Image credit David DeForest
Grandstand 15 at the Canadian Grand Prix offers a great of one of the best overtaking spots on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
It’s also one of the most expensive grandstands at the Montreal GP, and there are other options that offer just as good views for much less.
This article provides a complete guide to spectating at Grandstand 15 for the Formula 1 race weekend. It includes a seating chart, examples of the view, tips on the best seats and suggestions on alternative grandstands that might be better value for money.
Contents
Grandstand 15 Canadian Grand Prix Location
Grandstand 15 is located on the outside of the circuit at Turn 10, the Hairpin.
The grandstand is directly in line with the Hairpin, the slowest corner on the track, and sits at the end of the run-off area on the outside of the turn.
It’s a large run-off area so the front of the grandstand is actually 250ft / 75 metres away from the edge of the circuit.
Grandstand 15 tickets - Canadian Grand Prix
Tickets for the Montreal Grand Prix Grandstand 15 sell almost immediately on the official Canadian Grand Prix website.
So I recommend buying them through Stubhub.
I have used Stubhub for F1 tickets multiple times recently and had great experiences. Their FanProtect guarantee gives you full protection, and they have a huge number of Canadian GP tickets for sale currently at very good prices.
Grandstand 15 details
Cover
Grandstand 15 is completely uncovered. It has no roof and no protection from the sun or rain, so make sure you bring suitable clothing and sun protection!
Seats
The seats are bleacher style bench seats and have no backrests.
TV Screens
There is one TV screen visible from Grandstand 15. It’s part of the Jumbotron that’s right on the inside of the hairpin, but the screen isn’t actually very big.
Plus, due to the large run-off the screen is about 450ft / 140 metres from the front of the grandstand. This can make it seem quite far away, especially from the back of the stand, and any text on the screen will definitely be hard (or impossible) to see. So bringing a pair of binoculars is a good idea to help you see it more clearly.
Grandstand 15 Seating Chart
Below is the seating chart for Grandstand 15 at the Montreal Grand Prix.
As the chart shows the stand is made up of 4 different sections. Section 1 is on the side of the track where the cars enter the hairpin and section 4 is on the side where they exit the corner.
The rows in the grandstand are given letters. As the seating chart shows, sections 1 and 2 have fewer rows than sections 3 and 4.
The naming of rows in all sections starts with the front row which is named AA. Behind that the second row is named BB.
In sections 1 and 2 this naming convention continues until row LL (row 12) after which it goes to row A (row 13) all the way up to row Z at the back of those sections.
In sections 3 and 4 the rows are named from AA to ZZ before going to A then all the way up to Z.
The seat numbers increase from left to right (as you look at the stand from the track). Seat numbers start from 1 at the beginning of each section.
Grandstand 15 Canadian Grand Prix views
The map below shows the parts of the track that can be seen from this grandstand highlighted in pink.
Pretty much wherever you sit in the stand your view is going to be very similar. You’re always going to have an amazing view of the apex of the Hairpin at Turn 10, where you’re likely to see a lot of overtaking action during the Formula 1 race.
As the grandstand is so steeply tiered you rarely need to stand up to see over the people in the row in front of you.
However, I’d suggest avoiding the first few rows as the safety fencing between the stand and the track is very high, and you might end up having to look through it if you’re sat right at the front.
Aside from that, the only real difference in your view comes from sitting on the left or right hand side of the stand. If you sit on the left hand side (sections 3 or 4) you’ll be able to see a little more of the approach to the hairpin.
The video below was filmed from section 4 and gives a slightly better vantage point for seeing more of the F1 cars as they come around the curve on the entry to the Hairpin.
Here’s a video from section 3, row J (36th row) showing a slightly more central viewpoint.
The video below shows the panoramic view you get from the back row of the grandstand in sections 3 and 4. Plus how much further away the track and the screen are.
As the cars comes past you in the stand from right to left you’ll be able to see them as they head through the little kink in the Casino Straight. The further left you sit in the stand (the higher your section number) the longer you’ll be able to see them once they go round that kink.
Best Seats in Grandstand 15
I don’t think there are any specific ‘best seats’ in this grandstand (leave a comment if you think differently) as everywhere offers a very similar view of the Hairpin.
However, I’d avoid the front few rows to stay above the safety fencing. Plus I’d try not to sit on the extreme sides.
Personally I’d try and find seats in the middle, sections 2 and 3, in rows 15 and upwards.
Is Grandstand 15 a good place to sit at the Montreal Grand Prix?
This is a great grandstand for having an unobstructed view of the Hairpin at Turn 10 which is one of the most popular and common overtaking spots at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Sitting in Grandstand 15 you’ll see the F1 cars come directly towards you in the braking zone for Turn 10, take the Hairpin at 50kph / 30mph and then accelerate full throttle away from you. As it’s a super-slow corner, it means you get to see the cars for a good amount of time. Unlike some other stands where they just race past you in a flash.
As the cars are mostly coming towards you / away from you, you don’t get a feel for their incredible braking or acceleration quite the same as you would if you were sat side-on.
The biggest downside to this stand is its distance from the screen. The distance from the track might not feel so bad in real life as it does in the videos above, but definitely bring binoculars to be able to see the TV.
As a cheaper alternative, check out Grandstand 34. It’s opposite to this stand, has a great view of the Hairpin and cost over $150 CAD less for the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix. Plus you get to experience the cars coming past you on either side of that stand.
Nearest entrance
The nearest entrance to the Grandstand 15 at the Montreal Grand Prix is the Cosmos entrance gate.
Once you walk in the entrance take a left turn and the grandstand will be right in front of you in just a minute or two.
See our guide to all of the Canada GP entrance gates for more details.
For detailed on getting to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve for the Formula 1 weekend, check out our full Canada F1 travel guide.
Other Canadian GP Grandstands
Check out our guides to all of the other Canadian Grand Prix grandstands as a comparison:
Just want to echo what you wrote in the piece, the distance issue for the race itself looks about 10x worse in YouTube videos/pictures than in person. When you’re actually at the race (I was in Sec 1 A), the view is absolute stunning, with your entire field of vision taken up by the track, and the cars seem to be a very reasonable size. Definitely go for this section if you like the hairpin.
You are 100% correct about the screen though, and your cell phone probably won’t work due to the large amount of people in the complex, so bring binoculars, especially to qualifying.
Also, logistics here are great for entry/exit, my group left as soon as the victory lap was done and we were on the subway in 10 minutes. Only negative is the area behind GS21 can get seriously backed up at peak times.
Thanks for the comments and tips!