A dome of heat and haze envelopes the Montreal Grand Prix and the air is thick and humid. The streets echo with a dull roar as car enthusiasts from around the world converge on downtown Montreal. Bright duco, polished mags, shining chrome, classic and performance vehicles of all kinds have filled the streets and their owners proudly rev their engines to reveal the beasts within.

The Formula 1 Montreal Grand Prix has arrived. The one time a year when EVERYBODY becomes car crazy (or finds somewhere to hide!). Cafes, restaurants, retail outlets and corner stores display massive flags and banners supporting their favorite F1 team. Friendly rivalries are voiced loudly over a few drinks and locals discuss the chances of homegrown hero Jaques Villeneuve making it into the points. Popular streets throughout the city are barricaded off and turned into massive pedestrian malls. Food establishments of all kinds have set up terraces out the front of their buildings and crowds are flocking to the cover of their shady awnings. The city has turned into a giant festival and with close to half a million visitors in town, free space has become a precious commodity!

The Montreal Grand Prix weekend starts on Thursday evening and continues through until Sunday afternoon culminating in the Big Race. The actual race takes place on Isle-St-Helene at the purposely built Formula 1 track named after F1 racing legend Gilles Villeneuve (local hero and father of the current F1 driver Jaques Villeneuve). The Formula 1 tradition runs deep in Montreal and the city prides itself on hosting a spectacular Grand Prix experience. Throughout the weekend free activities and expositions abound. You don't need to be track-side to enjoy the weekend, and many people come just to enjoy the festival atmosphere. All of the action in downtown Montreal is free and this includes the live nightly concerts and special activities. In fact, it would be true to say that there is just as much excitement and fun to be had in downtown Montreal than at the Montreal Grand Prix track.

Having said that, for F1 purists and racing fanatics Isle-St-Helene is the place to be. Thursday sees the teams arrive and setup in the pits. Friday is car testing with two on-track practice sessions. Saturday sees another two practice runs and then finishes with qualifying.

Sunday = Race Day. The F1 race is only one of many held on the Sunday as cars and drivers of all types and ages fly around the track captivating onlookers in the lead up to the main event.

The Montreal Grand Prix weekend is something not to be missed. Whether you are a car fanatic or just want to experience Montreal in its all its festival glory, the weekend has something for everyone and is certainly a yearly highlight on the Montreal calendar.
The Montreal Grand Prix runs on the weekend of the 23 - 25 June, 2006.