Canadian Grand Prix

Here's the final update from our trip to Montreal, with lots of pictures from our days spent at the race track. First up we watched the practice sessions, which are the least interesting of the three. Next was qualifying, which can be pretty intense, as the drivers fight for faster times to get them a better position on the starting grid for the race. Finally, we had the race itself, which went by way too quickly.


Even for the practice sessions, the stands were almost full.


Removing a damaged car from the track.


A spin-out in our corner.


There were also Ferarri races.


The Canadian Snowbirds flew overhead before the qualifying sessions and the race.


I think the Red Bull cars are the best looking cars.


There were other types of races also, including these little cars driven by 15-20 year old boys. They have motorcycle racing engines.


A variety of cars were on display, including an F1 car, an Indy car, and a Nascar car.


In the practice and qualifying sessions, several people took trips across the grass.


The panoramic view from our seats.


After the practice and qualifying sessions, many of the drivers were complaining about the track surface, which was breaking up terribly, causing slippery, dangerous corners. A group of race officials gathered in our corner shortly before the race, obviously examining the surface. Moments later, a crew appeared with some sort of mixture they painted onto the track - must have been some sort of sealant. It must have worked fairly well too because we saw no one slide out in our corner during the actual race, and the complaints from the drivers seemed to decrease. The consensus still seems to be that the track needs to be paved for next year.


The parade of nations before the start of the race. The flag bearers were all Budweiser girls. We never did figure out what the girls with the umbrellas were supposed to represent. More entertainment for the men-folk, I suppose!


Sitting in the stands. Our seats were in the first corner.


The throngs of people leaving the race. We heard that 121,000 were in attendance for Sunday's race.


The Montreal skyline. After the race was finished, we opted to follow the crowd and venture across a bridge, which appeared to head straight to downtown Montreal. It turned out that the bridge curved in the distance, taking us to the industrial old port. We were lost, but eventually found our way to our hotel... after 2 hours of walking.


There was the parade of drivers before the start of the race, with all of the drivers doing a lap around the track in vintage Austin-Healey convertibles.


The crazy start of the Grand Prix. Hmmm... I bet these guys would be killer crit racers!