The 2026 Formula One World Championship continues this Sunday (4 PM ET) in Montreal with one of this sport’s signature events: the Canadian Grand Prix. There was some serious hand-wringing about whether this stop would remain on the calendar, but F1 officials were happy enough with last year’s race to sign a contract extension through 2035 – and move the Canadian Grand Prix to May, after 43 years of holding it in June.
This is a welcome upgrade for Canada’s premier auto race. The weather in Montreal is about as perfect as it gets in late May – not too hot, although there is a 25% chance of rain in Sunday’s forecast. And the new schedule means the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix takes place right after the Miami Grand Prix, so the manufacturers have had ample time to work with the cars and equipment they’ve brought.
Given the mid-season rule changes F1 has just made, Sunday’s race is going to be even more important than usual. And don’t forget about the additional Sprint race on Saturday, with the top eight finishers earning valuable points in the Championship standings. Betting is available right now at Ozoon; we’ll tell you all about it in our 2026 Canadian Grand Prix betting preview.
Canadian Grand Prix: 65 Years of History
Officially, the first Canadian Grand Prix was held in 1961 at Mosport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, just north of Toronto. But this wasn’t a Formula One race yet; that started in 1967, and Mosport Park alternated hosting duties with Circuit Mont-Tremblant – just north of Montreal – for a few years before taking over again between 1971 and 1977.
The 1978 F1 season marked the turning point for Canadian motor sports. This was the year the Ile-Notre Dame Circuit was born, and sure enough, it was Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu native Gilles Villeneuve who took the chequered flag for Ferrari at the 1978 Canadian Grand Prix. Villeneuve nearly won the Drivers Championship in 1979, but his life and promising career were tragically cut short in 1982 when Villeneuve crashed during qualifying in Belgium.
Later that year, the Ile Notre-Dame track was given its new name: Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, which it carries to this day. The Villeneuve legacy grew in 1997 when his son Jacques became the first and only Canadian F1 champion, this time for the Williams Renault team – although he never finished higher than second at the track bearing his father’s name.
Canadian Grand Prix: Past Winners
Two names dominate the record books when it comes to this race: Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton. Schumacher won the Canadian Grand Prix seven times between 1994 and 2004, six of those with Ferrari; Hamilton matched that record with his win for Mercedes in 2019.
For a while there, it looked like Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (2022, 2023, 2024) was going to win every F1 race, but his Montreal streak was ended by George Russell, who led from the pole in what may have been a preview for what Mercedes will accomplish this Sunday. But you never know who might land on the podium – it could be a relative outsider like Robert Kubica, who won with BMW Sauber in 2008 after crashing the previous year.
Canadian Grand Prix: Memorable Moments
Aside from Gilles Villeneuve’s landmark victory in 1978, and Kubica’s upset win 30 years later, the Canadian Grand Prix has delivered some of the most incredible races Formula One has ever produced. Here are just a few snippets from the highlight reel:
Mansell’s Heartbreak (1991)
Nigel Mansell led comfortably and started waving to the crowd on the final lap – but his Williams cut out at the hairpin, and Nelson Piquet drove past to win. There are still arguments to this day about whether Mansell’s gearbox failed, or whether he shifted to the wrong gear while saluting the fans.
Alesi’s Triumph (1995)
Jean Alesi earned the only Grand Prix victory of his career at Montreal, driving the No. 27 Ferrari – the same car and number Gilles Villeneuve made famous.
The Wall of Champions (1999)
Four drivers crashed out of this race while exiting the final chicane – Ricardo Zonta first, then reigning world champion Damon Hill, 1997 champion Jacques Villeneuve, and two-time champion Schumacher, who would go on to win five more titles. That corner of the track has been known as the Wall of Champions ever since.
Button’s Comeback (2011)
It was the longest race in Formula 1 history – over four hours thanks to rain delays. Jenson Button (McLaren-Mercedes) worked his way from last place to first, taking advantage of six safety car periods, before passing Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull-Renault) on the final lap when Vettel skirted wide on a damp patch.
The Dead Heat (2024)
Russell and Verstappen set identical pole times to the thousandth of a second – the first dead-heat in F1 qualifying since 1997. Russell was awarded pole position because he set his time first; Verstappen still won the race.
Canadian Grand Prix: Canada’s Hopes
Technically there have been 15 Canadian F1 drivers over the years, including three members of the Villeneuve family – Jacques Villeneuve’s uncle Jacques-Joseph was entered three times in the early 1980s, but never made the grid. But Gilles Villeneuve remains the only Canadian to win the Canadian Grand Prix since Formula One took over; Peter Ryan, born in Philadelphia but raised in Mont-Tremblant, won the inaugural 1961 race for Lotus-Climax.
That will probably remain the case for a while. The only Canadian in this year’s F1 Championship is Montreal’s own Lance Stroll, and his Aston Martin AMR26 has yet to score a point after four races. Stroll has crossed the finish line just once thus far, at the most recent race in Miami, where he placed 17th as Aston Martin openly used the weekend as a data-gathering exercise.
They’ll need all the data they can get. The 2025 signing of Adrian Newey, one of the greatest engineers in Formula One history, has yet to bear fruit; nor has this year’s switch in power units from Mercedes to Honda. Given enough time, and the deep pockets of Lance’s father Lawrence Stroll, who also happens to be team owner and chairman, Aston Martin will pick themselves off the ground – but it probably won’t be this weekend, not with the smaller upgrades they’re bringing to Montreal.
Canadian Grand Prix: Best Bets
Stroll (+50000 to win) is one of 13 drivers tied for last place on the Canadian Grand Prix odds list at Ozoon. Anything can happen in Formula One, especially if it rains, but this sport is dominated by the teams at the top. If you’re in Montreal this Sunday and you want to take a flier on the local kid, no one’s going to judge.
Otherwise, your best bets for winning this race are with Mercedes. They’ve shot out to an early lead this year, winning each of the first four races; Kimi Antonelli, the +175 favourite at press time, is the hottest commodity in motor sports after three straight victories, while Russell (+225) is still very much in the mix following his win in Australia. You could bet on both to win as a hedge, and a profitable one if Russell comes out ahead. The real betting value lies with McLaren. The upgrade package they brought to Miami worked wonders, as reigning Drivers champion Lando Norris won the Sprint race before finishing a close second to Antonelli in the main event. The MCL40’s improved braking will suit Montreal’s stop-start cadence, making Norris a compelling choice at –165 to finish in the Top 3 this Sunday.
Let’s not overlook Ferrari while we’re at it. They appeared capable of challenging Mercedes early in the season; Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull all made significant upgrades to their vehicles ahead of Miami, and they’ll have some new tweaks ready for Montreal as well, so the gap between these teams and Mercedes might be smaller than advertised. He hasn’t done it since 2019 when he came in third, but Charles Leclerc is +400 to make the podium, and he’s a viable Top 6 pick at –300 after placing fifth in 2022, then P4 in 2023 and P5 again in 2025.
If you prefer to bet on the team itself, McLaren (+240) is the value pick with their upgrade package and Norris’s trajectory – or at least they are as we go to press. You can learn a lot about what might happen Sunday by paying close attention to the free practices and qualifying, as well as the Sprint race on Saturday. Weather might also come into play, so keep a close eye on the F1 odds at Ozoon throughout the week as events unfold, time your wagers to take full advantage, and we’ll see you at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve for what should be another memorable Canadian Grand Prix.
