An F1-Filled Week in Montreal
Earlier this month I did something I never thought I’d do. I went on a solo trip to Montreal.
To a normal person, travelling alone might sound like a walk in the park. But to homebodies and introverts like myself, this was a massive step outside of my comfort zone. So why on earth did I do it? Why did I put myself in a situation where everyone, including me, knew I wasn’t capable?
Well, as the saying goes: “Love makes you do crazy things.”
But the “love” that pushed me into the deep end wasn’t a person or a place; it was this thrilling thing called Formula 1. From the planning of this trip to the fulfilment of it, I realized that my devotion to fast cars trumps all of my fears, logic, and savings. In other words, this love of mine is both a blessing and a curse.
Amidst this paradox, however, I can now say that this trip was the best decision I’ve ever made and I’m here to tell you all about it. But let’s start with how I got into this position in the first place.
The Canadian Grand Prix was less than two months away when I found 3-day passes available for Tribune 16 – the first grandstand on the main straight. My dad was not on board given the price but I couldn’t take no for an answer. And that’s when impulsivity took over.
“Screw that old fart,” I said, “I’ll go alone.”
The thought of being alone in a city where I didn’t know a soul scared me out of my mind. I considered selling my ticket but the fear of regret silenced all my anxieties.
“What if I don’t like F1 next year and I didn’t enjoy it fully when I loved it most?”
That lingering thought alone was enough to convince me to go through with my trip.
Although I was nervous, the excitement of going to a race and revisiting my favourite city kept me afloat in the days leading up. I had also joined several Facebook groups for F1 fans attending the GP alone, so I felt at ease knowing that I had people to meet for the weekend.
I stayed in Montreal for the entire race week enjoying some good old-fashioned tourism and the different F1 pop-up shops scattered across downtown. So buckle up while I share my F1-filled week in Montreal!
Table of Contents
· Monday, June 3rd, 2024
· Tuesday, June 6th, 2024
· Wednesday, June 5th, 2024
· Thursday, June 6th, 2024
· Friday, June 7th, 2024
· Saturday, June 8th, 2023
· Sunday, June 9th, 2024
Monday, June 3rd, 2024
After getting settled at my place for the week, I went out in search of the Mercedes pop-up shop on Saint Catherine Street.
When I walked into the store, I was greeted with something both familiar and new to me: Lewis Hamilton’s W15. She looked stunning from the window and even more so up close. Yet, as I admired her beauty, I was reminded of her much faster ancestors and sighed in her presence.
Later in the week, I discovered that she had been replaced by the not-so-hunky WhatsApp emoji car! I wondered if the W15 previously on display had been Hamilton’s actual race car for the weekend, hence why it was taken away. All I can say is that I’m glad I visited the store before the emoji car took over!
Just a couple of blocks west of the Mercedes pop-up was the Williams Fan Zone. It was set up in a ghost town mall where they had merch, memorabilia, and a bunch of activities to try.
I took the Williams simulator for a spin and let me tell you, I really meant it. I was hitting the Wall of Champions every lap and running wide at the hairpin just as often. If that is what driving the FW46 is like, then I completely understand why Sargeant always finds the wall! Jokes aside, I had fun and all the employees were incredibly nice, so shout out to them!
I finished the day with fresh bagels from St. Viateur Bagel and watched the beautiful sunset at Saint Joseph’s Oratory. It was definitely a first day well spent.
Tuesday, June 6th, 2024
The next day I went to the famous lookout at Mount Royal Park, had lunch at Jean-Talon Market, and visited numerous vintage stores. Although I was running around the city like a headless chicken in a burning oven, it was on this day that I felt the true joys of exploring a city alone.
I got to see what I wanted, be who I wanted, and do what I wanted — all at my own pace. It was liberating, to say the least.
So instead of being riddled with anxiety the whole trip, I experienced the exact opposite: complete and utter bliss. I missed my loved ones dearly, but it was nice being able to listen to music and be mute all day long. It was like living an introvert’s biggest dream!
Wednesday, June 5th, 2024
On Wednesday, I went back to the Williams Fan Zone to watch Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant’s separate Q&A sessions. They were also having exclusive meet-and-greets but unfortunately, I was not one of the lucky winners. Regardless, I was still excited to watch them answer fan questions.
Just after 2 PM, Alex came trotting down the staircase with the same smile and charisma he always displays on TV and social media. I was too far back to be chosen for a question but I was satisfied with the opportunity of listening to him speak. I’ve always admired how present, articulate, and lively he is so it was a joy to witness that in real life.
When the Q&A ended, Alex stepped down from the stage and spent time signing autographs for the people in front. He even gave us one final wave before heading back upstairs for the meet-and-greets.
Since we knew that Alex would eventually depart, a group of us stood near his exit path in hopes that he would interact with us. He came out two times and on both occasions, he was kind enough to take big group selfies with all of us.
Alex is truly a gem.
Logan, on the other hand… not so much. Unlike Alex, Logan did not smile, wave, or even look at us when he entered the building. As he walked past us, I knew that his lack of energy was about to set the tone for the vibe of his Q&A.
And as expected, Logan was not as captivating as Alex. He was not enthusiastic and some of his responses were dull and dry. I’m not sure if he was having a bad day or simply did not want to be there but either way, it wasn’t exactly an enthralling experience.
Despite an anticlimactic end to the day, I went home proud. I was proud of myself for not only attending an event alone but proud for speaking to other people while I was there. I went up to a popular TikToker named Nora, talked to a girl named Vee, and met Ella, the founder of The F1 Girlies.
But it was a local fan named Marie who made my day extra special. We met while waiting for Alex to arrive and spent the time between the two Q&A sessions chatting about F1 and sharing travel stories. She was such a lovely woman and I’ll never forget her kindness and youthful spirit!
Thursday, June 6th, 2024
I spent the entire Thursday exploring Old Montreal which was where I saw one of the most beautiful women to ever graze this earth. It was Alexandra Saint Mleux aka Charles Leclerc’s chèrie amour. She was walking across the street from me but even from afar, she was simply breathtaking.
As I was soaking in the breeze and view of the St. Lawrence River, I started to feel tiny droplets beating on my face. It didn’t start pouring until a couple of hours later but it was severe enough to soak through my new Puma Palermos. Despite my discomfort, I pushed through the heavy rain to meet the women from my Facebook group!
The meet was scheduled at a well-known pub called The Mad Hatter. It was on Crescent Street which was where all the F1 festivities were taking place for the weekend. As I walked past the different booths, I spotted the Alpine Boutique and their A524 show car sitting casually on display!
When I arrived at the pub, it was evident by the turnout that only a few were willing to brave the rain. I’m still glad I made the journey because I got to meet Katelyn — an F1 fan from Denver who was celebrating her 22nd birthday that very day.
We hit it off and went to La Capital Tacos for dinner with her hostel roommate, Jas. The three of us ran around the late-night streets of Montreal in the windy rain but had a great time talking, laughing, and enjoying the most delicious shrimp tacos ever made. Katelyn and I made sure to reconnect at the track for the weekend and that was my Thursday complete!
Friday, June 7th, 2024
As I’m sure most of you are aware, the weather at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve is notorious for random showers of rain. But on this particular Friday, the level of unpredictability and chaos reached new heights.
When I arrived at the track at 11 AM, the sun was shining, the sky was clear, and it was extremely hot. With that said, nothing could have prepared me for what was about to come.
As I sat in my seat waiting for FP1 to begin, I noticed dark clouds starting to emerge. At around noon, the commentator announced that in 6 minutes there would be 20 minutes of heavy rain and that the grandstands had to be evacuated for safety reasons.
I quickly put on my poncho and right on queue, it began to cascade. What started as heavy rain, quickly turned into thunder, lightning, and hail! If I thought my shoes were soaked yesterday, then today they were out for a swim in the ocean. But after seeing other people drenched from head to toe, my wet socks and shoes did not sound so bad after all.
It would have been manageable standing in the rain if we knew FP1 would inevitably commence. But when 20 minutes went by and the showers did not let up, the status of the event was suddenly up in the air.
Was practice set to go on or not? Echoing The Clash, I wondered: should I stay or should I go?
The workers didn’t know what to tell us. All we could do was wait.
We stood in the rain for a total of 45 minutes before we returned to our seats. Unfortunately, the lack of communication between the organizers, police officers, and staff resulted in countless fans being misled into leaving the circuit and ultimately missing both practice sessions. And the worst part is, this wasn’t the only mess fans encountered that weekend. Needless to say, it’s understandable why the Canadian GP is under review.
Although FP1 took place on time, thanks to the extremely wet conditions and other complications, we did not see the first car out until about a half hour later. I was most excited to see Alpine’s reserve driver, Jack Doohan participate in FP1 in place of Pierre Gasly. I wore my Doohan OK shirt to show my support but sadly he was only able to put three laps on the board. Naturally, I was not Doohan OK.
After practice, I met with Katelyn to kill time at the fan zone. But to my surprise, it was packed. It was so unbelievably crowded that you would have thought it was a Sunday!
I did not want to miss FP2 so after we looked at the big LEGO McLaren, we circled back to our seats. But because of the human traffic jams we kept encountering, it took much longer than it should have. By the time I was seated, FP2 prep was already taking place so it was a good call to leave the fan zone when we did.
During second practice, I spent most of the hour experimenting with my sister’s old Canon. It took a lot of blurry shots and countless photos of just the track to get it right but eventually, I managed to get some decent pictures.
My favourite part of the day was watching and listening to the drivers do their practice starts at the end of each session. The moment was thrilling and the atmosphere even better. When the cars slowed in front of our stand, the fans would cheer as the drivers revved their engines and dashed off to their grid box.
One moment during FP2 that stands as gold in my memory was watching a fan whip his shirt around when Oscar Piastri flew by! He sat perfectly still (and clothed) when everyone else drove past. But for Oscar, he made his love for the Aussie known. The best part is, I got to capture the moment for him!
Katelyn and I left the circuit together but as expected, it was not a speedy departure. On a normal day, it would have taken 30 minutes to get home. But with all the human traffic, it took an hour and 45!
That night we revisited the Crescent Street area to see if there was anything for us to do. Despite the wet weather, the city was alive. People were dashing off for drinks, adjusting their heels for parties, snapping photos of the expensive cars, or camping outside the Ritz-Carlton to see drivers come and go.
We grabbed some Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and then went to the La Maison Tifosi Nastro Azzurro 0.0% pop-up shop to see the Scuderia Ferrari show car. They gave us free non-alcoholic beer and we took a bunch of photos with the car. After that, we called it a night to prepare for another long day at the track.
Saturday, June 8th, 2023
Unlike the day before, Saturday was pretty straightforward. When I arrived at the track I b-lined straight for my seat. Although I had an hour and a half to spare before third practice, I wanted to enjoy some calm before the storm.
While the majority of people were walking around the circuit and exploring the fan zone, I sat still in my seat and I never once felt bored. There was something about being in the grandstand during off-peak hours that brought so much peace to my experience. Whenever I felt the sunbeam on my skin or the breeze tickle my hair, I felt relaxed and free from all the chaos happening below me. Who knew that you could find such tranquillity at a race track?
When the third practice ended, Katelyn and I met for lunch and saw motorsports photographer, Roberto Baldea! I had the pleasure of meeting him last year during the pit lane walk, so it was nice running into him again. The three of us chatted for a bit and as he dug in his bag to find prints to give us, he let me hold the camera that captures all his spectacular photos.
I went home with a photo of George Russell and a couple of hours later, George Russell went home with his second career pole! I can’t tell you the joy I felt when I saw his name top the charts in Q3 and ultimately stay there after Max Verstappen put in the exact same time. I had been grieving the loss of the two Ferraris but Mr. Saturday came in clutch to save the day!
I received a call from my dad almost immediately and I could tell from his voice that he was grinning ear to ear! Although we were miles apart, we celebrated his achievement together.
“And look at Daniel Ricciardo,” he said yelling over the phone.
I had been too occupied by George’s pole to notice that Daniel qualified P5! I lit up even more. I was so happy to see the Honey Badger back in a realm where he is so dearly missed. And boy was Daniel just as pleased…
Since my grandstand was right in front of the FIA garage, I got to see multiple drivers walk by for their weigh-in. So when Daniel arrived after qualifying, the crowd went absolutely buck wild for him. In response, he gave us a celebratory flex, pumped his fist into the air, and soaked in all of our praise.
This moment was one of the highlights of my weekend. But it was not as big as the one that would soon follow…
While the post-quali interviews were taking place just after 5 PM, I was already on my way to the circuit exit. I had someone special to meet at 7:30 PM and had no more time to waste in the massive queues that would naturally form.
When I got home, I had 30 minutes to spare before I was out the door and off to meet… Jack Doohan!
At the Alpine Boutique on Crescent Street, Jack was scheduled to meet with his fans to celebrate his participation in FP1. He signed my Alpine hat and was more than happy to take photos as well! Although my interaction with him was short, he was incredibly patient and kind.
What a way to end an already wonderful day!
Sunday, June 9th, 2024
On Sunday morning, I woke up severely paranoid that I would miss the race start if I didn’t get to the circuit early. So I got my ass out of bed and arrived at the track 5 hours before the lights went out. And you guessed it, I sat in my grandstand the whole time!
Speaking of my grandstand, let me paint you a picture of what it was like sitting in Tribune 16. As I mentioned, this grandstand was the first on the main straight. It was right in front of the pit lane but I didn’t have a direct view of the team garages. Nevertheless, I believe this grandstand offered just as much as our neighbouring one.
In addition to the view of the main straight, we got to see the drivers go through the final chicane, enter the pits, undergo scrutineering checks, and we were able to see the safety car restart and the pit stops from Haas and Sauber. Although we may have been too far to witness their practice and race starts up close, catching them driving by in preparation felt just as satisfying. But until I sit in Grandstand 1, I’ll never truly know just how much I’m missing out.
As we waited for the race to begin, they showed a segment of Charles Leclerc reflecting on his Monaco win with Lawrence Barretto. They played a slightly different version the day before but during both features, I was left teary-eyed. I was hoping he’d secure another victory in my home country but sadly he experienced the complete opposite — or as Sky Sports put it, he went from being “the hero in Monaco to zero in Canada.” Ouch!
Despite a poor weekend for the Ferraris, the trio at the front of the grid gave us the race of a lifetime. Although a TV would have provided a more holistic viewing experience, nothing — and I mean nothing — compares to the on-track atmosphere.
I can still hear the collective cheers coming from the crowd after Lando Norris made the pass on Max. And I can just as clearly recount everyone sighing when they realized he wasn’t in the lead after his pit stop. Although Canadians may not be the loudest crowd on the calendar, it is sheer knowledge that we all have an interest in racing that makes the environment enjoyable.
It was also a treat being able to visualize how the gaps shrink and grow, how mistakes can so easily take and give, and how the battles unfold with every attack and defence.
Every time Verstappen or Norris came around the turn 14 bend, I found intrigue in looking at how much closer one was to an overtake. And after seeing Russell cut the chicane and lose position to Verstappen it became clear how the smallest error can make or break your weekend. With that said, being in the grandstand gave me the opportunity to internalize racing in a primary rather than a secondary way.
With ten laps remaining and the win basically in Verstappen’s hands, I decided to leave my grandstand to find an entry point for the post-race track invasion. Last year they didn’t have an opening on the main straight so I was advised to wait by a marshal hole close to the Casino.
As I watched the rest of the race from the General Admission view, I was immediately taken back to my first GP. Once again, I was blown away by the speed of these machines — a sensation you don’t feel as intensely from the stands.
At one point, I remember seeing the two Mercs side by side as they flew down the Casino straight. I didn’t know it at the time but in that split-second window, George was overtaking Lewis to reclaim P3. It might not seem like much, but I’m still amazed that I could distinguish two cars amidst the speed and the surrounding trees.
When the race ended, one of the marshals informed us that this area was not an entry point to the track. I didn’t want to miss the podium but I didn’t know where else to go.
After some time passed, I gave up on my search and went home to beat the traffic. I didn’t feel too bad about missing the podium because I was starving and incredibly tired. But when Katelyn told me she got onto the track near my grandstand, my heart immediately sank to my stomach.
I found the courage to look on the bright side given the extraordinary race I had just witnessed but as I write this story and relive the moments that I took for granted, I can’t help but feel sad. It’s even more heart-wrenching whenever I remember that one of my favourites was on the third step…
But in the grand scheme of things, I have so much more to be happy about. I went home with stories to tell, memories to cherish, and new friends to share F1 with. Most importantly, I gained a newfound level of confidence in myself after doing what I thought was unimaginable. Needless to say, this trip changed me in ways I can’t put into words and for that reason, I have no regrets.
As a token for making it to the end of my long-awaited story, I wanted to give you exclusive access to my camera roll from the GP. But before I say farewell, if there is one thing I hope you take away from my story it is that life is too short — so take that trip.
Happy scrolling!
Photo Gallery
