Canadian GP chaos leaves local politician ‘ashamed’ amid Martin Brundle criticism
Martin Brundle
Caroline Proulx, the tourism minister of Quebec, has admitted she is “very ashamed” by the chaos of last weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix after Sky F1 commentator Martin Brundle led the criticism of the race.
The Canadian GP has long been regarded as one of the highlights of a given F1 season, yet this year’s race in Montreal was rocked by a series of events.
Politician responds to Canadian GP criticism after Martin Brundle blasts ‘logistical mess’
Five environmental protesters were arrested for blocking traffic on a bridge in the local area, with communication problems between the race organisers and the Montreal police resulting in thousands of people being delayed on both Friday and Saturday,
Pitbull, the American rapper and singer, was forced to cancel a concert in Montreal, with heavy rain causing flooding in car parks and even commentary boxes at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
It also emerged that some fans had been turned away at the gate ahead of Friday practice due to erroneous information.
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The chaos continued on race day, with the organisers of the Canadian Grand Prix summoned to the FIA stewards after a large number of fans entered the track at the end of the race.
The stewards described an “unsafe environment for the spectators and drivers” and issued a warning that a “significant financial penalty will be imposed” in the event of a repeat incident in the future.
Writing in his post-race Sky Sports column, Brundle described the Canadian Grand Prix as a “logistical mess” and claimed that F1 has “outgrown” the Montreal venue.
He said: “I’ve been visiting the Canadian GP in Montreal since 1984.
“This year was undoubtedly the least enjoyable in terms of the venue. The popularity and scale of today’s F1 has outgrown the facilities, and the rain turning accesses into mud didn’t help.
“The police and security appeared increasingly aggressive and unhelpful to boot, it was a logistical mess.”
Responding to widespread criticism of the event, Proulx has confessed that she was “ashamed” at the way the Canadian Grand Prix weekend unfolded.
According to the Montreal Gazzette, she said: “I was ashamed. I was quite ashamed, and I have had some conversations with some people and we will have more in the coming days.
“I am ill-at-ease and I did not like what I witnessed this weekend. I don’t feel good. I don’t feel comfortable at all.
“I am very ashamed of the international image and that of Montreal.
“I remind you the government of Quebec is the main supply of funding to the Canadian Grand Prix. I expect everyone to work for us to have the best grand prix.
“My job as minister is to bring tourists to Quebec.
“[For] the image of Quebec, image of Montreal, it’s my job to ensure they are perfect internationally, particularly for an event like the Canadian Grand Prix, that there are a billion viewers [tuning in].”