6 replies to this topic

[F1Fanatic.co.uk]

I'm trying to find out more about past Canadian Grands Prix, including in particular:

1. Why the 1987 race was cancelled
2. When the startline was moved from its original position (at the exit of the second hairpin) to its current one (at the entry to the first)

Can anyone shed any light?

[josh.lintz]

I heard the '87 Canadian GP was cancelled due to a dispute over the national breweries (Molson and Labbat's), which were each vying to be the race sponsors.

I'm not sure why the start-finish line was moved. I always thought it was to provide a safer first corner for the start, since 26 cars were going to go through that fast ess-bend, potetially side-bu-side. But this is just speculation on my part.

[philippe charuest]

why the 87 canadian gp was cancelled. oh boy thats a long story. before 1987 the owner of the GP was grand prix LABATT inc and the organizer the "fédération-auto -québec" the quebec branch of the CASC. after the 86 edition the FOCA did ask a substantial raise ,so the canadian gp organisation and the foca was in a midlle of negotiation. but without telling anyone B .Ecclestone sold the right to organise the GP to a thir party that nobody have ever heard off before an american call jack long .and that guy long was supported by MOLSON the other big canadian brewery .we were in a dead end cause LABATT was the owner the track and had an agreement with the casc_faq . then too add to the mess toronto who had then and still have a what was call then a CART event ,and then CART was a "pirate"organisation in the eyes of the fisa then run by jean-marie ballestre and the guy didnt find anything better then decided to ban the casc -faq from the fia. a real mess i told you, anyway . the next year we patch everything LABATT on a volountary base decided to not go in court (and they had every right to do it) for the best interest of montreal and the montrealers and to give for free all the instalation and any pretention on the gp .and us at the casc-faq we have create a completely virtual new Féderation (basically a p.o box) call ASN to replace the casc at the fia. and in 88 the gp was back . it didnt took long after that to drive that long guy and co out of town they were not exactly welcome . later mr ecclestone did admit that he did something really really stupid

[philippe charuest]

Originally posted by josh.lintz
I heard the '87 Canadian GP was cancelled due to a dispute over the national breweries (Molson and Labbat's), which were each vying to be the race sponsors.

I'm not sure why the start-finish line was moved. I always thought it was to provide a safer first corner for the start, since 26 cars were going to go through that fast ess-bend, potetially side-bu-side. But this is just speculation on my part.

the starting line change of place cause there was not enough space there to build the new pit and paddock and press center building and so on that f1 cant live without now

[Nikos Spagnol]

Originally posted by F1Fanatic.co.uk

2. When the startline was moved from its original position (at the exit of the second hairpin) to its current one (at the entry to the first)

All I can tell from my fading memory is that the 1988 race was started from the current point (i.e. before the first hairpin), and the 1982 edition was started from the "former" place (after the second hairpin), so the change happened somewhere between.

It would be logical if the change had take place in 1988, as the organizers improved the bid and also facilities to get the Grand Prix back. BTW, what happened with the old pits and paddock?

[philippe charuest]

i dont remember the exact year of the move .maybe 88 -89. the old pit were use for support races for a couple of years and finally demolish. the old paddock still exist ,it wasnt a building specially build for the gp it was a part of the 1976 olympic canoe -kayak installation

[m.tanney]

  There is an article on the two cancelled Canadian Grand Prix (1975 and 1987) on this website.