Montréal’s new F1 paddock to cost more than expected

An artist’s renderings of the new facilities were released December 14, 2017 and the total costs were estimated at $48M at the time. The costs were of only $30M when the project started back in 2015, when F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone required that a new paddock was essential to the renewal of the race contract.

A new contract was signed finally last year and the Canadian Grand Prix will run at the Gilles Villeneuve circuit at least until 2029.

A call for tenders was launched on December 14, 2017 and the lowest bigger was a company called Groupe Geyser who will renovate the paddock for $59.9 million.

The project includes demolishing the existing pit building and rebuilding it to meet the F1’s current regulations.

Demolition of the old pit building, which dates from 1988 (and cost $6.5M at the time!), will begin a few days after the presentation of this year’s Grand Prix on June 10.

Meeting the press last Wednesday, Montréal Mayor Valérie Plante explained that the work, to be completed by May 2019, is much more extensive than the project originally announced in 2015.

According to Montréal paper The Gazette, the new project includes installing pile foundations to minimize the impacts on cyclists and allow other activities to continue in the park during the F1 Grand Prix. It also includes increasing the seating capacity in the boxes above the garages to 5,000 from the current 1,800.

The Gilles Villeneuve circuit is located in a public park, Parc Jean-Drapeau, sited on Ile Notre-Dame on the St-Lawrence river. Open year round, the park stages many recreation-tourist attractions such as concerts, exhibitions, cycling and triathlons, swimming and winter activities.