F1 drivers in 2013 aren’t burning rubber so much as burning through rubber, and the super tight turns and sharp chicanes of Montreal’s Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve are virtually certain to add a chapter to the controversial tale of the tires at this year’s Canadian Grand Prix…

For the 2013 season, Italian tire maker Pirelli – responsible for supplying all F1 wheel-wear since 2011 – did what would be unthinkable for a maker of regular street tires: they made them softer so they’d fall apart faster. Rapidly degrading tires make for more exciting racing as the quick decline in performance enables more passing and requires more pit stops. (Which not all of F1’s 22 drivers are thrilled about since it impedes their ability to hold a lead.) Pirelli says the tires are tailor-made for twisty tracks like the 4.361 km Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, which means the hundreds of thousands of elite racing fans who attend the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal (taking place this year on June 7-9) will be in for a show.

The show, of course, won’t be limited to the blacktop. Numerous celebratory events take place across the city, beginning with the annual three-day Crescent Street Grand Prix Festival. On June 6-8, from 11 am to 11 pm, a blocked-off Crescent Street will be flooded with race fans taking in bands and DJs and other live entertainment. F1 driver autograph sessions and the Pit Stop Challenge (see how fast you can change a tire, pit crew style) are prominent features of this popular – and free – outdoor party.

Less free, but certainly no less fun, is the third edition of The Grand Evening on June 6, a benefit gala established by the Canadian Grand Prix. Tickets are a grand a head, or $25,000 for a table for you, seven of your friends and a bona fide F1 driver. All proceeds from the black-tie formal will be donated to the Canadian Olympic Foundation and to the Fondation de l’Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal.

For those who want to mingle with the jet set while enjoying a more Montreal neighbourhood–type vibe, Grand Prix on the Main might be just your cup of authenticity. Upscale eateries, buttoned-down pubs, and trend-setting restos and bars line the sides of Montreal’s renowned Saint-Laurent Boulevard (known to locals as The Main), which will be closed to traffic from June 6-9 to allow for street patios and a lively range of top-shelf entertainment that’ll smoke your tires.

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THE DETAILS

Canadian Grand Prix, June 7-9, 2013

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From our beloved and storied hockey franchise the Montreal Canadiens to our surging soccer team the Montreal Impact, from hometown UFC hero Georges St-Pierre to the power and spectacle of the Grand Prix and the thrilling athleticism of the Rogers Cup, Montreal is a year-long destination for sports fans. And if you’re coming to town for the big game and you need a place to stay, we can help with that too.

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Vortex Racing’s facilities in the Montreal suburb of Dorval are the only ones of their kind in North America. Launched on January 1, 2012, the centrepiece of the sprawling, high-tech, user-friendly complex – which still has that “new car” smell – is the racing simulator room, which features eight professional-level driving simulators. These are divided into six single-seaters and two three-seaters (ideal when you’re in the mood for sharing the terror), and at an estimated $400,000 apiece, Vortex hasn’t skimped on the equipment.

“The simulators are for both entertainment purposes and professional purposes,” explains Vortex Racing Marketing Director Kevin Major. “These things are really top-notch racing machines. We’re the first centre in North America, and there’s another one in Lyon, France, but that’s it. They’re Cruden Hexatech simulators, the same sims that are used by the F1 teams to practice.”

It’s not hard to understand why. You can feel the tires grab for traction off the starting grid, and there’s no escaping the up to 2.5 Gs of force going into corners. It feels real. And the cold finger of fear that touches the base of your spine when you put your wheels on the grass or come into a chicane too fast is about as real as it gets, as is the fatigue – both mental and physical – when you climb out of the “car.” Adding to the feeling of realism are the authentic racing suits, boots, gloves and helmets that participants are invited to wear.

Vortex Racing is selling an experience, and believes that in race-crazy Montreal (the annual Grand Prix du Canada is one of the largest events on the city’s cultural calendar) they’ve found the broadest possible target audience. “It’s for everyone: from people who drive to people who don’t drive; from the 50-year-old woman who just wants to drive fast to the F1 racer,” says Major. “It’s for people who want to have fun driving at high speed with no risk and without all the costs and overhead that a racing team would have. It’s also for the professional racer who wants to practice and improve.”

A typical session lasts for about an hour and twenty minutes, which includes a training course, qualification and race time on the simulator, a telemetry report and a review of the race with an instructor. And if F1 racing isn’t your cup of high-octane tea, Vortex offers several other styles of race cars and courses. “In addition to F1 we have a bunch of other Formula cars: F3, GP2, GP3 and obviously F1,” says Major. “We also have exotic cars, three kinds of them, sedans and coupes as well as rally cars, and drifting cars and drag racers.”

Vortex’s state-of-the-art facilities include two large conference rooms for corporate events, full bar service, and a full kitchen to accommodate catering. There are, however, a few practical limitations: sessions are restricted to those 18 and over, and folks with heart or blood pressure issues, pregnant women, and those susceptible to motion sickness should exercise caution before taking on a simulator. All others should prepare themselves for the ride of a lifetime…

“Actually,” Major laughs, “I don’t think you can be prepared for this. What you can be prepared for is the experience of what it would feel like to drive in a real race. Though it’s really just about having fun here. What we sell is being a race car driver for a day, at a real low price. Yes, they are simulations, but they are exactly the same thing that drivers practice on to get better.”

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THE DETAILS

Vortex Racing, 2300 46th Avenue, Lachine, 1 (855) 867-8395

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The reigning Formula One World Drivers’ Champion knows the wall well. During a morning practice session at last year’s Grand Prix, the wall – located on the final turn of the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve racetrack, and so named because it has ended races for 11 driving champions, including Montreal’s own Jacques Villeneuve – ate his nearly $7-million car for, as they say here in la belle province, petit-dejeuner (breakfast). The wall is also noted for one other thing: the enduring irony that was the “Bienvenue au Québec” (Welcome to Quebec) sign posted on it. And the welcome mat for both drivers and racing fans alike is again being rolled out for this 43rd running of the race.

The most elaborate of the many Grand Prix activities is the hugely popular (for good reason) three-day Crescent Street Grand Prix Festival, which goes from June 7 through June 9. This giant outdoor party takes place all day on a closed-off section of this centrally located restaurant and nightclub hub, home to much-loved Montreal mainstays like Sir Winston Churchill Pub (or simply Winnie’s, as it is known to locals), Thursday’s and Newtown (a play on the English translation of the last name of racing legend Jacques Villeneuve, who founded the upscale resto-bar).

Each day features numerous Pit Stop Challenges (competitors are invited to change a tire in record time), F1 driver autograph sessions, DJ performances, and live bands in the form of The Removers and Blushing Brides, This Side Up and Freddie James and the Bud Light All-Star Band. And best of all, everything is free.

As free outdoor events go, one of the other perennial faves is the four-day Grand Prix on the Main, which closes down a section of Montreal’s storied north/south Saint-Laurent Boulevard, June 7-10. Popular hotspots like Globe, Buona Notte and McKibbons Irish Pub open street terraces to the sound of DJs in a celebratory environment dedicated to all things F1. And this year Montreal’s public transit system (the STM) will provide a free shuttle service for the entirety of Saint-Laurent.

For the nightlife-inclined, many – if not all – of Montreal’s major dance clubs have special events planned for the occasion, such as Muzique (which has three days of special red carpet parties planned promising “celebrities, seasoned jet setters and nightlife connoisseurs”), Club U.N. (whose official F1 Weekend Launch Party on June 8 features DJ sets by Alain Vinet and “Little “ Louie Vega), and the 9,000-square-foot Club Arena, which will kick off Grand Prix weekend with a live performance by none other than Gnarls Barkley.

For those whose tastes aren’t necessarily of the $120-bottle-of-vodka variety, internationally-renowned indie music festival Pop Montreal is teaming up with Fiat’s 2012 Little Italy Racing Weekend to present their annual Spring Pop music and culture event.

The Little Italy Racing Weekend (a car enthusiast’s dream, stretching along a closed-off section of Saint-Laurent between St-Zotique and Jean-Talon in Montreal’s bustling Little Italy district, June 8-10) will co-host numerous Spring Pop happenings, including concerts by the likes of Fanny Bloom, Katie Moore, Mozart’s Sister and many, many more at the corner of St-Zotique and St-Laurent. In addition, family-friendly daily workshops and activities – Cooking Italian Style, Music Makers and Community Mural Project – hosted by Kids Pop will take place between 1 pm and 4 pm at the corner of the not-very-Italian-sounding Shamrock Street and St-Laurent (June 9-10).

And also on June 9 and 10, the ever-expanding, über-fun indie arts and culture flea market that is Puces Pop takes place between 11 am and 6 pm at the nearby St-Enfant Jésus Church. Expect handmade artisanal items, jewellery, food, art of all stripes, clothing and kid stuff that will blow the brain away. And the whole thing wraps at 7 pm on June 10 with a fashion show.

In short, there’s more than enough to do before you yourself hit the proverbial wall.

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THE DETAILS

Montreal Grand Prix, June 8-10, 2012

Guest blogger Jamie O’Meara is a Montreal editor and journalist who covers arts, culture and, er, stock car racing. Formerly the editor in chief of Hour Magazine, he is now an editor at Roverarts.com.

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He was born in the Montreal suburb of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu in 1971, the son of the legendary F1 driver Gilles Villeneuve, who was tragically killed in a crash in ‘82 and after whom the beautiful and scenic F1 and Nascar track in Montreal is named. Villeneuve is a renaissance man of the racing world: Since 2007, when he left F1 racing, he has driven in the Le Mans 25-hour series, Speedcar, TRV6 and NASCAR. Montreal race fans will be happy to know that he’ll be behind the wheel at the Montreal Nascar race on August 19-20.

He also launched and owned Newtown, the happening Montreal resto/nightclub, until recently. He has a record, Private Paradise, and is a race commentator for F1. Now, he’s trying his hand (or rather his voice) in movies, too: In the recent sequel to the Pixar classic Cars, he’ll be voicing a race commentator (named after himself) in the French version of the movie, Les Bagnoles 2, coming out this Friday. Villeneuve sat down with us to talk about the recent, rainy F1 and his homebase of Montreal.

Photograph by: Shaun Best, REUTERS

Montreal Buzz: So that crazy watered-down F1 two weeks ago: Is that a race you’d like to have driven?

Jacques Villeneuve: I always enjoy difficult conditions, and that was definitely the case there. I just think they spent way more time fiddling around than they needed to. When it was a swimming pool it made sense [to shut it down], but there were other times that it was dry enough for the cars to get around, and they just weren’t there. I think it was a little bit embarrassing that they waited so long to get racing again. As soon as it started to dry out, they should have been out there. There were some guys took the restart, they were on normal tires, they weren’t even on full-wet tires.

MB: Did you stick around for any of the parties, at Newtown or elsewhere?

JV: Not really. It’s not my restaurant anymore, for one thing. This year I wasn’t too involved with the proceedings, what I’ve always done was the driving, not the parties. I’ve got kids now, too.

MB: Do you love the first Cars movie? Is that why you wanted to be in this one?

JV: I love the Cars franchise! And I have two little boys and they love the first one. I watched the first one because of them, and I couldn’t help but love it. But that’s what’s great about Pixar; kids love them but there’s a lot in there for grownups, too. Everyone can get something out of them. When I got a call to see if I was interested in doing the voice, I didn’t think twice.

MB: How was the experience of doing movie voicework? Studio voicing can be tricky, it’s an art in itself.

JV: It was exciting! This is first time I do something like that, it’s risky–you can find of burn yourself doing new things like that in public…but it was fun! It’s fun doing something like this because I know my kids will be proud of me. And honestly, we are all still kids when we watch movies. I forget I’m a grownup when you’re watching cartoons, and that’s great! Besides, Cars 2 os well written not baby talk, doing voice so even though the dialogue is somewhat realistic, it’s still not stuff that would happen in real life, it’s not realistic.

MB: In the movie, the race genres are all mixed up- there’s cars from NASCAR and F1 all hanging out. That would never happen in a real-life scenario—but it’s sort of fitting since you’re a multi-sport driver too.

JV: Yeah, in the movie, the cars race in Italy, France, Tokyo, and it’s a bunch of different type of cars racing together, which of course wouldn’t happen in real life, but they’re mixing all kinds of influences—Europe, Asia, America, so it’s quite fun for kids. Anyway, the racing is an excuse for all the storylines, and for the characters to have their own lives—it’s not 100% related to racing, it’s a cartoon!

MB: So now you live full-time in Montreal. What are some of your favourite things to do here? Any favourite things to do with your kids?

JV: So far, my kids have been too young to do much with besides take them to the park near our house, you know? I like summer in the city, we go a lot of parks, so it still feels like a village, you know? They are just getting to the age now where this summer, we’ll be starting to do some fun stuff. It’s more the adventurous side of me that comes out with them, we’ll do all the same stuff I did growing up in Quebec—karting, going to the countryside and riding motocross. I’ll let other people take the kids to museums. It’s more the outdoor stuff, skiing and stuff that I like to do with my kids.

MB: What about grown-up stuff?

JV: I like going to restaurants. I’ll go out for a special meal in the Plateau or Old Montreal somewhere. Club Chasse et Peche, that’s my favourite. And also DNA is fun

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Montreal NASCAR, August 19-20, 2011

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The Grand Prix du Canada F1 mania begins on the Thursday and Friday when the drivers do press appearances with their sponsors (such as Jenson Button at Harry Rosen and Hamilton Lewis at Birks). The “Peel Paddock” also begins. It’s a free outdoor event on Peel Street, where cars are blocked off between Rue Ste-Catherine and De Maisonneuve. Similar events go down on Crescent and St-Laurent, which are also free of traffic but packed with luxury cars. If you’re looking for instant F1 ambience, these are the places to be.

Pop sex-itude princess Rihanna gave Montreal 2 huge shows on Friday and Saturday night at the Bell Centre and was subsequently spotted all over town with Drake, including at La Mouche and Terrasses Bonsecours (as well as at the track on race day). I also heard that Kevin Garnett, the NBA player, was seen around town.

I had a lovely dinner Saturday night at La Coupole restaurant (inside Hôtel Le Crystal), where California babe Carmen Electra made an appearance with an entourage of bodyguards. I chatted with the glamour gal for a bit and complimented her skintight, hot pink mini that’s featured prominently in the video above. (PS- That yellow beast with the DeLorean doors in the intro is a Plethore Supercar made by Quebec-owned HTT Technologies. Getting into it with my leather mini-dress was not an easy thing to do.)

After a few cocktails on the terrasse and dancing at La Coupole (and a big kiss from boxer Jean Pascal), I headed to nearby Time Supper Club. A mini-stage (one of several) had some very provocative dancers strutting their stuff in front of a mirrored backdrop. It was all very Broadway Chicago but to a dance/house soundtrack. My amaretto sour, by the way, was also a whopping $20. As with hotel and restaurant prices, even cocktail prices were inflated. But I did bump into Ice-T at the door- and he called me “Baby”- so it was all worth it!

Speaking of money, and the extravagant usage thereof, also in town was Virgin head honcho Richard Branson, who held a party on Bota Bota. Tickets were only $500 per head. He was also spotted having dinner another night at Newtown on Crescent. In other celeb resto spotting news, actor Bradley Cooper of Hangover fame had dinner across of a friend of mine- I have eyes all over the city!- at Garde Manger.

Despite plans to hit about 200 more places, I ended the night at Velvet Speakeasy, a very cool underground spot. So many Grand Prix parties, so little time. For one compact weekend, Montreal is the epicentre of jet-setter heaven. If you’re planning on coming to Montreal next year for the races, I’d book my hotel reservations now. No joke.

Photo Credit: Drake/Rihanna: ©Terasses Bonsecours

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(fast cars and loose beers) The loud and proud Grand Prix F-1 race may happen over on Parc des Îles de Montréal, but the party takes over Crescent Street this weekend. There will be cars, engine and tire demos, leather jackets and gelled hair, food and drink, music and people. Close by, because what says good times better than fast cars and lots of beer, is the 18th Mondial de la Biere, a.k.a. Montreal Beer Fest, a weekend of quality beer from around the world and around Quebec, plus local delicacies, sweet, savoury and sausage-on-a-stick-like.

(street fair fare) While some Montrealers and visitors to Montreal may love their fast cars, who doesn’t like to switch to the slow lane sometimes, maybe even shut the road down completely once in a while? I’m not even speaking metaphorically: this weekend, in a sort of a mini version of the usual St-Laurent Street Fair, St-Laurent Blvd is closed to traffic from Sherbrooke to Avenue des Pins (later in the month it’s closed all way to Mount Royal Ave). Wander up and down the street, shop, eat some food, drink some drinks and enjoy plenty of people watching. Meanwhile, over on Mount Royal Avenue, Nuit Blanche sur Tableau Noir, June 9–12, entices us with its more artistic, neighbourly ways – and its theme this year kind of sums up Montreal in summertime: the carefree joy of doing nothing.

(french kiss and tell) Ah, the French. They have given us much to be thankful for: food, wine, women, sure, but song is the thing we’re going to focus on this weekend – haha, kidding, as if those other things don’t go hand in hand with songs! At least they do at FrancoFolies, June 9–19, a spectacular showing of French music and more at the Quartier des Spectacles. If you’re not a Francophile, it’s likely that many names at the fest won’t be familiar, but that doesn’t make their music any less fun. Whether they’re playing free outdoor shows or swanky indoor affairs, among the ones to catch this weekend are Éric Lapointe, Loco Locass, Mara Tremblay, Tricot Machine, Queen Ka and, well, too many to name really. And if you’re staying all week, get down with reggae royalty Alpha Blondy on June 15.

(heroes and villains) Art imitates life and pokes more than a few holes in it during the final weekend of Festival Transameriques, ending June 11. New York City choreographer and performer Miguel Gutierrez upends the Hollywood bad-boy/hero myth of James Dean in the sexy, subversive Last Meadow, New Zealand company Mau turns post-9/11 anxieties into a beautiful performance in Tempest: Without a Body, Japan’s Potudo-ru challenges with the semi-documentary theatre of Yume no shiro (Castle of Dreams), and the wonderful Crystal Pite’s Kidd Pivot group puts on The You Show. See the FTA’s website for show times.

(life on the fringe) Sit back, relax and be entertained, thrilled, elucidated, mildly horrified and horrifically amused at the Montreal Fringe Festival, to June 19. Pick and choose your fancy among the dozens of shows – biographical tales of intrigue, laughs and woe (Hedwig and the Angry Inch anyone? Or maybe Suicide(s) in Vegas?), improv comedy (Uncalled For for sure and, from Korea, ShLong Form Improv), stand-up (Andrea Stanford for one), plenty of dance (like the b-boy intensity of Body Slam), and everything in between. This weekend, the Fringe Park (corner of St-Laurent and Rachel) opens up with all-afternoon and evening music. Peruse the full schedule and get thee to the Fringe.

(tune in to summer) Heatwave or not, Rihanna – with Cee Lo Green opening! – is sure to cause a sweaty frenzy during her two nights (Friday and Saturday) at Bell Center. For something completely different, Suoni per il Popolo hosts heralded Japanese experimental musician Keiji Haino at Sala Rossa, indie synth-pop duo Junior Boys and so much, much more. On Sunday, Piknic Electronik keeps the outdoor dance party going with Julio Bashmore and more (see what I did there). And on Sunday night, the cool, composed and awesome Architecture in Helsinki end the week right at La Tulipe.

Photo Credit: F1- Montreal_Bunny

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For three magical summer weekends, businesses with an address on the vibrant Boulevard Saint-Laurent, aka The Main, hawk their wares on the street at seriously discounted prices. Everything from clothes to cookware to underwear will be available while you stroll up and down the car-free promenade.

And if the thought of all that shopping makes you ravenous, you’re in the right place for food. All you need to do is simply walk up to one of the many terraces or get some food to go from a surly but kind streetwise vendor. Saint-Laurent is the street that has something for everyone. From high-end food like Restaurant Globe to countless street vendors, live DJs and more activities than you can shake a stick at.

The Saint-Laurent strip will be blocked off over three Montreal weekends: June 9-12, June 16-19 and August 25-28. For the first installment of street sale mayhem, St-L will be closed from Sherbrooke to Avenue des Pins, while, for the remaining Street Fairs, the no-car party continues up to Mont Royal. This is the Grand Prix weekend and things will be spectacularly F-1 on the Main. The June 16-19 weekend also involves Fringe Fest and Fringe Pop, which makes it all the merrier.

If you’ve never been to the Saint-Laurent street sale, don’t worry. There’s an easy way to break it down. To put it simply, lower Saint-Laurent means lots of hair gel. Upper Saint-Laurent means little-to-no hair gel. Actually to put it even more simply: at the lower end, things are kind of fancy and cost a lot. The further up you get, the more relaxed and inexpensive things become. Choose your location and go delight in life’s grand pageant.

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THE DETAILS

St-Laurent Street Sale

June 9 to June 12, 2011

June 16 to June 19, 2011

August 25 to August 28, 2011

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On June 11 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, watch drivers from all over the world get a feel for the circuit. The next morning will feature qualifying laps and in the afternoon, look forward to the Ferrari Challenge and the Formule 1600, which are the first two races. On June 12, the Formule 1600’s second race kicks off at 8:25am (bit early for a Sunday, don’t you think?) followed by the Ferrari Challenge right after. Then there’s the traditional Drivers Parade at 10:30 and at noon get ready for the definitive Formula One race. Look out for hot shot Sebastian Vettel racing for Redbull, he’s first in the driver standings and has one seriously heavy foot.

But let’s be honest, the Grand Prix is more than just a super awesome race. It’s also a weekend of booze, babes and bottles. The Grand Prix weekend is the crème de la crème of Montreal’s parties and there are several hotspots waiting to cater to your party needs. The best way to get the inside scoop is to check into one of Montreal’s Swanky Hotels: several of them are host to THE parties of the weekend.

For Grand Prix revelry, look no further than the St. Laurent Strip. This year’s race coincides with the St. Laurent Street Sale, June 9-12. This is a magical time of the year, a time when one of Montreal’s main roads is blocked off and the restaurants spill out onto the streets and everyone enjoys the warm nights and drinks in public without getting a ticket. There are several places to eat, drink and carry on during this time. Check out Restaurant Globe for some fine dining and fine dancing, it’s a favourite of professional hockey players and non-hockey players alike. Across the street is Buonanotte, a celebrity favourite known for its beautiful clientele and world class DJ’s- and seriously, the celebrities turn out in record numbers for Grand Prix. Did I mention that they have incredibly hot waitresses? Because I should have. Ivy Nightclub will also be kicking the F1 into overdrive with their Full Throttle Weekend party featuring tons of DJ’s and a great atmosphere.

The other main area for F-1 weekend parties is Crescent Street and if you’re looking for more of a club vibe, why not try Crescent Street’s Light Ultraclub. It’s located in the heart of downtown and is a two-story, two-dancefloor, plenty-party affair replete with a mezzanine. Expect their resident DJs to provide the music for an unforgettable night, but word to the wise: dress code is in effect so dress to impress. While on Crescent, you’ll want to make sure you get into the always-packed Newtown or take a quick walkover to Cavalli, especially for their wild Thursday nights.

But all good parties must eventually and unfortunately come to an end. The official closing party is being held at Muzique, one of Montreal’s premiere nightclubs. On June 12^, head down to Muzique to see the real Grand Prix party. There will be hot shots, glitz, and very attractive people dancing to the beats of DJ PAYCE among others. And ladies get full VIP treatment all night long. What’s not to love?

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THE DETAILS

Grand Prix du Canada, Montreal, June 10-12, 2011

St. Laurent Street Sale, June 9-12, 2011

Globe, 3455 St-Laurent, (514) 284-3823

Buonanotte, 3518 St-Laurent, (514) 848-0644

Light Ultraclub, 2020 Crescent, (514) 288-2888

Newtown, 1476 Crescent, (514) 284-6555

Cavalli, 2040 Peel, (514) 843-5100

Ivy Nightclub, 3556 St-Laurent, (514) 439-1222

Muzique, 3781 St-Laurent, (514) 392-7483

Photo Credit: J.P. Moczulski/REUTERS, Montreal_Bunny

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The Grand Prix is a very big deal. Who wouldn’t want to see cars drive in circles really fast. Based on the helpful notes my mom wrote on my under clothes: the Grand Prix runs from June 10-12, you’re such a good boy and everybody really likes you even if they say they don’t. Oh, disregard that last part. The important thing to remember is that everybody really likes me. And the Grand Prix is from June 10 to June 12 which promises to be a waterslide of fun.

There’s this guy, his name is Sebastian Vettel, and he’s the king of the racing world right now. But he isn’t knighted like that Sir Jackie Stewart (Jackie? Really?) but maybe he will be one day even though he’s not British, he’s German but what I’m saying is he’s that good. Sebastian Vettel is going to be here in Montreal racing pretty fast for Red Bull.

Being the current world champ would be stressful, considering everyone mostly wants you not to be the champ anymore, like the 40 other race car drivers who will be in Montreal like Charles Leclerc and Xavier Coupal, Nathan Block and Aaron McCauley and that hot shoe New Zealander Chris Vlok.  But I’m most excited to see the strong family values of father-son duo Gilles Villeneuve and Jacques Villeneuve because I’ve always considered my mom and I to be a father-son duo too.

But I think the real question is, what are these drivers trying to get away from at such breakneck speed? If it’s just to hear the sound of applause then maybe they should gets some CDs of applause and play them on their discman like I do. Doesn’t Sebastian Vettel’s mom wonder why he drives so fast? Tracy Chapman tell me, and I will listen.

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THE DETAILS

Grand Prix Du Canada, June 10-12, 2011

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Parc des Îles de Montréal,  (514) 392-4731

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