The Wall of Champions at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal is one of the most infamous parts of a racing circuit in the world. It has been a cause of great misfortune to some of the biggest F1 legends over the years, including seven-time title winner Michael Schumacher. Ahead of the 2023 Canadian GP, we take a look at the history of the ‘Wall of Champions’.
The layout of the track in Montreal is unique. It has fast long straights, which provide drivers with occasional overtaking opportunities at one of the several chicanes around the circuit. One of the more iconic chicanes is the Senna ‘S’. However, what fans seem to be intrigued about is the Wall of Champions.
This wall is situated on the exit of turn 14 after drivers go through the long straights following turns 12 and 13. The origins of its name can be traced all the way back to the 1999 Canadian GP, where not one, not two but three former world champions crashed into the wall in just one race.
Michael Schumacher and other F1 legends give birth to the Wall of Champions
At the 1999 Canadian GP, Michael Schumacher and two other F1 world champions crashed into the wall on the exit of turn 14. Firstly, it was 1996 champion Damon Hill who lost control of his car and hit the barriers. It was a horrible crash, but thankfully, Hill was okay and escaped unscathed.
Schumacher was the next driver to bang into the wall. The former Benetton driver, too, lost control of the Ferrari, hitting the wall with the right rear side of his car. Fans thought it couldn’t get worse for F1 royalty that afternoon. That was until 1997 world champion and hometown hero Jacques Villeneuve too, crashed in the exact same spot.
These three F1 legends crashed into one particular wall during the same race, leading to the birth of the ‘Wall of Champions’ at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Other F1 legends who crashed in Canada
Schumacher, Hill and Villeneuve’s crashes in 1999 gave birth to the name- ‘Wall of Champions’, but it wasn’t the end of the story. Future world champions too, suffered the same fate in the exact same spot.
In 2005, Jenson Button suffered a crash on the exit of turn 14. Admittedly, it was four years before he actually won his first and only world title. Regardless, today, he can be considered as a world champion who crashed into the famous wall.
Next, it was Sebastian Vettel’s turn. After winning the 2010 world title, Vettel went through what Button did in Montreal the following the year. Vettel’s shunt with the wall means that a total of five former world champions have crashed in the spot.
Heading into the 2023 Canadian GP, the existing world champions on the grid, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen will be hoping to avoid being the sixth title winner to crash into the Wall of Champions.
