Why F1 drivers love Montreal

Drivers love the trip to Canada – Alex Albon included – but what makes Montreal such a firm favourite?

Published

19 MAY 2026

Est. reading time

2 min

There are some races that drivers cannot wait to get to as soon as the season begins, and Montreal is almost always one of them.

The Canadian Grand Prix has built a reputation as one of Formula 1’s most-loved events, combining a challenging old-school circuit with one of the sport’s best city atmospheres.

For Alex Albon, it’s comfortably near the very top of the list. “I reckon it’s in the top three of the year,” Alex shared in 2024. “The races, hotel mixed with city and track as a combination, what a place.”

Unlike some circuits that feel isolated from everything else, the Canadian Grand Prix weekend feels completely connected to the city around it. Fans fill the streets all week, the bars and restaurants are packed late into the evening, and everywhere you go there’s a buzz around Formula 1.

Alex's recommendation? Joe Beef. "Ah man, it's good... maybe I'm hyping it up a bit too much. But it's good. I mean, I've got the t-shirt and I walk around in it."

And who can forget the residents of Île Notre-Dame?

Then there’s the circuit. Located on Île Notre-Dame, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has become famous for producing unpredictable races. The kerbs are aggressive and the walls are close enough to punish any mistakes. The long straights mixed with heavy braking zones often create exactly the kind of racing fans love. And then there’s the weather.

“Every time we arrive, like Wednesday, Thursday, the weather is amazing and then the weekend starts and it’s like… rain,” Alex laughed. “I spoke about it to the people at the airport and it was very hot, I was like ‘This is new’ and they were like ‘No it’s always good weather’. I was like ‘What, no it’s not!?’”

It's the weather's indecision that has often made Montreal a much-watch race, with everything from surprise podiums to chaotic wet-weather races over the years, including the longest in F1 history.

While Montreal is demanding on track, it’s also one of those rare race weekends that feels genuinely fun away from it too – something that helps explain why so many drivers, Alex included, rank it among their absolute favourites.