“Formula 1 victory lap” by Oliver Mallich is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
Grandstand 12 at the Montreal Grand Prix provides spectators views of the first couple of corners at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Get the right seats and you can also see the start / finish line.
This article provides a complete guide to watching the Canadian Grand Prix from Grandstand 12. It includes a seating chart, examples of the view, tips on getting the best seats and ticket information.
Contents
Grandstand 12 Location - Montreal Grand Prix
Grandstand 12 at the Montreal Grand Prix track is located on the outside (left-hand side) of the circuit by corners 1 and 2, known as the Senna Curve.
The grandstand is right at the midle of Turn 2 and is orientated at 90 degrees to the adjacent Grandstand 11.
Grandstand 12 tickets at Canadian Grand Prix
Tickets for Grandstand 12 at the Montreal Formula 1 sell out almost immediately on the official Canadian F1 website as it’s one of the most popular places to sit.
So I’d recommend buying tickets on Stubhub.
I have used Stubhub for F1 tickets multiple times in the last 18 months, which included my trip to the first Las Vegas GP, and have had great experiences each and every time.
Their FanProtect guarantee is very robust and will keep your money and tickets fully protected, plus they have a very big inventory of Canadian GP tickets for sale at the moment.
Grandstand 12 details
Cover
This grandstand is uncovered and completely open to the elements. Make sure you bring some rain protection and / or sunscreen!
Seats
The seats are bleacher style bench seats without a backrest. They’re pretty uncomfortable to sit on for a whole day so bring a cushion or something soft.
TV Screens
There’s one large TV screen visible from Grandstand 12. It’s on the right hand side of the stand and can be seen from all seats, but most easily from those on the right of the stand.
Grandstand 12 Seating Chart Montreal Grand Prix
Below is the seating chart for Grandstand 12 at the Montreal Grand Prix.
As the chart shows the grandstand is made up of 7 sections. Sections 1 and 7 are half the width of sections 2 – 6.
The seat numbers increase as you go to the right of the stand (if you stand on the circuit and look up at it). The seat numbering starts from 1 at the beginning of each section.
Sections 1 and 7 are 15 seats wide. Sections 2 – 6 are 30 seats wide.
The rows are named with letters. The front row is AA, the second row is BB and that continues until the 26th row which is ZZ. After that the 27th row is A and that continues in single letters all the way to the back row, row 52, which is row Z.
Grandstand 12 views
The map below shows the parts of the circuit than can be seen from Grandstand 12 during the Formula 1 weekend.
Your view of the circuit changes pretty dramatically depending on which section of this stand you sit in.
If you’re in a low section number on the right-hand side of the stand, the buildings to your right will block your view of the start / finish straight. The cars will suddenly appear at the entry for Turn 1, and then you can see them all the way until the exit of Turn 2.
The video below was filmed from section 1. The video caption says row X but it looks too low for that so I’d say it was filmed from row XX.
The next video was filmed from section 2 row AA. It shows that the cars appear a little earlier from behind the big TV screen.
As the grandstand is at an angle to the start / finish straight it means that the further left you go, the more likely you are to be able to see the start line.
This next video was filmed from section 4 row U, the sixth row from the back of the stand.
You can’t quite see the start line from there but you can see a lot more of the cars on the approach to Turn 1.
The next video is filmed from section 5 Row N. Now you can just about see past the large white tent to the right of the stand and have a view of the cars coming down the start / finish straight.
The next video is filmed from section 7, somewhere within the front 5 rows. This is as far left in the stand as you can get. Due to the angle of the stand, from here you have a perfect view back along the start / finish straight.
Due to the way the stand is angled, sitting lower down near to the front will give you a better view for seeing towards the start line, regardless of which section you’re in. However it also means you’re closer to the safety fence.
Looking directly through the fence is ok but if you have to look along it, it becomes almost a full barrier. The video below filmed from Section 5 row BB shows an example of this, and it’s something worth thinking about when getting your tickets.
Best Seats in Grandstand 12
Without a doubt the best seats in Grandstand 12 are those in the higher numbered sections on the left hand side of the stand.
I’d try and get seats in sections 5, 6 and 7 if possible. From there you stand a good chance of being able to see the pit straight as well as all of Turn 1 and 2, plus more of the run to Turn 3.
I’d also go for seats in the higher rows as there’s pretty much no downside to sitting higher up in this grandstand.
Is Grandstand 12 a good place to sit at the Montreal Grand Prix?
As I’ve said previously, the adjacent Grandstand 11 is the best place to sit at the Montreal Grand Prix as more of its sections have views of the start / finish straight, Turn 1 and Turn 2.
However, if you can get yourself a seat in section 5, 6 or 7 of Grandstand 12 then your view will be just as good.
Turns 1 and 2 at the Canadian Grand Prix always see lots of action during the Formula 1 and support races. First lap incidents are almost guaranteed and being at the end of one of the Canada F1 DRS Zones, you’re likely to see a lot of overtaking here throughout the race.
If Grandstand 11 is sold out then definitely try and get yourself a seat in the higher sections of Grandstand 12.
It’s also not far from the podium so you’ve only got a short walk at the end of the race to see the winner lift the Canada GP trophy.
Nearest entrance
Getting to Grandstand 12 involves a bit of a hike. You can enter the track through the Casino entrance, walk past the Casino and head towards the first two corners.
You can cross over the pedestrian bridge just after the exit of Turn 2 which will get you to the outside of the circuit. Walk behind the adjacent grandstand and before you know it you’ll be at Grandstand 12.
See our guide to the Canadian Grand Prix entrance gates for more information.
For full details on how to get to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve for the F1, see our Montreal F1 travel guide.
Other Canadian GP Grandstands
Check out our guides to all of the other Canadian Grand Prix grandstands as a comparison:
