Formula One fans flock downtown, fill bars for Grand Prix race day: ‘It’s been a long time’
Posted June 19, 2022 6:43 pm.
Last Updated June 19, 2022 6:45 pm.
The energy of the Canadian Grand Prix, which returned to Montreal for the first time since 2019, was unmatched in the city’s downtown core throughout the weekend.
As the cars raced around Circuit Gilles Villeneuve – with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen eventually taking the chequered flag – Montrealers rejoiced on a rare sunny day in June.
“I’m just really thrilled to see Montreal come alive again after two years of not having the international crowds come through,” said Yan Maurice McNiven. “It’s really great to see people and all these streets get the attention that they deserve.”
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As is often the case for Grand Prix race weekends, it’s all about the atmosphere – even if most fans don’t make it to the race itself.
“It’s always an exciting time watching the races,” said Formula One fan Andrew Lowry. “And it’s nice to be in the thick of it here and just immersing ourselves in the actual race experience.”
“It’s been a long time,” added Oliver Reed. “We haven’t seen it. We’ve been in lockdown for a while. And it’s great to be out here in the summer. You know, it’s nice out here today.”
Some racing fans travelled from the U.S. and overseas to be a part of the experience.
“It’s part of my roots,” said New Yorker David Minicuci. “My parents came from Italy. Always my dad brought me to races. I’ve been coming to this track since the ‘90s.”
For many bars and pubs downtown – on Peel Street and Crescent Steet and beyond – they finally saw big, sustained crowds after two years in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“I had about 250 bills without my card sales,” said Nezhat Kaddour, the manager at Peel Pub. “So that’s at least 250 people. Besides the tables that were paid in one bill or anything.
“I hope it stays the same for the rest of the summer for either upcoming events, because this one had helped us after COVID. It helped us a bit, so maybe hopefully for better things in the future.”
“For Montreal, what it brings, you can’t get that kind of advertising because everybody sees the race and they come down,” added Ziggy Eichenbaum, the owner of Ziggy’s Pub. “And I have so many people that came for Grand Prix and then they come back for Jazz Fest or Comedy Fest because they love it.”
