‘It’s just a blast’: Formula 1 fans hyped up for Sunday’s race

"There's an electric energy that comes off. And when you get to the track, there's even more," says a couple visiting Montreal from New Jersey for the Grand Prix. Anastasia Dextrene reports.

Racing fans from Montreal and around the world shared their excitement with CityNews ahead of Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix.

Thousands of fans made their way to Montreal to take in the atmosphere and festivities. Here’s what they had to say.


“My grandfather got me into it before he passed away… We used to watch it with him all the time. And then he came for his first race here in Canada with us our first year. And then we’re just continuing on for him.”

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“There’s an electric energy that comes off. And when you get to the track, there’s even more. And then just walking the streets like we are right now, everyone’s in a feel-good mode. And it’s wonderful.”

“We are from Ecuador… The streets are (filled with) really beautiful cars. It’s amazing.”

Fans taking in the Grand Prix festivities and atmosphere downtown on June 8, 2024, ahead of Sunday’s race. (Anastasia Dextrene, CityNews)

“Lando Norris, McLaren, rooting for him. Seeing all the cars is so cool. Seeing the Alpine when you first walked in was really exciting. I just started watching F1.”

“The cars are bigger than I thought. So I used to watch it on TV and I was like, ‘OK, it’s a car. It cannot be that big.’ And then I saw the Mercedes one… I’m a Lewis Hamilton fan. So I will hope this year that he wins.”

Fans taking in the Grand Prix festivities and atmosphere downtown on June 8, 2024, ahead of Sunday’s race. (Anastasia Dextrene, CityNews)

“Maybe any cute drivers. Any cute ones. They’re all good looking, by the way.”

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“We’re going for Williams. Mark my words. It’s going to go viral when we win.”

“We’re not looking at cars the whole time. You’re only going to see the cars once every two, three minutes as they pass by. But it’s loud. It’s exciting. It’s a real atmosphere… COVID, I remember walking through here. As soon as it opened, it was very unsure. We were very weirded out. Now it’s totally open. I’m very happy to get back.”

“I come here every year on Crescent Street, and it’s just a blast. No matter the weather, everybody’s happy.”

Fans taking in the Grand Prix festivities and atmosphere downtown on June 8, 2024, ahead of Sunday’s race. (Anastasia Dextrene, CityNews)

“Seeing all the cars, the super cars, the drivers, the people, it’s amazing.”

“I love Montreal. Love to come here for F1. It’s just a feel-good way to start the summer.”