F1 drivers praise Canadian Grand Prix racetrack: 'One of my favourite'
MONTREAL — Lewis Hamilton has one race at the top of his list.
Nothing compares to competing at Silverstone — his home track — for the seven-time world champion.
The Canadian Grand Prix, however, ranks a close second.
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"One of my favourite Grands Prix," the Ferrari driver said. "One of my favourite fan experiences."
Hamilton highlighted the up-close feel with spectators, even when he's flying around Circuit Gilles Villeneuve at more than 300 kilometres per hour.
'The grandstands are really close to the track,' he said. 'You go somewhere like Austria — beautiful circuit, beautiful countryside — but if you go on the track down to Turn 4, the grandstands are so far away you need binoculars.
'Here, they're right next to you as you're braking into Turn 10, or coming through Turn 2 … You get a different sense of that experience from a driver's perspective. I think it's amazing.'
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The 40-year-old Brit won his first-ever Formula One race in Montreal with McLaren back in 2007. He now holds a record 105 career wins, and his seven victories at the Canadian GP tie him with Michael Schumacher for the most all-time.
And Hamilton is not the only big fan of racing in Montreal. Drivers who have yet to top the podium in Canada also spoke positively about the challenging course ahead of Sunday's race.
"A track I enjoy,' said McLaren's Oscar Piastri, the current F1 leader. 'It's very, very difficult to drive around here, to not make mistakes.'
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is situated on Île Notre-Dame, a man-made island on the banks of the St. Lawrence River with a backdrop of the city's downtown.
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The hybrid street circuit has two long straights and tricky chicanes, and is well-known for featuring plenty of overtakes. A wild race in 2024 featured 83 alone.
Also adding character: inclement weather, the 'Wall of Champions' — an often crashed-into barrier at the final turn — and groundhogs. The furry rodents routinely risk their lives and run onto the surface.
'You never know what you're going to get here. Groundhogs running around, causing mayhem,' Mercedes pilot George Russell said. 'You go to a race in the summer and the weather's blue skies, it's reasonably easy for us all to predict, but when you see races like here last year … that's when it's exciting.'
Lightning, torrential rain and hail impacted last year's race weekend.
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In 2011, McLaren's Jenson Button famously won the longest race in F1 history in more than four hours after climbing from last to first place amid heavy downpours.
'The weather can come into play,' three-time reigning Canadian GP winner Max Verstappen said. 'It can always be a very interesting Grand Prix where a lot happens.
"I like the corners, you need to ride some curbs. It feels like a bit of a go-kart style. High speeds, big braking zones as well to master, so I always enjoy it.'
Outside the track, last year's grand prix was marked by heavy congestion, poor communication and rain flooding the paddocks.
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Canadian GP organizers made several upgrades this year — including fewer road closures and new, two-story team hospitality areas — but the challenging 2024 event sparked some speculation that the Montreal race could be removed from the F1 calendar before its contract expires in 2031.
Lance Stroll, the lone Canadian on the 20-driver grid, said that would be 'a shame' — and not only because it's his home event.
'If I put that aside, it's one of the best tracks on a Sunday,' Stroll said. 'A lot of these places we go to, it's a dictated weekend by Saturday, so no one likes watching the race in Monaco on Sunday, but we go every year.
'Saturday's a lot of fun here, because it's a great lap, but Sunday it can rain. I think last year we had it — you're on dries (tires), you're on wets, you're back on dries. And the race is just not over until the checkered flag.'
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Carlos Sainz Jr., who drives for Williams, is an ambassador for the new Madrid racetrack debuting next season. The Spanish driver said it's important for circuits to provide character, openings for overtakes and a good show for fans.
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, he said, is a good example.
'Montreal is one of those cities we all love coming to,' he said. 'You look at the track itself, it's just long straights and short corners, but it has character, because there's a lot of curb riding, long breakings, super tough for the drivers.
'You look at the track on a paper and it's nothing special, but then it creates good racing, and it's fun for us.'
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 14, 2025.
Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press
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Robert Thomas is one of the most underrated first-line centers in the NHL, locked up for another six years at a $8.125 million cap hit that is aging beautifully. Thomas ranked third among all players with 45 points in his final 30 games. Colton Parayko is an elite shutdown defenseman but also had an offensive renaissance this season, scoring 16 goals and 36 points in 64 games. Cam Fowler, his partner after a midseason trade, was terrific value for his $4 million AAV, too. Best contract in 2024-25: Brandon Hagel Everybody knows Brandon Hagel is a high-end player, but I don't think enough people are recognizing the superstar level that he played at this season. Hagel was tied for 11th in NHL scoring with 90 points and played Selke-caliber defense on top of that. In a tough matchups role, Hagel drove a dominant 57 percent of scoring chances and a plus-22 goal differential at five-on-five. He was also one of the best penalty killers in the league. He accomplished all of that while making only $6.5 million against the cap. His center, Anthony Cirelli, found a new offensive gear this season, too, scoring 27 goals and 59 points. Advertisement Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman are still bona fide stars at team-friendly rates. Best contract in 2024-25: Jake McCabe Jake McCabe and Chris Tanev were lights out together as the Leafs' de facto top pair. They absorbed very difficult matchups against top lines and tons of defensive zone starts, but still decisively won their minutes. The Leafs generated more scoring chances than they surrendered and outscored opponents by 12 goals during the McCabe/Tanev pair's five-on-five shifts, thanks to an incredible 1.83 goals-against-per-60 rate. Both defensemen were excellent value for their contracts, but McCabe's tiny $2 million cap hit (which was reduced because the Blackhawks retained half of his cap hit when traded) netted a bit more surplus value. Bobby McMann's 20 goals were a nice bonus for the Leafs at $1.35 million, although his scoring completely dried up in the playoffs. Pontus Holmberg and Steven Lorentz were useful, defensively oriented depth contributors at dirt-cheap prices. Best contract in 2024-25: Michael Kesselring Utah's right-side defense was hammered in the first half by injuries to Sean Durzi and John Marino. That forced sophomore defenseman Michael Kesselring into an elevated top-four role. Kesselring excelled, with the Mammoth controlling 54 percent of scoring chances and 56 percent of goals during his five-on-five shifts this season. He struggled at times in the second half defensively, but he displayed clear top-four potential for most of the year, which is highly valuable at a $1.4 million cap hit. Barrett Hayton scored a career-high 20 goals and 46 points, in addition to boasting very good defensive metrics, at a bargain $2.65 million AAV. Clayton Keller exploded for 90 points but isn't paid like a bona fide superstar. Advertisement Best contract in 2024-25: Quinn Hughes Quinn Hughes was a one-man show, carrying a weak supporting cast all season. Hughes led the Canucks in scoring by a whopping 26 points as a defenseman, despite missing 14 games because of injuries. Hughes is a bona fide superstar making less than $8 million against the cap for two more seasons. Pius Suter scored 25 goals and 46 points as a key middle-six center. He also defended at an above-average level and was a first-unit fixture on Vancouver's elite penalty kill. He provided that all-around value for just a $1.6 million AAV — he may triple that cap hit in free agency this summer. Kiefer Sherwood broke out with 19 goals and 40 points. Nearly all of that production was at even strength, with Sherwood leading all Vancouver forwards in five-on-five points. He was also a wrecking ball on the forecheck, breaking the NHL's record for most hits in a single season. He was worth more than double the $1.5 million cap hit he carried this season. In the final year of his $1.1 million contract, Nils Höglander still managed to deliver surplus value despite an up-and-down campaign. Höglander had a nightmare first half but was one of Vancouver's best wingers from January onward, especially from a play-driving perspective. Tyler Myers has his flaws, but he was mostly solid again in a second-pair role, outperforming the modest $3 million cap hit he's on. Best contract in 2024-25: Brayden McNabb Brayden McNabb was one of the league's best shutdown defensemen in the regular season at only a $2.85 million cap hit. McNabb impressively suppressed opponents' ability to generate shots and scoring chances despite playing difficult matchup minutes, with the Golden Knights surrendering just 1.79 goals against per 60 during his five-on-five shifts. Advertisement Victor Olofsson injected crucial secondary scoring (15 goals in 56 games) at a dirt-cheap $1.075 million rate. Shea Theodore is a star — he scored a career-high 57 points in 67 games in the final year of a sweetheart contract that cost $5.2 million against the cap. Ivan Barbashev is streaky and didn't produce enough in the playoffs, but he scored a 27-goal, 60-point pace in the regular season. He was a mostly effective top-line winger for Jack Eichel, making a reasonable $5 million. Brett Howden broke out with 23 goals for $1.9 million. Best contract in 2024-25: Aliaksei Protas Aliaksei Protas and Connor McMichael's breakouts helped revitalize the Capitals' top-six forward group. Protas went from not even cracking 10 goals in 2023-24 to scoring 30 in 76 games this season. He also significantly boosted the Caps' ability to control two-way play. With another four years left at a $3.375 million cap hit, Protas is on one of the best contracts in the NHL. McMichael, meanwhile, was a game-breaking offensive driver with his speed and skill. He piled up 26 goals and 57 points despite not even playing on the Caps' top power-play unit, at a steal of a $2.1 million AAV. Tom Wilson turned back the clock, scoring 33 goals and 65 points while also driving strong defensive results in a tough matchups role. Nic Dowd is one of the most underrated bottom-six centers in the NHL. He's elite defensively and on the penalty kill and chipped in with 14 goals. Jakob Chychrun also narrowly missed the cut for this list. He was a home-run acquisition, scoring 20 goals from the blue line at a bargain $4.6 million cap hit. Best contract in 2024-25: Dylan Samberg The Jets had a near-endless supply of surplus value contracts. Dylan Samberg led the way; he broke out as a top-four star on Winnipeg's blue line. He drove elite defensive results, crushed it on the penalty kill and displayed enough puck-moving and secondary offensive skill to profile like a legitimate No. 2 defenseman on a contending team. Samberg accomplished all of that for just $1.4 million against the cap. Advertisement Josh Morrissey finished fourth in Norris Trophy voting. He still has three years left at a bargain $6.25 million AAV. Up front, Kyle Connor, Gabriel Vilardi and Nikolaj Ehlers represented a trio of terrific contracts in Winnipeg's top six. Connor, in particular, stood out by scoring 97 points at a hair over $7.1 million. (Top photo of Aliaksei Protas and Jordan Martinook: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)
New York Times
3 hours ago
- New York Times
Oilers are unfazed in the face of defeat: ‘This was always going to be a long series'
EDMONTON — It wasn't quite the famous Mark Messier guarantee, but Jake Walman's words after a dreadful loss in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final had the same sentiment. 'This was always going to be a long series,' the Edmonton Oilers defenseman told The Athletic after a 5-2 home-ice defeat to the Florida Panthers left his team on the brink of dropping a second straight Final. Advertisement 'We're going to come back here after a game there, and that's it. There's no doubt.' Walman, Edmonton's key trade-deadline acquisition, had perhaps his worst performance as an Oiler. His team was caved in when he was on the ice, and he was schooled by Brad Marchand before a goal that stood as the game winner. His subpar play mirrored that of most of his teammates. The entire group was as flat as a pancake for most of the game, only finding some life when Connor McDavid scored his first goal of the series 7:24 into the third to put the Oilers within two. Sam Reinhart then replied 46 seconds later, quashing whatever faint hopes existed of a victory. Watching the Oilers bumble around the ice on Saturday night leaves little optimism that a championship is even close to a possibility. Then again, the way the Oilers have responded magnificently throughout the playoffs when they've looked dead and buried is reason enough to change that viewpoint and subscribe to Walman's. 'Knowing that we're in a difficult situation, win our last two games, is something that we're confident that we can do,' said coach Kris Knoblauch. 'We've been through difficult situations before, and it's just another one that we'll overcome.' That the Oilers are bold and brazen makes sense. After all, these are the same Oilers who trailed the Los Angeles Kings 2-0 in their opening-round series and heading into the third periods of the next two games at home. They charged back to knock off the Kings with relative ease. These are the same Oilers who gave the Vegas Golden Knights life with a last-second own-goal in Game 3 of the second round, a result that could have shell-shocked them. They proceeded to drop the hammer, shutting out the Golden Knights in back-to-back games to close them out. These are the same Oilers who collapsed in the third period of the Western Conference final opener against the Dallas Stars by allowing five unanswered goals. They then mopped the floor with the Stars, handling them while claiming the next four games. Advertisement And these are the same Oilers who, after a terrible 6-1 loss in Game 3 to the Panthers, overcame a three-goal deficit in Game 4 to even the series. That was their eighth comeback win of the playoffs. Count these Oilers out at your peril. 'We know that we can get it done,' said Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the longest-serving Oiler. 'It's just a matter of going out there and finding a way to do it. It's going to be our hardest challenge yet.' That's the case because of the way they played for most of Saturday's contest. Save for little spurts that were few and far between, the Oilers were awful. Walman and Mattias Ekholm struggled mightily in what was their second attempt at a partnership after a mere 1:31 together at five-on-five during the regular season, per Natural Stat Trick. The Oilers were outshot 4-1 and out-attempted 10-2 in the 5:09 Ekholm and Walman shared the ice at five-on-five in the opening frame. Ekholm had his worst performance since returning from a lower-body injury for the West final climax. He was on the ice for both of Florida's first-period goals against and was a team-worst minus-3. Walman was on with Ekholm for the second of those tallies. The Oilers have now allowed 11 goals against in the first period in this series, at least two in every game. 'It's frustrating when you come into the (dressing) room and you're down,' Walman said. 'We're struggling to get to our game right away. It takes us a little bit. I don't know what the reasoning is. 'We have it in us to play the way that we want.' Ekholm was back with his regular partner, Evan Bouchard, for the second. Walman's night, meanwhile, was bookended by being walked by Marchand. 'That's a good player,' Walman said. 'S—-y feeling as a defenseman. I want to have that one back. I've just got to play everybody hard. It doesn't matter who they are.' Advertisement The Oilers had little offensive pop and went the final 11:10 of the first period without a shot on goal. Knoblauch leaned into his nuclear option of McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in the second but had to rotate in wingers Evander Kane and Viktor Arvidsson to spell off elder statesman Corey Perry. Zach Hyman's absence was never felt more. The superstars didn't have their ace complementary winger, and the lineup seemed thinner than ever. McDavid was tasked with playing 25:49, for instance. To the surprise of no one, Calvin Pickard got the start after making 22-of-23 saves in relief of Stuart Skinner from the second period onward of a 5-4 overtime win in Game 4. Pickard's magic ran out as he suffered his first loss in eight decisions in these playoffs after allowing four goals on 18 shots. That calls into question whether he or Skinner should get the call for the pivotal Game 6, the first time all postseason the Oilers are facing elimination. 'From what I saw, Picks didn't have much chance on all those goals,' Knoblauch said. 'There was nothing saying that it was a poor performance.' Given all that happened with the Oilers on Saturday night, it could feel like the Oilers' season might as well be over. Just eight teams have overcome a 3-2 series deficit to win the Stanley Cup, none since the Boston Bruins in 2011, back in Marchand's first full NHL season. The Oilers have a herculean task ahead of them: being the first to beat the defending champs in their own barn and, if they manage that, to then beat them at home. The Panthers just earned their 10th road win, tying an NHL record. 'At this time, it's more about looking forward. I'm not too big on looking in the rearview mirror,' Ekholm said. 'We've just got to go down to Florida and win a game.' The Oilers must be considerably better than they were in Game 5 if they want to get revenge in this matchup and win the first Stanley Cup by a Canadian club in 32 years and end a 35-year franchise drought. Advertisement But if there's a team that can do this, it just might be this one. This Oilers club has leapt over just about every hurdle they've faced over the last two months. What's one more? 'We have confidence in ourselves that we can get the job done,' Nugent-Hopkins said. 'What's left is easier said than done. You've got go do it, so we'll look forward to that.'
