{"id":710810,"date":"2026-06-02T21:18:19","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T21:18:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/710810\/"},"modified":"2026-06-02T21:18:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T21:18:19","slug":"i-went-to-the-party-that-is-f1-montreal-for-the-first-time-daily-hive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/710810\/","title":{"rendered":"I went to the party that is F1 Montreal for the first time | Daily Hive"},"content":{"rendered":"

I arrived in Montreal last weekend, courtesy of Audi Canada, with little to no knowledge of Formula 1. I left a full-on fan.<\/p>\n

The Canadian Grand Prix is known for its high-energy atmosphere, but nothing prepares you for what it actually feels like on the ground. Fans in the streets, the distant sounds of engines revving, parties galore, and maybe even a celebrity sighting or two \u2014 it\u2019s a whole lot of fun.<\/p>\n

As Formula 1 legend Jacques Villeneuve tells Daily Hive, \u201cYou can feel the energy in the whole town. It\u2019s the end of winter, and everybody is just going for it. That kind of energy is palpable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re a diehard motorsports fan or a first-timer like me, here\u2019s an inside look at what to do in Montreal during F1 weekend.<\/p>\n

Old Montreal, but make it F1
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

Katy Brennan\/Daily Hive<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard not to love Old Montreal, with its cobblestone streets, chic patios, and picturesque buildings. And with temperatures reaching the late 20s this weekend, the Euro-summer vibes were real.<\/p>\n

Staying here puts you in the heart of the action, and I recommend the H\u00f4tel William Gray at 421 Rue Saint-Vincent.<\/p>\n

A stylish, upscale spot that blends historic 18th-century architecture with sleek, modern design. It has one of the best rooftop terrace bars in the area, along with a high-end spa and an in-house steakhouse at Maggie Oakes. It\u2019s not hard to see why it was named the fifth-best hotel in Canada<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Embrace your inner foodie
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

Audi Canada<\/p>\n

Montreal has a big reputation for incredible restaurants, so enjoying some of the city\u2019s cuisine during the F1 weekend is a must.<\/p>\n

One of my favourites was Dorsia<\/a>, an elegant Michelin Guide restaurant in the heart of Old Montreal. The menu revolves around French and Italian cuisine, and is full of bold and delicious sharing plates.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Audi Canada<\/p>\n

I was lucky enough to attend Audi\u2019s Sustainability Dinner Series at Dorsia, where Executive Chef Miles Pundsack-Poe and Chef Bernardo Paladini put together an unforgettable six-course feast centred around responsibly sourced ingredients and low-waste cooking.<\/p>\n

The dishes used ingredients that would have otherwise gone to waste \u2014 parmesan rinds became sauces, stale bread turned into breadcrumbs. Yes, sustainability can still feel luxurious!<\/p>\n

And of course, you can\u2019t leave Quebec without eating poutine. A stop at La Banquise<\/a> is almost mandatory. Tucked away in Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, this famous spot often has a pretty big queue, but it\u2019s definitely worth it.<\/p>\n

\"f1<\/p>\n

Katy Brennan\/Daily Hive<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s St-Viateur Bagel<\/a>, another iconic Montreal experience that actually lives up to the hype. It might be one of the best fresh bagels you\u2019ll ever try.<\/p>\n

Beyond the track
\n\"f1<\/p>\n

Katy Brennan\/Daily Hive<\/p>\n

The city is full of F1 activations, so there\u2019s no shortage of things to do in your downtime. Throughout the streets, you\u2019ll be able to snap pictures with race-themed d\u00e9cor and luxe cars.<\/p>\n

Check out the Crescent Street Grand Prix Festival, an event that has long been the site of driver appearances and autograph sessions, or try out the race simulators at the Eaton Centre.<\/p>\n

And, naturally, you\u2019ll want to hit up some bars, too. Montreal\u2019s nightlife scene is buzzing year-round, but especially during F1. I stumbled into The Coldroom<\/a> in Old Montreal, a speakeasy with creative cocktails and a low-lit, moody ambience. To enter, you\u2019ll need to find an unmarked black door, press the buzzer, and wait for someone to escort you inside. It\u2019s the perfect place to get chatting with friendly locals.<\/p>\n

The F1 Montreal race experience
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

Katy Brennan\/Daily Hive<\/p>\n

I made my way to beautiful Circuit Gilles Villeneuve throughout the weekend, attending a practice session, the Sprint Qualifying, and eventually the Main race itself.<\/p>\n

Between the roaring engines and edge-of-your-seat moments, I started to understand the obsession with F1.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Katy Brennan\/Daily Hive<\/p>\n

The energy around the circuit was impossible not to get caught up in. Fans erupted as Kimi Antonelli secured the win, and I watched as Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen battled it out on track for P2.<\/p>\n

I also got a behind-the-scenes look at the Audi garage and stepped inside the F1 Paddock Club, where drivers and teams prepared for race day. Seeing racers casually walking around moments before hitting the track was very cool and a little surreal, especially for someone still relatively new to the world of F1.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Katy Brennan\/Daily Hive<\/p>\n

Many changes are taking place in the sport right now. Formula 1 is currently pushing toward its goal of becoming Net Zero Carbon by 2030, which has led to redesigned active aerodynamics, a 50-50 electric\/combustion power split, smaller and lighter cars, and more.<\/p>\n

No matter how much Formula 1 changes, though, the heart of the sport seems to stay the same.<\/p>\n

Speaking about his own experience and how racing has evolved over the years, Jacques Villeneuve summed it up best:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe adrenaline is a constant \u2014 finding a way to be quicker and become better is the goal. There\u2019s always someone who\u2019s going to be faster than you, and that\u2019s the fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

All in all, as a first-timer, I had an incredible weekend at the Canadian Grand Prix. You don\u2019t need to be a superfan to enjoy it; Montreal has a way of pulling you into the excitement anyway.<\/p>\n

\u2018Til next year!<\/p>\n

The writer of this piece was hosted by Audi Canada.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I arrived in Montreal last weekend, courtesy of Audi Canada, with little to no knowledge of Formula 1.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":710811,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[441],"tags":[49,48,578,576,577,82],"class_list":["post-710810","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-formula-1","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-f1","tag-formula-1","tag-formula1","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/710810","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=710810"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/710810\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/710811"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=710810"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=710810"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=710810"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}