Montreal the winner as Formula One makes return

MONTREAL : Missing from the Formula One calendar since 2019, the Canadian Grand Prix was back in race mode on Sunday to the delight of drivers, fans and business owners who had missed the fast-paced action at the circuit during its forced COVID-19 hiatus.

Whenever the F1 circus pitches its tent in a city, the drivers roll out well-rehearsed platitudes but there has always been a sense of sincerity when it comes to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, a high-speed track on the man-made Ile Notre-Dame in the middle of the St. Lawrence river.

"It's such a great place, obviously, one of my favourite tracks, one of the old-school ones that remains in the calendar and that's pretty special," said Alpine's Esteban Ocon. "It's awesome to see that the city transforms completely to racing mode."

While drivers missed the Canadian Grand Prix, local businesses were left heartbroken.

The race is not just one of Canada's best-attended sporting events but has grown into a week-long festival of high-octane fun that has super-charged the Montreal area economy.

The Société du parc Jean-Drapeau, Tourisme Montréal and the Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada published a study earlier this year, according to the CBC, that found the event's economic impact on the gross domestic product (GDP) to be $63.2 million (CDN).

Interest in this year's race exploded after the NetFlix documentary series "Drive To Survive" provided a behind-the-scenes insight into F1's personalities and rivalries - with people locked down during the COVID-19 pandemic binge watching the episodes.

"You can feel that the people love Formula One; you can see that there are many Formula One fans," said AlphaTuari team principal Franz Tost. "Of course, this is part of the history.

"Canada has a