Stroll, Latifi thankful for return of hometown Canadian Grand Prix

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve was a lot quieter than usual the past two summers.

Normally, for a weekend every June, all eyes in auto racing shift to Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix. But like much else in the sports world and beyond, COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the race in 2020 and 2021.

Canadian travel restrictions, quarantine periods and local public health guidelines made the event virtually impossible. Formula One held a 17-race season in 2020 and a full slate last year, but fans north of the border were left waiting for their only stop on the schedule to return.

That wait is finally over, and F1’s two Canadian drivers – Lance Stroll and Nicholas Latifi –  couldn’t be happier.

“I’ve missed the races in Montreal, great memories racing there in the past. You know, it hasn’t been the same. A season in Formula One without the Canadian Grand Prix, it’s just not the same. So, really looking forward to it,” Stroll told TSN’s Tim Hauraney.

“I mean, it’s home. I feel like from the second I enter the paddock, the support from all the fans and the energy, excitement around the weekend. Montreal, I think, is one of the most exciting and fun races in the season because the city gets buzzing on Grand Prix weekend.”

For Latifi, who has not yet raced in Canada as a professional, it’s extra special.

“I guess when I think about finally getting to have a home Grand Prix this year the word that comes to mind is ‘Finally.’ It’s my third season in F1 and unfortunately, I have not had the experience racing as a full-time driver in Montreal,” he said to Hauraney.

Before replacing Robert Kubica full-time at Williams in 2020, Latifi was a test driver at Force India in 2018 and with Williams the year after. He participated in Free Practice 1 at the Montreal circuit both times, but was a spectator come Sunday. Now he’s getting a shot for real.

“I’ve kind of got a little bit of a taste of what that feels like driving in front of a home crowd doing those FP1s in 2018 and 2019. But I could imagine the feeling of being a full-time race driver now,” he said.

Born in Montreal but raised in Toronto, the 26-year-old said he has family and friends in Quebec excited to see him race professionally on home soil for the first time. Latifi himself can’t wait for race day to arrive.

“Most drivers would have got an introduction to what a home Grand Prix would feel like on race weekend whereas that’s not the case here for me. So, it’ll feel like even more special because of that. I can only imagine what that extra buzz and excitement is going to feel like,” he said.

The Canadian Grand Prix has seen some incredible moments over the years. Take Gilles Villeneuve in 1978 when he won the first race since its move to Montreal less than an hour from where he grew up. Or Michael Schumacher’s dominant run from 1994 to 2004 when he won seven times in 11 years. And who could forget Lewis Hamilton’s first career win in 2007 when he showed the grid he wasn’t just a sidekick to Fernando Alonso at McLaren. Hamilton has won a few more races since then – 102 to be exact – but it all started in Montreal.

Stroll has his own fond memories of the circuit, scoring his first F1 points there in 2017 with a ninth-place finish for Williams. Two years later, as a member of Racing Point, Stroll started 17th on the grid but worked his way up to ninth for another points finish and one of the best races of his young F1 career.

“It’s one of those tracks where the grandstand is so close to the track where you feel the atmosphere and I could hear people screaming when I was diving into the corner. That’s how excited people were getting and how awesome it was. So, yeah, it gives me goosebumps thinking about it for sure,” he said.

For Latifi, he remembers attending as a kid but admitted he couldn’t have imagined one day being behind the wheel on race day. As he began karting, making the trip to the Canadian GP only became more important.

“Very nice memories going to the Grand Prix, especially since when I got into karting and started going back more, watching it with more enthusiasm, more interest, more understanding. A lot of good memories,” he reminisced.

To score points this weekend, both Canadians are going to have to navigate the famous ‘Wall of Champions’ at the last chicane near the finish line. Named that for a trio of crashes at the 1999 Grand Prix that took out Michael Schumacher, Damon Hill and Canadian Jacques Villeneuve – all former World Champions – handing the victory to Mika Hakkinen.

“You just have that wall there that bites you if you take it a little too deep,” Stroll said, calling it a risk-reward corner.

“In a way, maybe a bit similar to that chicane in Imola, but just at a much, much higher speed with a wall on the exit. Those kinds of features really add a lot of character to it, and it is kind of half road course half street track vibe-type feel. Street tracks are always quite fun in F1, pushing those limits between the walls,” Latifi said.

Still looking for his first points of 2022, Latifi has four 16th-places finishes, two 15ths, a 14th and a DNF in seven races so far this season.

Now in his second season at Aston Martin and sixth overall on the grid, Stroll sits 17th in driver standings and has failed to score in six of his eight races. Coming off an early retirement in Azerbaijan this past weekend, the Montreal native is hoping to turn in his best effort of the young season in front of the home fans. He’s done it before and believes he can do it again.

“It’s a very special feeling performing in front of your home crowd, especially performing well in front of your home crowd, it’s amazing,” Stroll said.