There have been many races delayed by rain over the decades, but the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix was another beast entirely.
About The Canadian Grand Prix
In the middle of the St Lawrence River sits Notre-Dame Island. Originally created for the purpose of hosting the 1967 Expo World’s Fair, it became the official home of the Canadian Grand Prix in 1978. The debut race had a capacity crowd, with Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau amongst the spectators in attendance. Back then, the circuit was known as the Circuit Île Notre-Dame, and local hero Gilles Villenueve claimed his maiden Formula 1 victory. In 1982, the circuit was renamed in his honour following his untimely death, becoming the Circuit Gilles-Villenueve.
There are several iconic sections of Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve that are instantly recognisable. The Senna S, the Pont de la Concorde, the Hairpin Curve…and, of course, the infamous Wall of Champions. The track is a firm fan-favourite, and it’s currently set to host Formula 1 in Canada until 2031.
There have been 15 Canadian drivers in Formula 1 so far. Currently representing Canada on the grid is Lance Stroll, and for a short while he would race against fellow countryman Nicolas Latifi. Gilles Villenueve claimed 13 podium spots between 1977 and 1982. His brother, Jacques-Joseph Villenueve, also entered three F1 races in 1981 and 1983 (although didn’t qualify for any race starts). Gilles’ son, also named Jaques, raced in Formula 1 between 1996-2006. It was Jacques who would ultimately etch the family name on the championship trophy in 1997.
The 2011 Canadian Grand Prix
Ask any F1 fan if they watched the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix and you will generally be met with two answers. “No” (in which case, I highly recommend watching the replay), or “It was the longest race ever!”. And they aren’t exaggerating.
Torrential rain meant that the total time elapsed between the race start and the chequered flag was four hours, four minutes and 39 seconds. Officially the longest race in Formula 1 history. But boy oh boy, what a race it was…
A Slow Start
The rain was already pouring down at the start of the race, and drivers got underway on full wets and behind the Safety Car. Not the most thrilling of race-starts by any stretch of the imagination. But just five laps later, the green flags waved and the racing could finally get underway.
Drama inevitably soon followed. On lap eight, Lewis Hamilton made contact with McLaren teammate, Jenson Button. The collision sent Lewis into the wall, with the resulting damage forcing him to pull off at the side of the track and ending his race. The Safety Car was sent back out onto the track and Jenson, having survived the collision, made the bold decision to switch from full wet tyres to the intermediates. In doing so, he picked up a penalty for speeding in the pitlane, sending him down to 15th position.
Up front, Sebastian Vettel was extending his lead over Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. There was a flurry of pit stops as drivers came in to switch onto the intermediates. Just when it looked like conditions were starting to improve, the rain began to pour once more.
A Long Wait & A Brief Restart
The Safety Car came out again on lap 20. The heavy rain forced those who had switched tyress to stop again in order to stick the full wets back on. By lap 25, conditions were just too treacherous to continue, and the red flags were brought out. The race was paused, and the longest wait in Grand Prix history began.
It would be just over two hours until the weather eased up enough for the Safety Car to lead the drivers back onto the track. Bernd Mayländer led the pack around for another eight laps before the pack was released and were free to race. Button dove straight back into the pits to bolt the intermediate tyres on his car for the second time, willing to gamble on conditions improving. Just one lap later the Safety Car made yet another appearance, after Alonso and Button collided at the Turn 3-4 chicane. Alonso’s Ferrari was left beached on the high kerb, whilst Button was forced to pit once more due to a front-left puncture.
We’re Finally Racing!
Three laps later, and the race was back on. Vettel retained his lead, with Kamui Kobayashi and Felipe Massa hot on his heels. Nick Heidfeld, Paul di Resta, Mark Webber and Michael Schumacher were squabbling over fourth place. Button was now in 21st and plum last after putting yet another set of tyres on following his puncture. But he wasn’t ready to give up the fight. By lap 44, the plucky Brit had managed to get back up to 14th. Further up the road, Paul di Resta attempted an overtake on Heidfeld, but damaged his front wing in the process and earned himself a drive-through penalty. Schumacher got past Webber and quickly dispatched Heidfeld, setting the fastest lap in the process.
Button had managed to get up to eighth with just 20 laps remaining in the race, but race leader Vettel was still just under 30 seconds ahead. Button made his sixth (and final) pit stop on lap 51, switching to the supersoft tyre for maximum race pace. It was a bold choice, but a popular one, as the rest of the field decided to follow suit. By the time they all came back out, Button was sitting pretty in fourth place. What Button needed now was another well-timed safety car to boost his chances.
Cue Heidfeld running his Lotus into the back of Kamui Kobayashi. Heidfeld’s front wing was damaged, and within moments had detached itself and whipped under his car. Debris was sent flying across the track as he ran into the wall before skidding to a stop in the runoff area. If you hadn’t already guessed by this point, the Safety Car came out yet again.
Button’s Fabulous Finale
When the Safety Car came back in, there were just 10 laps left. A final sprint to the finish and a spectacular battle was on the cards. Vettel led the race, with Schumacher and Webber scrapping over second behind him. Webber deployed DRS to pass Schumacher, but cut the chicane on lap 64. To avoid a penalty, he dutifully handed the place back. Webber tried the same move again on the following lap, but once again cut the chicane. Button sailed past as the Aussie re-joined the track, putting his McLaren in third. By the end of the lap, Button also got past Schumacher and was now second on the road.
The only target left was Vettel. Button quickly caught the lead Red Bull, and really began to pile on the pressure. On the final lap, Vettel was just 0.9 seconds ahead. As the two front-runners went into Turn 6, Vettel ran wide. Button snapped up the lead of the race, and the McLaren garage went wild. The Brit stormed over the finish line, claiming one of the most well-deserved wins in F1 history.
Summary
Jenson Button drove his socks off after the race restart following the red flag period. To go from dead last to winning the race is no easy feat, and Jenson delivered an absolute masterclass drive. It should be mentioned that Sebastian Vettel had driven flawlessly from the very beginning of the race, but that last-lap pressure just became too much and forced a rare mistake.
The 2011 Canadian Grand Prix was the longest race in Formula 1 history. The race also had the record for the highest number of Safety Car deployments (appearing six times from start to finish). It was a record-breaking day for Button too. He set the record for the lowest average race winning speed at just 74.86 km/h (46.51 mph). He set the record for the most pit stops by the winner of a world championship race (five stops plus one drive-through).
It will easily be one of the most memorable races to have ever taken place in Formula 1, and with arguably one of the greatest race wins to have ever been witnessed.
Which Canadian Grand Prix do you think is a race to remember? Let us know in the comments!
Feature Image – EverythingF1
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