Formula 1 is arriving at a very different Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in 2019 after the completion of a new pit building for this year.
In one of the biggest upgrades the venue has received since first hosting F1 over 40 years ago, the temporary garage facilities that had been used have been replaced with an impressive new structure.
Faced with a very limited timeline, it was feared the cold Montreal winter could be a major obstacle to getting ready on time.
“It was certainly a challenge. To construct something like this in 10 months, especially with our winter conditions… It’s almost a miracle,” Canadian GP promoter Francois Dumontier told Crash.net.
“And this past winter was a tough one, even for us! But we succeeded. It was a nice challenge and we’re really proud of the final product.
“All the parties were really keen to do it. They understood the importance of building a new facility, not only for the practical reasons of providing teams with great facilities and for hosting guests, but also for the image of Montreal in the championship and around the world.
“I can’t wait for the TVs around the world to show the new building. It’s going to be a great store window for Montreal.”
Another hurdle was the limited amount of space given the circuit is located on an island in the Ile de Notre Dame, and that has results in some compromises.
“It was really important that we didn’t change the track layout, so we worked within the same perimeter,” Dumontier explained.
“The building is only 30 feet longer but in terms of the width, it is much larger. With the approval of the FIA, we had to make the pit lane 10 feet narrower and we gained 35 feet behind the garage towards the rowing basin.
“Formula 1 will be the main user of the building, but during the rest of the year, they will rent spaces in the complex for a variety of other events.
“The media centre can operate as a multi-functional space, and as far as I understand there are already a number of events planned for the building.”
There have also been tweaks to the circuit with the layout around the hairpin altered to try and encourage more overtaking.
In addition, a DRS zone has been moved from the pit straight to between Turns 9 and 10 meaning the rear wing can now be opened on three consecutive straights.
