Brownstein: How all the Grand Prix magic happens |
We’re about to cross the famed, feared hairpin turn on the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, and my heart is almost pounding in anticipation.
Mercifully, we’ve made it through unscathed. Of course, we are in a golf cart, hitting max speeds of 15 km/h.
Trusty driver Maxim Berthiaume can only fathom what that might feel like for F1 drivers negotiating that turn at around the 300 km/h range. Then factoring in a G-force (g is for gravitational) of between 5 to 6 — making the drivers feel about six times heavier than usual — and even lead-footed city nitwit motorists should realize this is far dicier than speeding on the Décarie Expressway in their souped-up Hondas.
On this afternoon, there is no racing. But the Grand Prix site is a beehive of activity. For much of the year, the F1 team is comprised of about 40 full-time employees, but in the weeks leading up to the three-day event, the site morphs into a mini-city of 5,000 workers, painting signs over the track, assembling grandstands and delivering everything from flowers to Ferraris.
We often make much ado about the glitz and parties and celebs hitting Montreal during Grand Prix weekend but overlook the massive organizing the race entails.
“Some forget that without the race, there would be no parties or tourists coming to town in droves,” wryly notes Grand Prix publicist Philip Vanden Brande.
“There are so many small details, involving months of planning,” points out Berthiaume, who in addition to driving a golf cart is also the media liaison for the 100 press folk from around the globe descending upon the Circuit this weekend.
Nor is the Grand Prix fixated only on the Lewis Hamiltons, Max Verstappens and George Russells of the F1 world here this weekend. The event also hosts the aspiring drivers’ F2 and all-female F1 Academy races as well.
This year, there will also be entertainment at day’s end throughout the weekend at the new stage area on the site: an all-Canadian musical series that kicked off with Matt Lang and Simple Plan performing Friday; Dean Brody at 7:30 p.m. and Bryan Adams at 9 p.m. on Saturday; and The Beaches at 7:30 p.m. and Alessia Cara at 9 p.m. on Sunday.
What is often lost in the equation is that Montreal is the only city on the global Grand Prix circuit that has to endure the joys of a polar winter. And with this year’s race taking place three weeks earlier than previous events, this meant that preparation work on everything from the stands to the track to a new hospitality suite and entertainment space had to begin in the fall of last year. Further complicating matters was that winter lingered longer than usual.
“And then as soon as it’s all over, we have to pretty much take everything down, restoring Parc........