Hamilton's first win, Kubica's harrowing crash - 3 classic races in Canadian GP history

For the first time since 2019, Formula 1 returns to Montréal, Canada, for another race around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The race has been omitted from the calendar for two seasons because of Covid-19, but makes its much-anticipated return in 2022.

Over the years, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve hosted several classic races, making the race a must-watch for F1 fans.

Without going too deep into the F1 archives, here are three Canadian Grands Prix that will always be etched in our memories.

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2007: Lewis Hamilton's first win

2007 was Lewis Hamilton's first season in F1. Arriving hot off his GP2 (now Formula 2) championship-winning drive, the driver was partnered with 2005/6 champion Fernando Alonso at McLaren-Mercedes. Though the season didn't go entirely to plan for the team when they signed both a champion and a rookie, Hamilton showed that he deserves to be in the sport.

In the season's opening five races, Hamilton appeared on each one's podium. It gave the idea that winning his first race is not a matter of if, but when. And it would come at the sixth race of the season, the Canadian Grand Prix.

Starting on pole, Hamilton would keep the race's lead going into the first sequence on corners and then for large parts of the race. He never looked uneasy or uncomfortable, keeping a cool and level head as he took his first win ahead of Sauber-BMW's Nick Heidfeld. Hamilton and Alonso would finish the 2007 tied on 109 points, one behind that year's champion, Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari.

2008: Robert Kubica's redemption

The 2007 race in Canada is remembered for two things: Hamilton's win and Robert Kubica's life-threatening crash. Coming out of