Save the Canadian Grand Prix

To:  FIA

On October 7, 2008, the FIA released the calender for the 2009 Formula One season; despite having been included on the provisional calender earlier in the year, it was revealed that the race has been axed from the schedule. No explanation for this has been given.

The Canadian Grand Prix has been an integral part of the Formula One calender since 1961, being run every year except for 1975 and 1987. It has been held at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (formerly Circuit Īle Notre-Dame) in Montreal, PQ, since 1978. Why the Grand Prix would be dropped is simply inexplicable; if Formula One wants to break into the North American market, removing the last race in North America is not the way to go about it.

The drivers have consistently rated the Canadian Grand Prix to be among their favourite on the calender, and it has produced some of the most unexpected and enjoyable results over the years. Can we really forget:

*Canadian Gilles Villeneuve winning the inaugral event at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
*Jean Alesi's maiden (and only) Formula One victory in 1995
*The Wall of Champions
*Lewis Hamilton's first victory
*Robert Kubica's horrifying crash in 2007, and his stunning first victory the next year
*Takuma Sato's Super Aguri passing Fernando Alonso's Mclaren
*2003, when the top 4 drivers finished within 4 seconds of each other

The decision to drop the Canadian Grand Prix is incomprehensible; it commonly seen as one of the best races of the year, and one with a penchant for unexpected results - a welcome change from what we usually see. The drivers love the race and the atmosphere of Montreal, which always puts on a fantastic show to welcome the event to the city.

We therefore ask the FIA to reconsider their decision and to reinstate the Canadian Grand Prix on the Formula One calender.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Save the Canadian Grand Prix Petition to FIA was created by and written by Matthew Atkin (mdatkin@live.ca).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.