F1: Teams have completed their equipment installation just days before the Montreal Grand Prix

The two free practice sessions for the Grand Prix du Canada will be offered at 1:30pm and 4:45pm on Friday, on RDS.

The busyness has begun behind the scenes at the Canadian Grand Prix, as teams complete installation of their equipment in garages.

“We deliver empty garages. Three weeks ago, there were none. Grand Prix promoter François Dumontier said during a run for RDS on Wednesday.

Nine cargo planes landed at Mirabel airport last weekend as well as other equipment on boats and trucks, and then the Formula 1 circus officially landed in Montreal with hundreds of team employees ready to put everything together.

“When you see the car in the garage on TV, with the decor, everything goes with the team. The mechanics install it and from one Grand Prix to the next the 8/16 wrench is in the same place, ”explains Dumontier.

2019 was a turning point due to major renovations at Almarai. With two events postponed due to the pandemic, the new facilities will be used for the third time.

Today, the equipment they transport is huge. We can’t compare to the 90’s. We really had to have a new garage and new fixtures, not just for the teams, but for all of those who revolve around F1. »

There is indeed an important position that the Grand Prix organizers have been keen to fill.

“In Formula 1, the drivers are important, but the third most important person is the chef. I’ve seen raids in the past of one team to pick another team captain,” says Dumontiere.

François Dumontier ensures that the Montreal facilities have nothing to envy for some Grand Prix racing with unlimited means.

“The circuit and garages are respectful of F1 and FIA specifications. In some Grand Prix races, yes, the garage is bigger, but it can be too big for nothing.”

The Spanish Grand Prix, which precedes the Canadian Grand Prix in 2023, will also have to renovate its garages, and its organizers recently visited the Montreal facilities for inspiration.