The circuit was constructed and completed in 1978 on Île Notre-Dame, the man-made island in Parc Jean-Drapeau. The park bears the name of Jean Drapeau, the mayor of Montreal who organised Expo 67. Almost half of the circuit's lap — from the hairpin turn until past the pit area — runs alongside the Olympic Basin, the rectangular rowing and canoeing venue built for the 1976 Summer Olympics. The Biosphere, a prominent remnant of Expo 67, sits adjacent to the circuit on the neighbouring Saint Helen's Island.
Originally named the Île Notre-Dame Circuit, the track was renamed in 1982 to honour Gilles Villeneuve, the beloved Canadian Formula One driver who had won the inaugural Canadian Grand Prix at the circuit in 1978 driving for Scuderia Ferrari, and who died in qualifying for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix earlier that year.
The circuit was initially characterised by medium-speed chicanes and a relatively modest lap speed, but has transformed over the decades into a power circuit where straight-line speed is a primary determinant of performance. Between 1986 and 1988, the pitlane and start-finish straight were relocated from the hairpin to the exit of the fast right-left chicane, which became the final corner. In 1994, following the fatal crashes of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna at Imola, a chicane was added between the Casino corner and the hairpin to reduce top speeds. The 1996 configuration removed both the chicane and the Casino corner, turning the run from the hairpin into an uninterrupted straight.
In 2002 the pitlane exit was repositioned to make rejoining the circuit safer, simultaneously shortening the circuit slightly. The same year, NASCAR Nationwide Series races began being held at the circuit, necessitating an expanded pit lane capable of accommodating a minimum of 43 cars. The 2008 race was the first NASCAR event to run on rain tyres. Additional Tecpro barriers were fitted in 2017 to meet updated FIA safety requirements commensurate with the higher cornering speeds of the new technical regulations. The paddock, in service since 1988, was demolished and rebuilt over the winter of 2018–19.
Turns one and two are known as the Senna S, a complex of fast directional changes that from above trace an S-shape and that bear the name of Ayrton Senna. The fast Pont de la Concorde corner, a quick kink taken after passing under a bridge overpass, leads into Turn 9 before the rush towards the Hairpin. The Hairpin at Turn 10 is one of the most distinctive 180-degree hairpin turns in Formula One, where late braking and multiple racing lines produce frequent overtaking.
The Wall of Champions at Turns 13 and 14 is the circuit's most notorious feature: a concrete barrier on the outside of the exit of the final chicane before the start-finish straight, marked with Tourisme Québec advertising during the Grand Prix. The name derives from the 1999 race, in which three former World Champions — Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher, and Jacques Villeneuve — all struck the wall, along with FIA GT champion Ricardo Zonta. Subsequent years added Jenson Button in 2005 and Sebastian Vettel in 2011 during free practice to the list of prominent victims.
The circuit hosted its first Canadian Grand Prix in 1978, when Gilles Villeneuve won on home soil. The race remained a constant on the Formula One calendar for over three decades. The 2009 race was dropped from the calendar and replaced by the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, before a new five-year agreement for 2010–2014 was announced in November 2009. The 2011 race became the longest World Championship Grand Prix in history, exceeding four hours in duration owing to a lengthy rain delay.
The fastest lap ever recorded at the circuit in Formula One was set by Sebastian Vettel with a time of 1:10.240 in qualifying for the 2019 Canadian Grand Prix, though as a qualifying lap it is not recognised as an official race lap record. Lewis Hamilton set a qualifying pole time of 1:11.459 at the 2017 Canadian Grand Prix, equalling Ayrton Senna's career total of 65 pole positions at the time.
Beyond Formula One, the circuit has hosted the World Sportscar Championship, the Champ Car World Series Grand Prix of Montreal, NASCAR Pinty's Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, and numerous support series. The Atlantic Championship raced at the circuit from 1978 to 2006. The circuit remains open to public use between race weekends for jogging, cycling, and in-line skating.
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