It was a emotional moment for the Villeneuve family and Canadian motorsport fans as the 1997 World Champion ran a lap on-board his father's Ferrari T3. The 2018 Canadian Grand Prix marks the 40th year anniversary of Gilles Villeneuve's win in Montreal in 1978, his first Grand Prix victory. Check out our gallery dedicated to Jacques Villeneuve's tribute.<doc-sep>Share this Story: Canadian GP promoter upgrades Circuit Gilles Villeneuve for 'modern era' Canadian GP promoter upgrades Circuit Gilles Villeneuve for 'modern era' The outdated paddocks and team garages, which have been around for 31 years, have a date with the wrecking ball. Photo by Courtesy of the Société du Parc Jean Drapeau Article content While this year’s Canadian Grand Prix was a celebration of the Formula One race’s 40th anniversary in Montreal, race promoter François Dumontier’s focus will soon shift to launching the 2019 event into the “modern era.” Circuit Gilles Villeneuve’s outdated paddocks and team garages, which have been around for 31 years, have a date with the wrecking ball to make way for new paddocks in time for next year’s race. The new venue, being built by the city of Montreal at a cost of $76 million, will house garages, team facilities and suites above the garages for 5,000 race fans. Although the project is being funded and spearheaded by the city of Montreal, Dumontier’s Octane Racing Group had input in the process, especially when it came to F1-specific amenities. “Since we are the main user of that infrastructure, we were part since, I would say, almost Day 1,” Dumontier said. “You can design something really nice, but it might not really work with Formula One.” Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Upgraded facilities available at other tracks in Formula 1 made these upgrades necessary, Dumontier said. The F1 teams will see a major change in the amount of space they have in the new facilities — especially the permanent space. “Right now, it’s part in the garage, part in a tent. In 2019, it’s going to be all in the garage,” Dumontier said. New technology will also be integrated into the garages, making life easier for mechanics and team officials during the race. “We know what they are looking for when they travel and I think they will find everything they need,” Dumontier said. Some changes are already in place for this year gave teams more work space. The area behind the paddocks was expanded and repaved, and the structures over the rowing basin were more than doubled in size. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Photo by Courtesy of the Société du Parc Jean Drapeau When the new facilities — which Dumontier believes will enhance the image of the Canadian Grand Prix — are built, fans in the suites above the garages will also see upgrades. “For fans, it’s going to be a huge change,” said Dumontier, who hopes the new signature facilities will instil a sense of pride in racing fans. Fans will have a better view of the track thanks to grandstands that will extend over the pit lane. And Dumontier said the new facilities will be universally accessible thanks to elevators, something that is not the case right now. Work on the new paddocks will start immediately after the race and Dumontier said it is slated to be completed by May so his team will have a month to work out any last-minute issues. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Dumontier said talks continue with potential new title sponsors for the race and he hopes to have one in place for the 2019 race. Heineken, which chose the Canadian GP as one of three F1 races to sponsor this year, is helping move things in the right direction. “I am at a point that the discussions I am having are not with local companies … more with international companies. Some of them are not even doing business in Canada.” Dumontier added that TV viewership is the main attraction for sponsors. “And we know that Montreal is one of the most-watched races.” Race organizers are constantly working to improve the fan experience and Dumontier says the food offerings on site have been improved, with healthier options added. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content “We try to have a variety of different types of food on site, at different parts of the track,” Dumontier said. Visitors this year had gluten-free options and there were more offerings of chicken, salads and sandwiches along with fast-food fare. “Of course, the poutine is always something the tourists are looking for. So this year we have a poutine bar,” Dumontier said, adding that smoked meat is another favourite among foreign visitors. Montreal driver Lance Stroll had his own cheering section on Sunday, a new initiative for 2018. Dumontier said the idea for a Stroll grandstand came from Belgium, which has a Max Verstappen grandstand. “Everybody in that grandstand was wearing an orange T-shirt. And every time that Max was driving past the grandstand, everyone was cheering. And I wanted to have the same type of thing for Lance,” Dumontier said. A grandstand in the hairpin was chosen because it is one of the biggest on the track and it is an area that receives a lot of exposure on television, Dumontier said. kmio@postmedia.com twitter.com/kevmio Share this article in your social network Latest National Stories Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Montreal Gazette Headline News Sign up to receive daily headline news from the Montreal Gazette, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. Email Address There was an error, please provide a valid email address. By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it please check your junk folder. The next issue of Montreal Gazette Headline News will soon be in your inbox. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again Trending<doc-sep>LEWIS HAMILTON is fourth on the grid as he aims to equal Michael Schumacher's record of seven race wins at the Canadian Grand Prix. The Brit finished third behind Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel a fortnight ago in a forgettable race in Monaco. 1 Lewis Hamilton could equal Michael Schumacher as the most successful driver of all time in Canada Credit: Getty Images - Getty When is the Canadian Grand Prix? The Monaco Grand Prix takes place on Sunday, June 10. It will be a teatime start for fans in the UK with the race beginning at 7.10pm (1.10pm local time). Practice one and two will take place on Friday, June 8 at 3pm and 7pm respectively with practice three following on Saturday, June 9 at 4pm. The battle for pole will begin at 7pm on Saturday, June 9. MOST READ IN SPORT CRYING BRU Fernandes breaks down in tears as Scholes slams Utd stars who 'accept losing' Revealed FLOP GEA De Gea let in 38th CONSECUTIVE penalty before missing own spot-kick in shootout Live Blog MAN UTD 1 (10) VILLARREAL 1 (11) Penalties heartbreak for United as De Gea misses in epic MAN UTD VERDICT Solskjaer blew chance to end trophy drought & it won't get easier than this Live Blog FOOTBALL NEWS LIVE Zidane QUITS Real Madrid, Antonio Conte leaves Inter Milan JEEPERS KEEPERS Agony for Man Utd as De Gea misses after epic shootout goes down to GOALIES What TV channel is the Canadian Grand Prix on and can I live stream it? The Canadian Grand Prix weekend will be live on Sky Sports F1. Coverage of the race will begin at 5.30pm on Sunday, June 10. You can watch it live on NOW TV with a Sports Day Pass, costing £7.99. On Friday, June 8, F1 will be on air from 2.30pm and on Saturday, June 9, coverage will begin at 3.45pm. To find out which races are being covered on Channel 4, click here. What circuit is the Canadian Grand Prix held at and how many laps do drivers race? The Canadian Grand Prix is held at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Previously named the Île Notre-Dame Circuit, it was renamed after the untimely death of former Ferrari driver Villeneuve in 1982. Drivers will race 70 laps.<doc-sep>
Gilles Villeneuve's 1978 winning car to get show drive by son at Canada GP Article content MONTREAL — It will be an special moment for Joann Villeneuve when her son Jacques leads out the field in her late husband’s Ferrari for the parade lap at the Canadian Grand Prix. It was 40 years ago that Gilles Villeneuve became the only Canadian ever to win the Formula One race. The 1978 event was the first held on the track formerly known as Circuit Ile Notre Dame, which has since been renamed Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Gilles Villeneuve's 1978 winning car to get show drive by son at Canada GP Back to video “It brings back lots of emotions,” Joann Villeneuve said Thursday at a news conference held on the track. After tracking down the car Gilles drove in that race, which was formerly owned by Pink Floyd drummer and racing enthusiast Nick Mason, Canadian GP promoter Francois Dumontier got the green light from F1 owner Liberty Media to let Jacques Villeneuve drive it in the parade lap just before the start of Sunday’s race. The 47-year-old Jacques, who followed his father into race driving and won the F1 championship in a Williams in 1997, said the car was tested two weeks ago to ensure it was in working order. He has driven it before at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, a classic car event in Britain, and found it noticeably different from the high-tech racers he drove two decades later.