![Jacques Villeneuve at Mont-Tremblant 2010 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Jacques_Villeneuve_at_Mont-Tremblant_2010_01.jpg)
There have been 15 Formula One drivers from Canada, four of whom have scored points.
Gilles Villeneuve
Joseph Gilles Henri Villeneuve () (January 18, 1950 – May 8, 1982) was a Canadian racing driver, who spent six years in Grand Prix motor racing with Ferrari, winning six races and widespread acclaim for his performances.
An enthusiast of ...
, rated amongst the greatest drivers of all time, died while qualifying for his 68th race. His son,
Jacques Villeneuve
Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve ( born 9 April 1971) is a Canadian professional racing driver and amateur musician who won the 1997 Formula One World Championship with Williams. In addition to Formula One (F1) he has competed in various ot ...
won the
World Drivers' Championship
Formula One, abbreviated to F1, is the highest class of open-wheeled auto racing defined by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), motorsport's world governing body. The "formula" in the name refers to a set of rules to which a ...
in 1997. Canadian drivers were absent from Formula One since his departure in 2006, until the arrival of
Lance Stroll
Lance Strulovitch (born 29 October 1998), better known as Lance Stroll, is a Canadian–Belgian racing driver competing under the Canadian flag in Formula One. He has driven for Aston Martin since , having previously driven for Williams and R ...
in 2017.
Current drivers
Lance Stroll
Lance Strulovitch (born 29 October 1998), better known as Lance Stroll, is a Canadian–Belgian racing driver competing under the Canadian flag in Formula One. He has driven for Aston Martin since , having previously driven for Williams and R ...
has started competing in Formula One since . He began his Formula One career with
Williams and scored a
podium
A podium (plural podiums or podia) is a platform used to raise something to a short distance above its surroundings. It derives from the Greek ''πόδι'' (foot). In architecture a building can rest on a large podium. Podiums can also be used ...
at the
2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
The 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix (officially the 2017 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race that was held on 25 June 2017 at the Baku City Circuit in Baku, Azerbaijan. The race was the eighth round of the 2017 FIA Formula O ...
with a third-place finish. Stroll moved to
Racing Point
Racing Point F1 Team, which competed as BWT Racing Point F1 Team and commonly known as Racing Point, was a British motor racing team and constructor that Racing Point UK entered into the Formula One World Championship. The team was based in ...
for the season with whom he was contracted to drive until 2020.
He now competes for Aston Martin F1 team, a rebrand of the former Racing Point team.
Nicholas Latifi is contracted to drive for Williams for the and season.
Former drivers
![Gilles Villeneuve 1979 Imola](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Gilles_Villeneuve_1979_Imola.jpg)
Gilles Villeneuve started his Formula One career with a one-off drive for McLaren at the
1977 British Grand Prix
The 1977 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Silverstone on 16 July 1977. It was the tenth race of the 1977 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the 1977 International Cup for F1 Constructors.
The 68-lap race was won from po ...
. He was quickly signed up by Ferrari to replace the outgoing
Niki Lauda and he would remain with the team for all his time in Formula One. Villeneuve's most successful year came in 1979 when he won three races and came second in the drivers' championship.
He was killed during qualifying in an accident at the
1982 Belgian Grand Prix
The 1982 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Zolder on 9 May 1982. It was the fifth round of the 1982 Formula One season.
Qualifying and death of Gilles Villeneuve
Canadian driver Gilles Villeneuve was killed in an accident du ...
– a collision with
Jochen Mass
Jochen Richard Mass (born 30 September 1946) is a German former racing driver.
Life and career
Born in Dorfen, Bavaria 50 km (31 mi) from Munich, Mass participated in 114 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 14 Jul ...
pitched his Ferrari into the air and it was destroyed by the impact when it landed. He never won a Formula One drivers' title and only won six races but is held as one of the best racers to ever compete in the sport.
In a survey conducted by ''
Autosport
''Autosport'' is a global motorsport publishing brand headquartered based in Richmond, London. It was established in 1950 at the same time as the origins of the Formula One World Championship.
Autosport began life as a weekly magazine in 1950 ...
'' asking drivers to vote for their choice of the greatest driver in history Villeneuve was placed tenth. Former teammate
Jody Scheckter said of Villeneuve "I will miss Gilles for two reasons. First, he was the fastest driver in the history of motor racing. Second, he was the most genuine man I have ever known."
Jacques Villeneuve
Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve ( born 9 April 1971) is a Canadian professional racing driver and amateur musician who won the 1997 Formula One World Championship with Williams. In addition to Formula One (F1) he has competed in various ot ...
, son of Gilles, was eleven at the time of his father's death. He had a successful career in IndyCar, winning the
1995 Indianapolis 500
The 79th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 28, 1995. Sanctioned by USAC, it was part of the 1995 CART PPG Indy Car World Series season. Jacques Villeneuve won in his second start. Af ...
and the
1995 PPG Indy Car World Series
The 1995 PPG Indy Car World Series season, the seventeenth in the CART era of U.S. open-wheel racing, consisted of 17 races, beginning in Miami, Florida on March 5 and concluding in Monterey, California on September 10. The PPG Indy Car World ...
before moving to Formula One with
Williams in 1996. He nearly won his first race, but an oil leak forced him to surrender the lead to his teammate and finished second. He went on to win four races that year and clinched second place in the drivers' championship. Seven wins in 1997 saw Villeneuve go one better, achieving the title that had eluded his father. However, he would never win another race in his Formula One career, doing no better than four third-place finishes between 1998 and his retirement in 2006.
In 1981 another member of the Villeneuve family had tried his hand at Formula One.
Jacques, brother of Gilles, is sometimes now referred to as Jacques Villeneuve Sr. He failed to qualify for either of the two North American races he contested. He tried again at his home Grand Prix in 1983 but was unable to set a time good enough to allow him into the race.
George Eaton
George Ross Eaton (born 12 November 1945) is a Canadian former racing driver who is a member of the prominent Eaton family.
Life and career
Eaton was born in Toronto, he is the youngest son of John and Signy Eaton. He gained attention as a Can ...
competed in 13 Grands Prix with BRM, the majority of which were in 1970. His debut was in the
1969 United States Grand Prix
The 1969 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 5, 1969, at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course in Watkins Glen, New York. It was race 10 of 11 in both the 1969 World Championship of Drivers and the 1969 Interna ...
and he entered one other race that year. He attended ten events in 1970, starting eight of them, and left the sport after a single race the following year, the
1971 Canadian Grand Prix
The 1971 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Mosport Park on September 19, 1971. It was race 10 of 11 in both the 1971 World Championship of Drivers and the 1971 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers.
During a Fo ...
. He only finished in four of the eleven races he started with a best finish of tenth.
Allen Berg
Allen Bernard Berg (born August 1, 1961) is a Canadian former racing driver who raced for the Osella team in Formula One.
Racing career
Berg was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. He began in karting in 1978 and switched to cars when he was 20 ...
drove for
Osella
Osella is an Italian racing car manufacturer and former Formula One team. They participated in 132 Grands Prix between 1980 and 1990. They achieved two points finishes and scored five championship points.
Early days
Named after its founder V ...
in 1986, competing in nine races. He saw the chequered flag on three occasions with a highest finish of 12th place.
A number of Canadian drivers have competed solely in races held in their own country.
Al Pease drove an
Eagle Mk1 in three consecutive Canadian Grands Prix between 1967 and 1969. He was unable to finish any of the races and is remembered as the only driver in F1 history to be disqualified from a race for being too slow.
Bill Brack
William Brack (born 26 December 1935) is a Canadian former racing driver. Brack raced in Formula One and the Atlantic Championship.
Born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Brack originally became involved in auto racing in the early 1960s, in the for ...
also competed in three home races, starting with Lotus in 1968 then, in 1969 and 1972, driving a BRM. He was unable to finish in any of the events.
Eppie Wietzes
Egbert "Eppie" Wietzes (28 May 1938 – 10 June 2020) was a racing driver from Canada.
Formula One
Wietzes was born in Assen, Netherlands in 1938, and emigrated with his family to Canada when he was 12 years old. He participated in two Formula ...
competed in two home races separated by more than seven years. He drove a Lotus in 1967 and a Brabham in 1974 but was unable to finish either race.
Peter Ryan (1961),
John Cordts (1969), and
John Cannon (1971) all competed in one Grand Prix each.
Peter Broeker
Peter William Broeker (born 15 May 1926 in Germany – died 4 November 1980 in Ottawa) was a racing driver from Canada. He participated in one World Championship Formula One Grand Prix, the 1963 United States Grand Prix, driving a Stebro, a car o ...
and
Ernie de Vos were both entered for one race with
Stebro in 1963. Broeker competed and finished seventh but de Vos did not start.
Accomplishments
World champions
There has only been one
Formula One World Champion from Canada,
Jacques Villeneuve
Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve ( born 9 April 1971) is a Canadian professional racing driver and amateur musician who won the 1997 Formula One World Championship with Williams. In addition to Formula One (F1) he has competed in various ot ...
, in the
1997 Formula One season
The 1997 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 51st season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It commenced on 9 March and ended on 26 October after seventeen races. The Drivers' Championship was won by Jacques Villeneuve and the Constr ...
.
However,
Gilles Villeneuve
Joseph Gilles Henri Villeneuve () (January 18, 1950 – May 8, 1982) was a Canadian racing driver, who spent six years in Grand Prix motor racing with Ferrari, winning six races and widespread acclaim for his performances.
An enthusiast of ...
finished second in the World Driving Championship in the
1979 Formula One season
The 1979 Formula One season was the 33rd season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1979 ''World Championship of F1 Drivers''FIA Yearbook 1980, Grey Section, page 84 and the 1979 ''International Cup for F1 Constructors''FIA Yearb ...
.
Points scorers
The only Canadians to score World Championship points in Formula One, are
Gilles Villeneuve
Joseph Gilles Henri Villeneuve () (January 18, 1950 – May 8, 1982) was a Canadian racing driver, who spent six years in Grand Prix motor racing with Ferrari, winning six races and widespread acclaim for his performances.
An enthusiast of ...
, his son
Jacques Villeneuve
Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve ( born 9 April 1971) is a Canadian professional racing driver and amateur musician who won the 1997 Formula One World Championship with Williams. In addition to Formula One (F1) he has competed in various ot ...
,
Lance Stroll
Lance Strulovitch (born 29 October 1998), better known as Lance Stroll, is a Canadian–Belgian racing driver competing under the Canadian flag in Formula One. He has driven for Aston Martin since , having previously driven for Williams and R ...
and
Nicholas Latifi.
At the
2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
The 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix (officially the 2017 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race that was held on 25 June 2017 at the Baku City Circuit in Baku, Azerbaijan. The race was the eighth round of the 2017 FIA Formula O ...
, Stroll became the youngest rookie to achieve a podium finish in Formula One.
At the Canadian Grand Prix
Only one Canadian has won the ''F1''
Canadian Grand Prix
The Canadian Grand Prix (french: Grand Prix du Canada) is an annual motor racing event held since 1961. It has been part of the Formula One World Championship since 1967. It was first staged at Mosport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, as a sports ...
,
Gilles Villeneuve
Joseph Gilles Henri Villeneuve () (January 18, 1950 – May 8, 1982) was a Canadian racing driver, who spent six years in Grand Prix motor racing with Ferrari, winning six races and widespread acclaim for his performances.
An enthusiast of ...
, at the
1978 Canadian Grand Prix
The 1978 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 8 October 1978 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal. This was the 16th and final race of the 1978 Formula One season, 1978 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the International C ...
.
[
]Lance Stroll
Lance Strulovitch (born 29 October 1998), better known as Lance Stroll, is a Canadian–Belgian racing driver competing under the Canadian flag in Formula One. He has driven for Aston Martin since , having previously driven for Williams and R ...
would score his first World Championship points at the 2017 Canadian Grand Prix
The 2017 Canadian Grand Prix (formally known as the Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada 2017) was a Formula One motor race that took place on 11 June 2017 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The race was the seventh round of t ...
, the 50th anniversary grand prix. He is one of three Canadians to score points at the Canadian Grand Prix, the other two being Jacques Villeneuve and his father Gilles Villeneuve.[
Multiple Canadian drivers have participated in the same ''F1'' Canadian Grand Prix only twice. The first was at the ]1967 Canadian Grand Prix
The 1967 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Mosport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada on August 27, 1967. The 90-lap contest was race 8 of 11 in both the 1967 World Championship of Drivers and the 1967 International Cup ...
, when Eppie Wietzes
Egbert "Eppie" Wietzes (28 May 1938 – 10 June 2020) was a racing driver from Canada.
Formula One
Wietzes was born in Assen, Netherlands in 1938, and emigrated with his family to Canada when he was 12 years old. He participated in two Formula ...
and Al Pease both participated and in 1969 Canadian Grand Prix
The 1969 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Mosport Park on September 20, 1969. It was race 9 of 11 in both the 1969 World Championship of Drivers and the 1969 International Cup for Formula One ...
, where three started, Al Pease being disqualified as only F1 driver for being too slow.[ The second was in 2022, when ]Lance Stroll
Lance Strulovitch (born 29 October 1998), better known as Lance Stroll, is a Canadian–Belgian racing driver competing under the Canadian flag in Formula One. He has driven for Aston Martin since , having previously driven for Williams and R ...
and Nicholas Latifi took part in the 2022 Canadian Grand Prix
The 2022 Canadian Grand Prix (officially known as the Formula 1 AWS Grand Prix du Canada 2022) was a Formula One motor race, which was held on 19 June 2022 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was the 9th round of the ...
.
Timeline
See also
*List of Formula One Grand Prix winners
Formula One (F1) is the highest class of open-wheeled motor racing defined by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), motorsport's world governing body. The "formula" in the name refers to a set of rules to which all participan ...
References
{{Formula One nationalities
*