I sat in Grandstand 11 at the Montreal Grand Prix last year, and this is my review and guide to this grandstand.
GS11 provides some of the best views at the circuit, but it’s also one of the more expensive grandstands for the Canadian Grand Prix but the views from these seats definitely make it worth the cost.
In this guide I’ll include videos of the view from different seats, a full seating chart, my tips on picking the best seats and information on tickets.
Contents
Grandstand 11 Location - Montreal Grand Prix
Grandstand 11 is located on the outside (left-hand side) of Turn 2 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. It’s got the smaller Grandstand 11 directly adjacent to it on the left, and Grandstand 12 on its rights which is positioned at 90 degrees to this stand.
Turns 1 and 2 at the start of the lap are known as the Senna Curve. The grandstand faces back up the track towards the start / finish line.
Grandstand 11 tickets for Canadian Grand Prix
Grandstand 11 is one of the most popular at the Montreal Grand Prix, so tickets for it sell out almost immediately on the official Canadian Formula 1 website.
So if you’ve left it to the last minute but still want tickets you can do what I did and buy tickets on Stubhub instead because they have tickets for sale right up until the last minute before the start of the Grand Prix itself. And they’ll be in 1, 2 or 3-day ticket options.
I’ve used Stubhub for F1 ticket purchases multiple times in the last 12 months, including for this trip to the Montreal GP and other trips to the Vegas GP, Silverstone and more. I’ve only had good experiences personally.
Their FanProtect guarantee is very robust and keeps your money completely protected, plus they always seem to have a huge number of Canadian GP tickets for sale, at very good prices.
Grandstand 11 details
Cover
The grandstand isn’t covered, it’s completely open to the elements. Bring suitable clothing protection for the rain or sun!
Seats
The seats are bleacher style bench seats with no backrest. These can be very uncomfortable to sit on for long periods so bring a cushion or something else soft.
TV Screens
There are two large TV screens visible from Grandstand 11. The first and closest screen is after the exit of Turn 2 on the other side of the circuit, to the left of the grandstand.
The second is near the pit lane exit on the right hand side of the circuit, the other side of Grandstand 12.
Depending which section you sit in, one of these screens is likely to be closer and more visible. Check out my video lower down this page to get an idea of where these screens are.
Grandstand 11 Seating Chart Montreal Grand Prix
Below is the seating chart for Grandstand 11 at the Montreal Grand Prix.
As the chart shows the grandstand is made up of 8 different sections. These all have the same number of rows except for section 8 which is a little smaller.
The rows are named with letters. Row AA is the front row lowest down, BB is the second row and this continues up to Row QQ which is row 16 as there is no Row I (‘eye’). After that it changes to Row A (row 17) and it continues with single letters all the way up to the back row, Row Z.
The seat numbers increase as you go to the right of the stand (as you look at it from the circuit). Seat numbers start from 1 at the beginning of each section.
Grandstand 11 views
The map below shows the parts of the circuit than can be seen from Grandstand 11.
From pretty much anywhere in the stand your view of the cars once they exit Turn 2 and head towards Turn 3 is very limited. The main action to be seen here is the start line and Turns 1 and 2
The lower the section number you sit in, the more you are able to see down the main straight and before the start / finish line. As the section number increases, the more the trees on the inside of the circuit will block your view of the start line and Turn 1. If you sit in section 1 you’ll maximise how much of the straight you can see.
Everywhere in the stand has great view of the pit lane exit and the point where it rejoins the circuit.
I filmed the video below to give you an idea of how the view changes from different seats and sections. The clips in this video were filmed from the following seats:
- 00:11 – 00:32 Section 1 Row F Seat 12
- 00:32 – 00:54 Section 2 Row HH Seat 1
- 00:54 – 01:08 Section 2 Row M Seat 22
- 01:08 – 01:23 Section 3 Row MM Seat 10
- 01:23 – 01:36 Section 4 Row FF Seat 22
- 01:36 – 01:50 Section 5 Row M Seat 22
- 01:50 – 02:04 Section 6 Row Q Seat 19
- 02:04 – 02:26 Section 7 Row D Seat 5
- 02:26 – 02:38 Section 8 Row B Seat 1
Best Seats in Grandstand 11?
As you can see in the video above, the further to the right you sit in the stand (the lower the Section number), the better your view of the start / finish straight, and the less the trees on the inside of Turn 2 obstruct your vision.
So personally I think sections 1, 2 and 3 of Grandstand 11 are the best seats in this stand, and probably the best grandstand seats at the Canadian Grand Prix full stop.
From there you have a completely unimpeded view of Turns 1 and 2. Plus you get a clear view of the start / finish line and if you bring a pair of binoculars you can see down a lot of the pit straight as well.
Personally I’d pick seats in rows higher up in the stand as I prefer the higher vantage point and being able to look over more of the safety fence. I’d go for Row D and above if possible.
I’d definitely avoid sections 7 and 8 as you risk having your view of Turn 1 blocked slightly by the trees.
Is Grandstand 11 a good place to sit at the Montreal Grand Prix?
Grandstand 11 is the best place to sit at the Montreal Grand Prix, if you sit in the lower section numbers. No other grandstands offers such prime views of a section where you’re guaranteed to see some action.
Barely a year has gone by where there hasn’t been an incident, crash or some wheel banging that takes place at the start of the Canadian Grand Prix at Turns 1 and 2. Even throughout the race you’re likely to see some good overtaking here as Turn 1 is at the end of one of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve overtaking zones. And from this stand you’ll be in prime position to see it all unfold right in front of you.
It’s also not far from the podium. It’s only a short walk after the race to watch the winner lift the Canada GP trophy.
Nearest entrance
There is a new entrance that makes getting to and from Grandstand 11 much easier. It’s called the Victoria Bridge entrance and it’s directly behind this Grandstand. Otherwise, it involves a very long walk.
See my guide the Canada GP entrance gates for more information.
For details on how to get to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve for the Formula 1 weekend, see my full Canada F1 travel guide.
Other Canadian GP Grandstands
Check out my guides to all of the other Canadian Grand Prix grandstands as a comparison:
This is so helpful Alex, great job!!! For the first-time Race goers, this post is a blessing. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Hitesh! Hope you have a great race.
Yes, Race was amazing and everything was as you described! Thanks again
I couldn’t agree more – this site has extremely valuable info that can’t be found anywhere else & is especially helpful for a first time visitor !
Thanks Jay!
I do want to leave one more comment for your readers, and maybe you can add it to your post: to advise people to buy their merch before going to the race from the F1 store. Everything at the circuit was double the price or more. We ended up paying a lot there.