A Rookie’s Experience at the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix
With the Grand Prix festivities starting to emerge in Montreal, I think it’s about time I share my experience at last year’s Canadian Grand Prix!
If you are curious to know how I got 3-day tickets a month before the race or would like to read about Montreal from a tourist’s perspective, I highly recommend reading Part 1!
Table of Contents
· THURSDAY
· FRIDAY-SUNDAY
· THE PROS
· THE CONS
· TAKEAWAYS AND TIPS
THURSDAY
On Thursday morning, my two friends and I went down to Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve for the pit lane walk. I found myself more excited for this experience than the Grand Prix itself because of how exclusive the pit lane is. We were obviously viewing from a distance but, I never thought I’d be this close to an F1 garage.
Although we spent a good chunk of time waiting in line under the burning sun and walking miles to reach the pit lane and back, I still had a really good time.
I loved how we caught a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes action leading up to the race weekend — a side that often goes unnoticed. Although the atmosphere in each garage felt calm and chill, I knew that every nut and bolt being tightened was a valuable piece to the successful running of these cars. F1 becomes even more fascinating when you think about it like that.
It was hard to believe that I was near some of the most complex machinery and insanely skilled workers in the world of motorsport. It’s one thing to see this environment on TV, but actually being there was a whole different level of insane. Even just hearing the wheel guns in real life made me jump inside and out.
And that wasn’t even the best part…
At the pit exit, there was an empty section where many people stopped to take pictures close to the track. I remember turning around to face the track and seeing Alex Albon walking in the distance. My friend and I walked up to the barrier, called out his name, and with a smile, he turned to us and waved. I quickly snapped a picture on my film camera.
Shortly after Alex walked away, Oscar Piastri entered the scene. As he casually strolled past us, we found ourselves just a couple of feet away from him. He said “hello” to my friend’s “hello” and because of that interaction, she has been a Piastri fan since!
Zhou Guanyu passed by as well, but instead of walking down the pit exit like Oscar, he jumped over the barrier as soon as he could! Since he was off in a hurry, I only got a photo of him walking in the distance. In contrast, I managed to get a close-up shot of Logan Sargeant who was the last of the drivers to walk by.
Did I chase Logan like a wild chicken for this shot? Yes.
Am I embarrassed? 100% (my behaviour still haunts me to this day).
But would I do it again? Probably😅!
When we were walking back to the pits, we noticed that a lot of people had crowded the lane. It was impossible to leave but we did manage to squeeze our way through to the Ferrari garage.
As we stood stagnant in a crowd of people, we heard some commotion down at Mercedes next door. From the Ferrari garage, I managed to squeeze my way to the front edge of the barrier where I stepped on my tip-toes to see what was going on.
Lo and behold, it was the one and only: Lewis Hamilton.
He signed some merch for the people in front of him but eventually, he went back inside. Even though I was plenty of meters away, I was determined to capture a photo of Lewis. As he was walking back, I raised my camera above my head and blindly pressed the shutter button, hoping for the best.
Unfortunately, he already entered the garage when I snapped the photo. Even though the picture would look like a failed shot to a stranger, I can still make his grainy figure out in the shadows.
After that, the line still refused to move so we were forced to stay parked at Ferrari. Thankfully this inconvenience quickly became an opportunity I never would have expected…
After some time had passed, someone noticed Charles Leclerc in the back of the garage.
“CHA-RLES! CHA-RLES! CHA-RLES! CHA-RLES!” they chanted.
And soon enough, he reappeared through a door and came out.
This might sound like an exaggeration but Charles looked like an angel. Even though he looks quite tan in the photos, I am telling you my eyes saw otherwise. His skin was porcelain and bright like there was an undeniable glow to him. He was mesmerizing, to say the least.
My friends and I were not prepared for signatures but honestly, I didn’t care. I was armed with plenty of cameras! Even when we met Carlos Sainz earlier in the trip (check out Part 1 for the full story), my dad was baffled that I didn’t ask him for his signature! But I told him that I’ll always prioritize a photo over a scribble.
As soon as Charles came out of the garage, I did not hold back with the photo-taking. If there is one person I would waste my limited film exposures for, it would be Charles Leclerc. I was so determined to get a good shot that I hired my two friends to join my unofficial media crew. I was shooting on film, friend A was shooting on digital, and friend B was videotaping on iPhone — that’s how serious it was!
Even though Yuki Tsunoda and Nyck DeVries were seen playing hockey in front of their garage, Charles was the last of the drivers that I got to see that weekend. Since he is one of my favourite drivers and someone I will probably never see again, this moment is one of the crowns of my memory!
After being pushed and shoved from all angles, the crowd finally started to move. As we were walking down, I spotted Roberto Baldea – a Montreal-based motorsport photographer and content creator. I decided to approach him and he truly is just as nice as he is online! He had a stack of his photos with him and gave each of us one to keep. He gave me a photo of Sebastian Vettel that he took in 2022 and he gave my two friends a photo of Carlos Sainz on the podium.
While walking back up the extremely long main straight, we noticed a huge crowd of people were still waiting to see the pit lane. Besides how bad my feet were hurting and how hot I was, I was so thankful that we arrived early and avoided an even longer lineup.
There were tons of food trucks and some merch stands waiting for us when we got back but we decided to just sit in the shade to regain some energy. Thankfully, they were giving away free Monster so it was a nice little pick me up!
Before we left the circuit, we had one more thing to see: the high-speed testing of the FIA safety and medical cars. This part of the day was priced but since I wasn’t going to be sitting in the grandstands that weekend, I at least wanted to experience it even if it was only for a short while!
We sat at Grandstand 34 which is one of the grandstands that comes after the turn 10 hairpin. It was really nice being up there and watching the cars go by but the sunny skies quickly turned cloudy so we left early to beat the rain.
Would I do the pit lane walk again despite the hot temperatures, excruciating walks, and crowds of people? Absolutely!
I got to walk where the rubber runs, watch the mechanics work, and I got to see a bunch of drivers before they turn into race weekend robots—all without spending a dime.
Needless to say, I would still say that it’s definitely worth it.
FRIDAY-SUNDAY
The rest of the weekend was pretty straightforward with each day being almost identical to the other:
- At around 6 AM we drove to Parc Jean Drapeau — the station that leads to the circuit — and joined the line at the circuit entrance.
- At the track, we walked around, ate some food, and checked out the merchandise.
- We watched the other racing series — F-1600 and the Ferrari Challenge — between the F1 sessions.
- And of course, we watched all three practice sessions, qualifying, and the race.
I’ll skip the details of qualifying and the race, not just because I’m unsure of what happened, but because I’m eager to highlight the most memorable aspects of my personal experience.
THE PROS
There were two things I was most excited to experience:
- the speed of the cars
- the sound of the engines.
We all know F1 cars are extremely fast but regardless of this common understanding, I was still surprised to see them shoot by with a blink of an eye!
The TV broadcasts just don’t do these cars justice.
The fact that all my pictures came out blurry is a testament to the velocity of these cars. Even though these photos were taken on film where the quality is bound to be subpar, but I personally love how you can feel the speed and movement through these photos.
Because I got to see how fast these cars truly are, I have gained an even greater respect for racing drivers. Their ability to think and control the car under lightning speeds and to sustain such high-speed crashes is something none of us will ever fully understand.
Now, the speed was one thing but the sound was a completely different ball game. As much as I wish we could be living in the electrifying V10 era, I still enjoyed the current — although more muted — sounds.
It was also very interesting how all the cars sounded slightly different from one another. I’m not good at describing sounds — especially not engine sounds—but in my opinion, the Red Bulls sounded the best. I can still hear the pops and bangs from those RB downshifts ringing in my ears 😮💨.
Since we watched the race from the start-finish straight, I got to hear all the cars roaring as they lined up on the grid. Besides the pit lane walk, I think that was my favourite part of the entire weekend. I wish I recorded that moment but it truly was music to my ears.
THE CONS
The downside of being at the event versus watching on TV is that you miss out on the racing — especially if you have general admission (GA) tickets or are sitting in a grandstand where overtakes are uncommon.
Another con of GA is that it can be quite taxing. For instance, to claim an ideal spot for track viewing, you have to be at the circuit very early in the morning before the queue gets long. And once the circuit opens, you have to run for your life to claim it.
We wanted to sit by the start-finish straight which was the area furthest from the entrance. So, when the circuit opened on Sunday, it was exactly like the Hunger Games. And let me tell you, it is not easy trying to run while carrying backpacks and camping chairs.
It is also in your best interest to stay in your spot because if you leave, it will be taken in seconds. Even if you have a buddy to man your post, it’s almost useless trying to find other view spots since they all end up being full of people.
The main con of watching perpendicular to a straight is that you don’t end up seeing anything since the cars go by so fast! Even though there are jumbotrons to watch the race from, there isn’t any commentary to complement the picture. As a result, many people ended up playing the live feed on their phones just to hear and see what was going on.
Another downside to this particular circuit is that the track was built on relatively level ground. As a result, there weren’t any hills that give you that grandstand-esque view that you see at Spa or Zandvoort. So, no matter where you went, you would always be watching through a wired fence or at least, from a very far distance.
TAKEAWAYS AND TIPS
Would I recommend GA tickets? Absolutely, but it depends on what you are hoping to see.
If you just want to go to a Grand Prix for the experience then GA tickets are your best friend. If you don’t mind sitting on the grass or some camping chairs, then go for it! It’s the most affordable option and I think the most practical for a first-timer.
But if you would rather sit comfortably and see the cars from up above, for Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, I would opt for Grandstand tickets.
Below are some of my notes and tips to consider:
- Arrive early for all sessions (including the pit lane walk) as the lines get very long. I recommend being there 1.5 to 2 hours before the circuit opens and bringing something to keep you entertained while you wait.
- If you have GA tickets, bring a camping chair (the more portable, the better).
- The merchandise is priced higher at the circuits than online.
- If you want long-lasting merch, buy embroidered clothing if available. They tend to be more expensive but it will be worth it in 20+ years time. Over time, printed shirts will fade and ironed designs will peel.
- Bring comfortable walking shoes and be prepared for both rain and shine.
- For the Canadian GP, there is always a lot of mud and large puddles so make sure you bring shoes or boots that you don’t mind ruining.
Altogether, regardless of the hassle that it all was, I had a really good time!
I am very delighted to announce that I am currently in Montreal and will be attending the Canadian GP again this weekend, so expect another write-up soon! I decided to splurge on Grandstand tickets and will be attending on my own, ensuring a completely new and unique experience to write about. But until then, let’s pray for another non-Max win to make my trip all the more worth it!
