I sat in Grandstand 12 at Montreal Grand Prix last year, and this is my review and guide to this grandstand.
Sitting in Grandstand 12 provides you with views of the first couple of corners at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Get the right seats and you can also see the start / finish line.
In this article I will provide videos of the views from different seats, my tips on picking the best seats, a full seating chart, ticket info and more.
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.
Right behind this grandstand there’s a big area full of food and drinks vendors, and tables under shade to sit and eat. But between the F1 sessions it gets crazy busy here. I timed it so I was in this area buying some food just after the start of one of the F1 practice sessions, at which time everyone else was in their seats so the area was quiet.
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 if you’ve left it a bit late but still want tickets I’d recommend you do what I did and buy tickets on Stubhub instead because they’ll have tickets for sale right up until the last minute on the Grand Prix weekend. And you’ll be able to choose from a seletion of 1, 2 or 3-day ticket options for more flexibility.
I have used Stubhub for F1 tickets multiple times in the last 18 months, which included this trip to the Canadian 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 always seem to have a very big inventory of Canadian GP tickets for sale.
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. You can see it clearly in the video lower down this page.
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 row ZZ. After that the next row is A and that continues in single letters all the way to the back row, row 52, which is row Z. There no row I or II (“eye” or “eye eye”).
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 further to the left you sit, in the higher section numbers, then the more you can see of the start finish line and of the cars as they to towards Turn 3.
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. Sitting higher gives you a wider vantage point.
In my video below I’ve filmed the view from a number of different seats, rows and sections in this grandstand. The clips in the video were filmed from the following seats:
- Section 1 Row ZZ Seat 10
- Section 1 Row X Seat 1
- Section 2 Row H Seat 30
- Section 3 Row PP Seat 8
- Section 3 Row F Seat 23
- Section 4 Row P Seat 24
- Section 5 Row M Seat 20
- Section 6 Row H Seat 23
- Section 7 Row PP Seat 1
- Section 7 Row U Seat 7
Best Seats in Grandstand 12
Without a doubt the best seats in Grandstand 12 at the Canadian Grand Prix are those in the higher numbered sections on the left hand side of the stand.
I’d try and get seats in sections 6 or 7 if possible, but the higher the better. 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 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
There is a new entrance gate located just behind Grandstand 12, called the Victoria Bridge entrance. That’s definitely the easiest way to get to this stand, check out my guide on the Canadian GP entrances for more info on using that gate and how to get there.
For full details on how to get to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve for the F1, see my Montreal F1 travel guide.
Other Canadian GP Grandstands
Check out my guides to all of the other Canadian Grand Prix grandstands as a comparison:
