We are only one week away from the next round of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship. Next the drivers and teams descend on Montreal, with the action beginning on Friday, May 22, with the only practice session of the weekend. Later that afternoon, they’ll compete in sprint-race quails.

On Saturday, May 23, they’ll battle it out in the sprint race, followed by grand prix quails. The Grand Prix itself takes place Sunday, May 24, at 4 p.m. Montreal time.

While we all take the weekend off from racing, let’s jump in our time machine and take a look back at some memorable moments from Canada. Here are the three most dramatic Grand Prix du Montreal races over the past 20 years

2007: Lewis Hamilton dominates in his debut win

In only the sixth race weekend of his career, Hamilton had already become a record-setter by earning a spot on the podium in each of his first five starts. The 2007 Grand Prix du Montreal proved to be a race of attrition, with 10 drivers failing to finish that day, including Robert Kubica’s big crash. 

Yet the McLaren rookie remained unruffled throughout and led from pole to earn his first victory. Nick Heidfeld (BMW Sauber) placed second and Alexander Wurz (Williams) third. This marked the final podium of Wurz’s career and Williams’ first podium since 2005. 

At the end of season, Kimi Raikkonen won the drivers championship by the smallest of margins. His 110 points was just one more than both Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

In one of the most theatrical season finales of all time, Hamilton came into the last race in Brazil leading the standings. But he suffered a gearbox problem early in the race. He got back on track and raced aggressively to pick up ground but only managed to finish seventh — thus handing the championship to Raikkonen by the slimmest of margins.

2011: Jenson Button makes a legendary comeback

The 2011 Grand Prix du Montreal is widely considered one of the greatest Formula 1 races ever run and probably the wildest victory of Button’s career. The race holds multiple records: the most safety car deployments (six), the most pit stops by a winning driver (also six for Button) and the longest duration race at just over 4 hours 4 minutes. 

The race saw a 2-hour delay because of torrential rain. But it was Button who brought the thunder. Although his path to victory was absurdly unlikely because he spent much of the race sabotaging his own position:

• On lap 7, he collided with teammate Hamilton while fighting down the straight. Hamilton hit the wall and retired. Button had to pit for damage.
• Soon after, Button was given a drive-through penalty for speeding behind the safety car.
• Later, he ran into Fernando Alonso at a restart, sending Alonso into the wall. Button needed another pit stop.
• He also suffered a puncture.

So with 30 laps remaining in the 66-lap race, Button was running 21st — dead last — and more than 50 seconds behind the race leader. But he skillfully made his way through the field, with help from safety cars that compressed the pack.

Button passed Mark Webber on lap 64 and Michael Schumacher on lap 65. Then, on the final lap, Button pressured Vettel into touching a damp patch, sending Vettel wide on turn 6. Button seized his chance and nailed the overtake, then went on to victory. 

At the end of the season, Vettel won the championship in dominating fashion with 392 points and 11 race wins. Button finished runner up, 122 points behind, with a total of three wins. 

2019: The Vettel penalty drama

Vettel led from pole for most of the race before controversy exploded on lap 48. He missed a turn, drove over the grass and rejoined the track in a way that squeezed Hamilton against the wall. It took the stewards nine laps to announce Vettel’s five-second penalty for rejoining unsafely.

“Where the hell was I supposed to go,” Vettel fumed over race radio. “If [Hamilton] goes to the inside, he can pass me. They are stealing the race from us.”

He crossed the finish line first but was classified second. In an infamous fit of pique, Vettel erupted on race radio during the cool-down lap. “You have to be an absolute blind man to think that you can go through the grass and then control your car,” he spat. “I was lucky I did not hit the wall. Where the hell I am [sic] supposed to go?”

After he exited his car, he then removed the number-one placard from in front of Hamilton’s Mercedes and moved it to where his own Ferrari was parked. He then shifted the number-two placard to Hamilton’s car — to a chorus of raucous cheers from his Ferrari crew.

At the end of the season, Hamilton won the championship rather easily, placing 87 points ahead of teammate Valtteri Bottas. Vettel was fifth in the standings.