I sat in Grandstand 34 at last year’s Montreal Grand Prix. It’s one of the most iconic seating areas at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
This tall grandstand is squeezed between two sections of the track giving fans an amazing panoramic view of one of the most common overtaking spots at the Canadian Grand Prix.
In this article I’ll provide a complete guide to spectating from Grandstand 34. It includes a seating chart, videos showing examples of the view, information on how and where to buy tickets and my tips for getting the best seats.
Grandstand 34 Montreal Grand Prix Location
Grandstand 34, also known as Tribune 34, is located on the inside of the Montreal Grand Prix track near to turns 10, 11 and 12.
The grandstand is squeezed between two sections of track. On the left of the stand there’s the section between turns 9 and 10. On the right side of it is the section between turns 11, 12 and 13, known as the Casino Straight.
Grandstand 34 is facing towards the Hairpin (also known as l’Epingle) at Turn 10
Directly in front of Grandstand 34 is Terrace 34, a VIP hospitality area with tables on a slightly raised platform. But the view from Terrace 34 is definitely not as good as it is from the stand.
Canadian GP Grandstand 34 tickets
Tickets for the Montreal Grand Prix Grandstand 34 sell almost instantly through the official Canadian GP website.
So in that case I’d recommend doing what I did and buying them through Stubhub instead where there will be a good selection of tickets available right up until the Sunday of the race weekend. Plus you’ll be able to find a lot of 1-day ticket options there which are a lot more affordable and give you the option to try different stands on different days.
I bought my tickets for Grandstand 34 through Stubhub. I purchased them around 10 days before the race and a Friday-only ticket cost me $55CAD – bargain!
They also have a FanProtect guarantee which seems solid for protecting your money when booking, which is good for extra peace of mind.
Grandstand 34 details
Cover
Grandstand 34 at the Montreal Grand Prix is uncovered. There’s no roof so it’s completely exposed to the elements. Make sure you bring suitable weather protection, come rain or shine!
Seats
The seats are bleacher style benches with allocated spaces. There are no backrests.
TV Screens
There is one giant TV screen visible from Grandstand 34. It’s part of the 4-sided Jumbotron screen that sits right on the inside of the Hairpin, straight ahead of the stand.
The screen is quite far away so can feel a little small, especially from the grandstand rows higher up / further back. Bringing a pair of binoculars is not a bad idea to help you see it more easily.
Grandstand 34 Montreal GP Seating Chart
Below is the seating chart for Grandstand 34 at the Montreal Grand Prix.
There are 4 sections within this grandstand. Section 1 is nearest to the track that F1 cars will be driving on once they’ve exited the Hairpin. Section 4 is closest to the track the cars will use as they’re approaching the hairpin.
This is a tall grandstand that’s very steeply tiered. There’s 52 rows of seats but each row is named using letters.
The front row lowest down is row AA. The next row back (row 2) is row BB. That continues until the 26th row which is ZZ. The 27th row is row A, the 28th is row B all the way until the 52nd row highest up at the back which is row Z.
The seat numbers increase as you move to the right of the stand (as you look at it from the circuit). The seat numbering starts at 1 at the beginning of each section.
Sections 1 and 4 are 10 seats wide, sections 2 and 3 are 20 seats wide.
Grandstand 34 Montreal Grand Prix views
The image below shows the sections of the track that can be seen from Grandstand 34 highlighted in pink.
The grandstand has great views of the entry, apex and exit of the hairpin which often sees lots of overtaking. The higher you sit the better your view of the track becomes, but the further away the TV is.
The safety fence to the left of the stand on the side of section 4 is very high. If you’re sat on the extreme left in section 4 and in a row quite low down, then it may block your view of the Hairpin slightly. Whereas if you sit higher up in section 4, even from the far left seat you’ll be able to see over the fence.
The video below filmed from the far left seat (seat 10) in section 4, row CC (third row up) shows how the fence blocks the view.
If you sit on the extreme right hand side of the stand, seat 1 in section 1, then you can turn around to your right and watch the cars head down Casino Straight after they’ve exited the Hairpin.
In my video below I’ve filmed the view from this stand from a number of different seats, rows and sections. The clips in this video were filmed from the following positions at the stated timestamps:
- 00:11 – 00:43 Section 1 Row NN Seat 1
- 00:43 – 00:56 Section 1 Row R Seat 8
- 00:56 – 01:16 Section 2 Row BB Seat 20
- 01:16 – 01:33 Section 2 Row V Seat 22
- 01:33 – 01:51 Section 3 Row L Seat 20
- 01:51 – 02:08 Section 3 Row FF Seat 20
- 02:08 – 02:32 Section 4 Row F Seat 10
And check out this panoramic view taken from the back row, Row Z of section 1. It’s a 360 degree photo so grab it and move around:
Best Seats in Grandstand 34
The seats to avoid in Grandstand 34 are those low down in section 4. As shown above, the tall safety fence to the left of the stand will obstruct your view of the Hairpin if you sit in anything below row KK. And in fact, I’d avoid anthing below row KK across all sections if possible because those lower rows don’t have such a clear view of the track.
If you’re happy with being a little further away from the screen then the best seats are those in the higher rows, ideally Row F and above. From there higher up in the stand you’ll have wonderful panoramic views of the whole Hairpin section of the track plus the surrounding landscape.
Generally, pick a seat in anything above row KK anywhere in the stand and you’ll have a great view of the action.
Is Grandstand 34 a good place to sit at the Montreal Grand Prix?
The Hairpin at Turn 10 is one of the best overtaking spots on the Canadian Grand Prix circuit. Grandstand 34 has great views of the Hairpin so if you grab a seat here, you’re pretty much guaranteed to be able to see some good action on the circuit.
Plus this is a very reasonably priced stand, and with three-day tickets being only a couple hundred CAD$$ more than a general admission ticket it’s definitely well worth trying to get a seat here.
Nearest entrance
The nearest entrance to the Grandstand 34 at the Montreal Grand Prix is the Cosmos entrance gate. From there you can take a short walk towards Turn 9 and use the pedestrian bridge to get to the inside of Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, where Grandstand 34 will be diretly in front of you.
See my guide to the Canada GP entrance gates for more information and details.
For more information on how to get to the track for the Formula 1 weekend, check out 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:
