The Lenovo Canadian Grand Prix was the only Formula 1 race accessible to American fans throughout the 1980s, 90s, and early 2000s.
The race in Montreal became a fixture, keeping F1’s hopes of cracking US markets alive when broader fan interest was low.
Today, the landscape looks entirely different. F1 has successfully filled its commercial void with high-profile and glamorous spectacles in Miami, Las Vegas, and Austin.
It also raised fears that Montreal would be left behind, as legacy races are increasingly competing to stay on the calendar.
But Sandrine Garneau, COO of Brand and Strategy at new race promoter Bell Group, believes it has actually been a positive.
“When we were pretty much the only race in North America, in Canada, or in our markets, F1 was only talked about for about 10 days out of the year,” Garneau told media, including Sector.
“Now, having those North American races that are spread out in the calendar, also adds a mediatic presence and focus on ‘F1 the sport’ as a whole. So for us it’s been a huge benefit.”
Keeping F1’s North American ‘cultural flair’ alive
Bell Group took over as promoter of the Canadian Grand Prix in 2025, following the resignation of François Dumontier, the long-time president and CEO of Octane Racing Group.
The Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve came under scrutiny after heavy rain disrupted the 2024 race and exposed cracks in its ageing facilities.
The promoters made changes in 2025 to bring it back to a level expected of an F1 race, including modernising the hospitality units, improving the drainage system, and resurfacing the track.
Bell Group, which also owns Canada’s F1 broadcasting networks TSN and RDS, is confident that Montreal’s unique identity will prevent it from being overshadowed by its North American counterparts.
“F1 is really pushing us to keep that cultural flair alive; Miami does an exceptional job with that Miami vibe, Vegas is a huge spectacle, Texas is Texas, but Canada is Canada,” adds Garneau.
“We’re not in competition; we leverage each other and make sure we have that mediatic presence and that F1 presence throughout the calendar, so it’s actually been a win.”
Jean-Philippe Paradis, CEO of Bell GPCanada, is quick to point out how the increased presence of F1’s global sponsors has been a knock-on effect of having more races across the US.
“I do have a lot of customers who want to go to Vegas, Miami and also want to come to Montreal,” says Paradis.
“We all build upon each other’s energy and excitement. You also now have really big global sponsors associated with F1. Who would’ve thought that five or six years ago Walt Disney would’ve been associated with F1?
“Now, they are activating on our site. This is a positive impact of having many races in North America, and many Canadians visit Walt Disney every year. So I actually see a lot of great synergies from a commercial standpoint, and we’re very happy about that.”
Creating Super Saturday
Canada will host its first Sprint race in 2026, having missed out on hosting the first in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It will also welcome F1 Academy and Formula 2 for the first time, after races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were postponed due to the ongoing war in Iran, and hold a concert across the three days.
Although Sprint races have divided fanbases, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has indicated that they could double from six to 12 per season in future.
Paradis agrees that the format offers more opportunities to showcase on-track action, which converts to anticipation and hype around the event as a whole.
The Fans in Montreal want to see more of the best drivers in the world, which is why we have turned a practice session into a competitive moment.
Jean-Philippe Paradis, CEO of Bell GPCanada
“The fans in Montreal want to see more of the best drivers in the world, which is why we have turned a practice session into a competitive moment. explains Paradis.
“It creates a lot of buzz in our city, because what it drives is the best out of the best. I personally believe it is great to see more competition than just teams testing their cars.
“We believe this is an ROI and added value for our race, and I agree with Stefano [Domenicali] that this is something I would encourage all other promoters to think about, because it creates a Super Saturday movement.”
Canada had its contract extended through 2035 after its track improvements proved successful. Now it is out to prove that it can put on a show that fans in F1’s growing Americas markets have come to expect.
