Formula One drivers from Canada
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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 o ...
won the World Drivers' Championship 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 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 Nicholas Daniel Latifi (born 29 June 1995) is a Canadian racing driver who last raced for Williams Racing under the Canadian flag in the 2022 Formula One World Championship. Latifi made his Formula One debut at the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix a ...
is contracted to drive for Williams for the and season.


Former drivers

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 Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda (22 February 1949 – 20 May 2019) was an Austrian Formula One driver and aviation entrepreneur. He was a three-time Formula One World Drivers' Champion, winning in , and , and is the only driver in Formula ...
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 ...
– a collision with Jochen Mass 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'' asking drivers to vote for their choice of the greatest driver in history Villeneuve was placed tenth. Former teammate
Jody Scheckter Jody David Scheckter (born 29 January 1950) is a South African business proprietor and former motor racing driver. He competed in Formula One from 1972 to 1980, winning the Drivers' Championship in with Ferrari. Scheckter remains the only Afri ...
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 o ...
, 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. A ...
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 Se ...
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 Ancient and noble French family names, Jacques, Jacq, or James are believed to originate from the Middle Ages in the historic northwest Brittany region in France, and have since spread around the world over the centuries. To date, there are over ...
, 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 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. 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 ...
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 Victor "Al" Pease (15 October 1921 – 4 May 2014) was a British-Canadian motor racing driver, born in Darlington, England. He holds the unusual accolade of being the only driver to be disqualified from a Formula One World Championship race due ...
drove an
Eagle Mk1 The Eagle Mk1, commonly referred to as the Eagle T1G, was a Formula One racing car, designed by Len Terry for Dan Gurney's Anglo American Racers team. The Eagle, introduced for the start of the 1966 Formula One season, is often regarded as being ...
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 fo ...
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 John Cordts (born 23 July 1935 in Hamburg, Germany) is a former racing driver from North Bay, Ontario. He emigrated from Germany to Sweden at the age of two with his family, and then to Canada when he was in his early twenties. Cordts participate ...
(1969), and John Cannon (1971) all competed in one Grand Prix each. Peter Broeker and Ernie de Vos were both entered for one race with
Stebro Stebro was a Canadian constructor of Formula Junior racing cars. The team also competed in one Formula One race, the 1963 United States Grand Prix, where their one car finished in seventh place. Peter Broeker, the owner and president of a firm of ...
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 A Formula One World Champion is a racing driver or automobile constructor which has been designated such a title by the governing body of Formula One - the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Every Formula One World Champion since th ...
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 o ...
, 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 o ...
,
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 Nicholas Daniel Latifi (born 29 June 1995) is a Canadian racing driver who last raced for Williams Racing under the Canadian flag in the 2022 Formula One World Championship. Latifi made his Formula One debut at the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix a ...
. At the 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, 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 spor ...
,
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 Montreal. This was the 16th and final race of the 1978 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the International Cup for F1 Constructors. It was Ferrari Driver Gill ...
.
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 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 Cu ...
, 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 Victor "Al" Pease (15 October 1921 – 4 May 2014) was a British-Canadian motor racing driver, born in Darlington, England. He holds the unusual accolade of being the only driver to be disqualified from a Formula One World Championship race due ...
both participated and in
1969 Canadian Grand Prix The 1969 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at 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 Manufacturers. The 90-lap ra ...
, where three started,
Al Pease Victor "Al" Pease (15 October 1921 – 4 May 2014) was a British-Canadian motor racing driver, born in Darlington, England. He holds the unusual accolade of being the only driver to be disqualified from a Formula One World Championship race due ...
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 Nicholas Daniel Latifi (born 29 June 1995) is a Canadian racing driver who last raced for Williams Racing under the Canadian flag in the 2022 Formula One World Championship. Latifi made his Formula One debut at the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix a ...
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


References

{{Formula One nationalities *