant that spectators would be getting very wet but they would also be in for a treat of a qualifying session. Seeing Formula 1 cars dance in the rain is rather majestic to say the least.
Now as any racing driver will tell you, rain is the great equalizer. A lot of the performance advantages of certain cars are thrown out the window and driver performance plays the most pivotal role. This was clearly the case in Montreal as the reigning champion Max Verstappen put on a clinic in qualifying to claim pole position ahead of the ageless wonder Fernando Alonso who showed off his wealth of experience to put in an incredible lap. Much to the delight of the Canadian fans who gave him a huge cheer for his effort!
And after the storms had finally passed and Saturday qualifying had wrapped up, it was time for the main event on Sunday. The great migration of people had piled into the Montreal metro with a final destination of the Ile Notre Dame, the site of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and the Canadian Grand Prix.
While we’ve mentioned how eager the fans were to get back to the track and watch Formula 1 again, we should also point out how excited the drivers were to be back in Montreal for the first time since 2020. The energy and the fanfare at the Canadian grand prix can go toe to toe with many of the greatest races of the year.
After a parade of Austin Healeys had made their way around the circuit, chauffeuring the best drivers in the world, it was time for the lights to go out and the race to get underway!
It was an exciting race to say the least with many battles happening throughout the field as everyone fought to catch Verstappen’s Red Bull out in front. One of the most exciting drivers of the day was definitely Verstappen’s main championship rival Charles Leclerc, who after having to start from the back of the grid due to engine penalties, pushed his Ferrari all the way up to fifth by the end of the race.
However catching Max Verstappen proved to be an impossible feat by the end of the day. A late race yellow flag allowed Carlos Sainz to get close to Verstappen but the Red Bull driver did not relinquish the lead and took the chequered flag!
To say this was an important weekend for Canadian motorsports and Formula 1 would be an understatement. The 2022 Canadian Grand Prix was an event that was 3 years in the making and it did not disappoint. The smiles of the fans could be seen from kilometres away and the roar of the crowd could be heard around the country. We are already counting down the days to the 2023 edition!
