“I Was Ashamed”: Canadian Politician Embarrassed as F1 President Stands Against Mistreatment of Fans

In terms of racing, the 2024 Canadian GP had everything a racing fan could ask for. There was action on every end of the circuit, and the weather added to the excitement of the weekend. However, certain aspects went wrong, and because of this F1 had to write to Montreal’s Mayor Valerie Plante.

As reported by the Gazette, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali told Plante that the organizers “fell short” of expectations last weekend. He added that in 2025, F1 will hope for a much better showing overall.

Work continues at pace to clear surface water from the track.

But we also have more rain in the skies above Montreal ☔️#F1 #CanadianGP pic.twitter.com/SU5umaI42S

— Formula 1 (@F1) June 7, 2024

Some of the problems that fans and personnel faced in Canada last weekend included flooding due to rain and a protest that affected traffic. The media box also had some flooding, which hindered the work of the broadcasters – a problem last seen at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in 2022.

“I was ashamed,” Caroline Prloux (Quebec’s Tourism Minister) said. “I was quite ashamed. And I have had some conversations with some people and we will have more in the coming days.”

Plante, on the other hand, spoke to Domenicali and admits that she is looking to make alterations to the event in 2025 so that the problems aren’t repeated. Overall, it is challenging for Montreal to hold a Grand Prix event, and Plante points out one major reason behind this.

Why hosting an F1 race in Montreal is difficult

Plante suggests that there are logistical challenges to holding a race in Montreal. She labels the circuit as being in a “dense environment”, in contrast to tracks in open spaces, like in the Middle East (Bahrain and Abu Dhabi).

Still, the fact that they accommodated 350,000 people in the stands is a great achievement. Plante insists that hosting a Grand Prix is important to the city of Montreal and Canada as a whole. For this, the authorities in charge will hold a meeting and make sure that things go smoothly when the 2025 Canadian GP takes place.

Drivin’ around the incredible Circuit Gilles Villeneuve pic.twitter.com/ws50TWvnpK

— BWT Alpine F1 Team (@AlpineF1Team) June 14, 2024

“We’re having that meeting next week (to discuss) what needs to be better improved in terms of mobility, construction, anything that can be improved.”

At the same time, the racing on track was top-notch. This year, there was resurfacing at the circuit, and there was plenty of action for fans to enjoy. Max Verstappen won the race, followed by Lando Norris in P2 and George Russell in P3.