Jacques Villeneuve believes the race organisers at the Canada GP have plenty of work to do (Image: Getty)
Formula One legend Jacques Villeneuve has blasted the , labelling it ‘disappointing and embarrassing’.
Villeneuve raced on the Formula One circuit for a decade between 1996 and 2006 and won the 1997 Drivers’ Championship title with Williams.
He’s largely recognised, alongside father Gilles Villeneuve, as the greatest-ever Canadian Formula One driver.
But according to the now 53-year-old, the Canadian Grand Prix needs a serious shakeup.
Speaking to Spin Casino, Villeneuve jnr. said: “Often in May, the weather is better than June. It doesn’t make a difference other than it might be a better month. There’s a good chance of it being the beginning of summer in the heat when people really start going.
“In that sense, May might be a better moment. Last year, the day after the race, Montreal felt like a ghost town. There were issues with traffic. It was like the government didn’t want the race there.
“It was awful, nobody was there. It felt like an abandoned city. It was the oddest thing. It was very disappointing, and embarrassing as well. So, May might be a much better time for everyone.”
The three previous races held in Canada all went ahead in May, with the 2024 edition pushed back until mid-June instead.
Bad weather was just one of the problems at this year’s Canada GP (Image: Getty)
But the race itself was , including protesters blocking traffic on a bridge in the local area, with communication problems between the race organisers and the Montreal police also causing heavy delays.
The organisers were then summoned by the stewards for causing an “unsafe environment for the spectators and drivers” when a large number of fans gained access to the track at the end of the race.
It sparked heavy criticisms from the world of Formula One, with pundit hinting the sport had ‘outgrown’ its Canadian home.
: “I’ve been visiting the Canadian GP in Montreal since 1984.
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“This year was undoubtedly the least enjoyable in terms of the venue. The popularity and scale of today’s F1 has outgrown the facilities, and the rain turning accesses into mud didn’t help.
“The police and security appeared increasingly aggressive and unhelpful to boot, it was a logistical mess.”
Caroline Proulx, the tourism minister of Quebec, responded at the time by saying: “I was ashamed. I was quite ashamed, and I have had some conversations with some people and we will have more in the coming days.
“I am ill-at-ease and I did not like what I witnessed this weekend. I don’t feel good. I don’t feel comfortable at all.”
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is scheduled to host another race in 2025, with the date currently pencilled in for mid-June.