The 2011 Canadian Grand Prix became the longest race in Formula 1 history: its winner Jenson Button, then driving for McLaren, completed the distance in 4 hours, 4 minutes, 39.54 seconds. This is of course explained by the fact that progress was interrupted six times by the appearance of the safety car and red flags.
But for the 2009 world champion, and now Williams brand ambassador, the events that took place at the Gilles Villeneuve circuit 13 years ago are memorable for more than just this reason.
Jenson Button: “The Montreal circuit is very fast, there are many long straights, but also sharp corners, hairpin bends and chicanes. I had some good races there, and some not so good ones, like everyone else, but the most impressive was the 2011 race. I started from 7th position and that Grand Prix took place in conditions of constantly changing weather, the rain became stronger and weaker, and this was repeated several times throughout the race. I ended up in the last position twice, got six pit stops and a drive-through penalty, my front wing broke, I collided with my teammate Lewis Hamilton and also with Fernando Alonso, but on the last lap I still won the race for Sebastian Vettel.
The race lasted over 4 hours and became one of the highlights of my career. I think many fans remember me precisely because of this Canadian Grand Prix. However, over the years of my career I’ve had a lot of good races in Montreal, and it’s a beautiful city with a great atmosphere. That’s why everyone in Formula 1 loves the Canadian leg of the championship so much.”
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
