Montreal is preparing to allocate an additional $15 million in public funds to the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit, including a full refurbishment of the circuit, although certain parts were redone just last year.
• Also read: The same asphalt standards as on the roads
• Also read: New Paddocks at Gilles-Villeneuve Circuit: The City of Montreal must allocate an additional $6 million in public funds
• Also read: Gilles-Villeneuve circuit: the brand new paddocks absorb water
This means that after years of foraging around the track’s four corners, the pavers will make their grand comeback after the Canadian Grand Prix, which is being held in a month’s time, repaving every 4.36 kilometers.
- Listen to the legal part with Félix Séguin, in which he returns to the topic at the beginning of the part QUB radio :
According to the documents viewed, drainage and lighting work is also planned at the site, which is scheduled to begin on July 10. It will be carried out in two phases and will block the circuit until the end of November. Traffic will also be banned for both pedestrians and cyclists, warned the Société du parc Jean-Drapeau (SPJD).
The SPJD has spent more than $110 million on its infrastructure since 2017, according to a compilation of public spending on the circuit prepared by our investigative office. The City of Montreal and the Geyser Group. The contractor sued the city for the additional costs incurred by building the paddocks, which cost $60 million in 2019.
PHOTO MARTIN ALARIE
In 2022, the pit lane at the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit had been completely resurfaced after a single race. Completed in 2019, the paddocks cost taxpayers more than $60 million.
Of this, more than 25 million US dollars were invested in the expansion of the runway. Remember that the pit lane was fully restored last year after a single race, that of 2019. The pandemic had forced the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 editions.
To satisfy the FIA
The SPJD reiterates that it carries out the work according to the recommendations that the FIA gives it after each race, in order to “meet the safety and comfort criteria of the circuit”.
“It has been at least 19 years since the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit was completely resurfaced,” said SPJD Advisor Jessica Gaulin. This work is being carried out to meet new requirements from the International Automobile Federation (FIA) as part of a post-race report.
Among their recommendations after the 2022 Canadian Grand Prix was held was that the FIA had asked for the circuit’s ergonomics to be corrected.
Already this spring, the SPJD has invested almost $780,000 to meet FIA requirements between the start line and the third turn. In addition to lengthening the pit wall, this work also required asphalting in the shoulder area of turns 2 and 3.
still to do
Although the SPJD denies having done a full pavement 19 years ago, it has done numerous paving jobs since then. Every year taxpayers celebrate Groundhog Day.
In 2019, the circuit’s 14 corners were resurfaced to meet FIA requirements. Even if “higher quality asphalt” was used, some curves were subsequently corrected again after just one edition of the Canadian Grand Prix.
However, the pit lane, which was also renovated last year after just one race, is not the subject of the work this summer.
According to the Ten-Year Capital Assets Program (PDI), the Grand Prix du Canada will continue to pour into taxpayers’ pockets as the City of Montreal plans to invest $226.8 million throughout Parc Jean-Drapeau by 2031.
This date also coincides with the expiry of the contract between promoter Bell and the Formula One World Championship (FOWC). François Dumontier’s company Octane continues to oversee the organization of the event under an agreement with the telecom giant, which took control of it last year.
Aside from infrastructure renovations, circuit improvements and the annual costs associated with organizing the race, it is important to remember that the three levels of government pay an annual amount to FOWC To the event on the race calendar.
Ottawa, Quebec and Montreal paid just over $20 million in fees for the game, which will be played in mid-June.
Australia also pays dearly
The Grand Prix du Canada is not the only event on the program that receives public funding. Australia also requires massive taxpayer investment.
Melbourne’s semi-permanent facility is owned by the State of Victoria while the race presentation is run by a public body.
File photo, AFP
The Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne is owned by the State of Victoria. Huge investments are also required to run the Australian Grand Prix.
For the 2022 edition, the route has been renovated, rebuilt and completely re-asphalted for the fourth time in its history, i.e. since 1995. Australians spent $153 million organizing the race, according to The Age newspaper.
According to the CEO of the Grand Prix company, Andrew Westacott, the cost of the work on the circuit was estimated at around $ 20 million.
They would be included in the 2022 losses, according to financial records.
Also in 2014 the government had invested almost 64 million US dollars. According to the New York Times and Australian media, this edition was the most expensive in history at this circuit. The Melbourne Grand Prix has been part of the Formula 1 circuit since 1996. From 2012 to 2022, the event would have raised $537 million in public funds, according to The Age.
Can you share information about this story with us?
Do you have a scoop that might be of interest to our readers?
Write to us or call us directly at 1-800-63SCOOP.