The Most Canadian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen won this past weekend's race in Montreal with a time of 1:36:21.757 in completing 70-laps of the 4.361-kilometre Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. He wasn't involved in the most Canadian of races, though, as former Canadiens defenceman PK Subban invited drivers Sergio "Checo" Perez and Yuki Tsunoda along with Olympic Gold medalist and snowboard legend Seb Toots to run a time trial in a vehicle very familiar to Canadians: a Zamboni ice resurfacer!
Red Bull Racing sponsored this fun exercise deemed "the slowest time trial ever" as the three men navigated the race course on a Zamboni ice resurfacing machine. Settle in for some laughs because this race is all about maximum speed - 9 miles per hour as per Zamboni's information - and expert steering through some tight turns!
Obviously, this is a fun way to sell the F1 racing scene to hockey fans, but I have no idea what accolades Sergio "Checo" Perez and Yuki Tsunoda have accumulated in their careers. I also didn't watch this past weekend's race, and, if we're going for full disclosure, I didn't even know it was being held this past weekend. My total knowledge of F1 racing can be held within a thimble, and there'd still be room left over.
What I do know is that this a fun way to promote the Canadian Grand Prix in a city that loves its hockey and its hockey heroes. What I do know is that both Sergio Perez and Yuki Tsunoda did not finish the race on Sunday, so there was no celebrating two victories in Montreal for Sergio Perez. Both men will leave Montreal empty-handed after Tsunoda finished off the top of the podium and Perez's trophy mishap.
Red Bull won't leave Montreal too disappointed, though, as Max Verstappen is a Red Bull Racing driver, and he claimed the checkered flag this past weekend! Beyond that, I'd say they also successfully pulled off the first-ever Canadian Grand Prix time trial on Zamboni ice resurfacing machines in F1 history!
Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!
Posts
4 comments:
I am the opposite - an avid F1 fan, but a casual hockey watcher.And Gilles and Jacques (son) Villeneuve were my favourite racing family growing up on the other side of the globe. I am curious: are they as well recognized in Canada as are, let’s say, Gretzky or Mario Lemieux?
Hi Catie!
I would doubt that most Canadians could identify Gilles or Jacques Villeneuve without some sort of clue. I know Jacques from his crazy blond hair that he sported, but seeing him with his head shaved would have thrown me off the trail. Gilles would have been much harder for me to identify only because I admittedly don't follow the F1 circuit nor know its history as deep as I do hockey's history. Admittedly, I should know more about these Canadian racing legends!
Thanks for reading and the great comment! :)
Hi Teebz,
thank *you* for your reply! I am a long-time lurker, came here for your excellent book reviews, and stayed for nuanced commentary on current events around hockey.
Yes, Jacques has both extravagant looks and outspoken views... but I still prefer him to the current crop of rich boys :) Not everyone can win F1 title AND Indy 500!
Gilles is still remembered fondly by Ferrari fans, like his friend Guy Lafleur (RIP) is still revered by Habs fans. BTW, Guy's name was added to start-finish line this year, a very touching tribute IMO: https://lookcharms.com/canadian-grand-prix-a-first-class-tribute-to-guy-lafleur/
Anyway, thank you for keeping blogging and not switching to 140-character twitter posts :)
That's a very cool tribute! I didn't even know they had done that!
Gilles was a great racer. I always looked for his name on the leaderboard when they showed highlights because I wanted "that Canadian guy" to win. His accomplishments should make him a bigger star in Canada admittedly.
I have a couple of books nearly done, so expect a couple more book reviews shortly! Thanks for reading those because I truly enjoy the books I review! And I promise there will be no 140-character posts here. I have far too many thoughts on everything for it to fit into 140-characters. :)
Post a Comment