Vettel’s parc ferme protest, Alesi’s celebration stunt, and a hilarious hot lap – viral moments from past Canadian Grands Prix

Few races on the calendar carry the history and prestige of the Canadian Grand Prix. Held at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve – home to the Wall of Champions that has caught out world title holders and rookies alike – Montreal has often been the setting for some of the most memorable moments in Formula 1 history.

The racing alone has given fans plenty to dissect over the years, from maiden victories to records being broken. But some of the moments that have taken the internet by storm had nothing to do with the racing on track – but they have us talking just as much as the racing moments do.

Here are 10 viral off-track moments from Montreal that we won’t be forgetting any time soon...

Vettel and Hamilton’s 2019... disagreement

Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari were looking for their first win of a difficult 2019 season, but after a stellar pole position in Qualifying from the German, a victory in Montreal was on the cards. By Lap 48, the four-time World Champion was doing his best to hold off Lewis Hamilton, but a mistake into Turn 4 meant Vettel found himself on the grass.

When he re-entered the track, Vettel closed the door on Hamilton’s Mercedes, a move the stewards deemed illegal, handing the German a five-second penalty. Hamilton followed the Ferrari over the line to claim another win, but Vettel wanted to make his feelings known about the controversial penalty. He parked his car away from the podium before putting the second-place board in front of Hamilton’s car in parc ferme – Vettel was never one to back down from what he thought was right!

Jimmy Butler's hilarious hot lap

One of the most memorable hot lap moments came at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve back in 2019, when NBA star Jimmy Butler was taken for a spin by a fresh-faced rookie named Lando Norris. The basketball player prayed before the lap began before asking Norris, “Please don’t go that fast,” but the future World Champion had other ideas...

Butler spent the rest of the lap desperately holding on to anything he could while coming out with iconic lines like, “Relax!”, “Oh, you driving driving!”, and “Y’all got to let me out.” An unreal experience for the now Golden State Warrior, but one we are not sure he’ll do again!

The illustrious raft races

There are few traditions in F1 that capture the sport’s unserious side quite like the legendary Canadian Grand Prix raft races. Participating crews – from F1 teams, the FIA, and even some media organisations – would have just 45 minutes to build a makeshift raft before racing it across the lake beside the circuit and back. Yes, it was just as chaotic as you’d imagine...

The event was a staple of the race weekend during the 1990s, before making a surprise return for 2017, and it wasn’t hard to see why it went viral. Crews were a hilarious mix of everyone from engineers to media personnel – even the odd team principal got involved!

With some of the sport’s finest engineering minds amongst the crews, you’d think the rafts would be seaworthy... and some were. Many, however, were not – and the ones that sank provided arguably even more entertainment than the ones that made it across!

An unforgettable gift for Hamilton

The 2017 Canadian Grand Prix weekend also delivered one of the most emotional moments of the year. During Qualifying, Hamilton matched Ayrton Senna’s 65 pole positions, an already special moment for the Brit, given how his hero’s legacy had inspired his own journey.

But Senna’s family made this occasion even more unforgettable, as they presented Hamilton with one of Senna’s very own race-worn helmets to congratulate him. Naturally, Hamilton was very moved, kissing the helmet in front of the crowd, who rose to their feet to give him a standing ovation. Truly unforgettable!

Albon gets lost

Free practice is a pretty low-pressure environment, especially when it comes to pitting – but Alex Albon proved it is not always as straightforward as it seems! During FP3 at the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix, Albon trundled past his pit box as his crew looked on helplessly. Whether he was taking in the scenery or had a moment, we will never know – but we’re pretty sure he won’t let it happen again.

A family affair on the podium

The 2001 Canadian Grand Prix was one for the history books, as Michael Schumacher took yet another victory for Ferrari, but there was a twist – he was joined on the podium by his brother and Williams driver, Ralf, to secure the first-ever sibling 1-2 in the sport.

It wouldn’t be the last either, with the pair going on to share the top two steps of the podium a further four times – a family dynasty unlike any other.

Alesi's celebration stunt

Few wins in F1 history have been celebrated quite like the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix, when Jean Alesi achieved his maiden victory. After 91 race starts without a win, the Frenchman finally struck gold in Montreal – and on his birthday, no less.

But it was what happened after the chequered flag that captured everyone’s hearts – Alesi climbed out of the cockpit of his Ferrari after it ran out of fuel on the cooldown lap and hopped onto the back of Schumacher’s Benetton, taking in a well-deserved standing ovation from the crowd. A first and only win, but undeniably one of the most unforgettable moments of the race’s history.

A hard pass

Amidst all of the action over the 2025 race weekend, one of the most entertaining moments came courtesy of a fan in the grandstand and their very public marriage proposal to Norris. The cameras caught the sign before cutting to Norris sitting in his car, who duly responded with a shake of the head that was perhaps a little too enthusiastic – can’t knock the fan for trying though!

Stealing the show

Wet weather ahead of the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix did nothing to dampen the spirits of everyone at the track, least of all the marshals at Turn 2. They staged their own impromptu race to keep the crowd entertained, who certainly got more racing than they bargained for! A lovely bit of fun before the serious business got underway...

Groundhog invasions

Is it even the Canadian Grand Prix without a groundhog sighting or two? Rarely a year goes by without one of the circuit's residents wandering in to see the action up close – they're less an unwanted disruption and more an unofficial mascot. It is their house, after all!