Montreal kicked off the Canadian Grand Prix weekend on Friday, May 22, 2026, under sunny skies and mild temperatures at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Conditions are expected to shift, with rain and cooler temperatures forecast for Sunday's race.
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Environment Canada predicts a high of 20 degrees Celsius on Friday, with mostly sunny weather continuing into Saturday.
Sunday's race day is expected to bring rain and a high of only 13 degrees Celsius.
Organizers have made Parc Jean-Drapeau completely car-free for the event, which is projected to attract between 355,000 and 360,000 total spectators.
The Société de transport de multimédia is increasing Yellow line Metro service to accommodate an estimated 130,000 daily visitors.
This weekend marks the first F1 Sprint event in Montreal.
The circuit features long straights, tight chicanes, and three Straight Mode zones designed to reduce drag under new aerodynamic configurations.
Former Renault F1 driver Jolyon Palmer shared his perspective on the 14-turn circuit.
"Canada is a really nice track to drive, and you get a sense of atmosphere going around it," Palmer said.
"Overhanging trees give it the feel of a park, and it feels like a street circuit – in essence, it is."
Palmer emphasized the need for precision through numerous chicanes.
"There are a lot of slow-speed corners, the walls are very close in a lot of places, but it's a great racetrack.
You need a good front-end to get your car turned into the chicanes, which are pretty much everywhere."
