May 19 (GMM) Canadian GP organisers admit this year’s Montreal event is not fully sold out despite the addition of Formula 2, F1 Academy and the renovated circuit’s first-ever sprint format.
According to Le Journal de Montreal, numerous terrace, suite and grandstand packages remain available just days before Formula 1 arrives at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
The situation comes after significant ticket price increases were introduced following last year’s race, with some three-day grandstand packages reportedly jumping by almost 20 percent.
Individual day tickets are also still on sale.
“We have increased capacity in several sectors and products this year, particularly in the suites and on the CGV Experience platform at the beach,” Canadian GP president and CEO Jean-Philippe Paradis said alongside COO Sandrine Garneau.
“There are still tickets available for general admission, the CGV Experience with concerts, terrace seating, and the club package in our hospitality areas, which are not intended for corporate groups.”
The promoter has added major new hospitality infrastructure around the circuit as part of a long-term expansion plan tied to Montreal’s contract extension through 2035.
“We had been talking about it for a few years, especially after seeing hospitality structures around the world,” Garneau explained.
“We needed to be competitive and more modern by increasing our capacity in the face of permanent paddocks.”
“We are presenting a huge sporting event, we need to have the necessary structures.”
This year’s event is also historically significant because Montreal will host a sprint weekend for the first time.
“Fans in Montreal want to see the best drivers in the world,” Paradis said.
“Personally, I think it’s fantastic to see real competition instead of people testing their cars. I agree with Stefano (Domenicali) – this is what I would advise all other organisers to do, because it creates additional significance for the weekend and a kind of ‘Super Saturday’.”
The expanded support program also includes Formula 2, which joined the Montreal bill this year at the last minute after the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian rounds earlier in the season.