F1: The champions wall, the threat in the Canada GP

Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher, Jacques Villeneuve, Jenson Button, Max Verstappen … All were victims of the wall at the entrance to the Montreal line and that will be the protagonist again this weekend. Here, the story.

The 1999 Canada Grand Prix will remain forever in the memory for two outgoing data. It was the first time in history that a Formula 1 career ended behind the security car. And, in addition, a wall was baptized as the champions wall, a name that was marked with indelible ink in the semi -permanent path of Montreal. And, as is the case on each visit, this year he will be there again, threatening, before any slip. It will undoubtedly be a huge challenge for everyone, but even more for the pilots who never ran on that track, such as Franco Colapinto, Isack Hadjar, Gabriel Bortoleto, Kimi Antonelli, Oliver Bearman and Liam Lawson.

The departure of the last Chicana, which derives at the entrance of the main line of the Canadian layout, It has an external wall that became famous on that sixth date of 1999, won by Finn Mika Häkkinen. On the 14th round, Damon Hill, 1996 champion ended against that wall with his Jordan. In turn 29, Michael Schumacher (At that time he had the titles of 1995 and 1996) he hit that same wall with his Ferrari. Further? Yes. In the 34th, Jacques Villeneuve (Monarch 1997) And local idol was strong with his bar against … Yes, the same wall. From there, the name that was put as a wall of the champions.

Since then, on each visit from the F1 to Canada, that wall is almost as look like the cars that pass by at high speed. It is a constant threat, which expects patient. Some always ends there. In 2005, the victim was Jenson Button, In a detail: at that time he had not yet been champion, because his title would arrive in 2009. But it can be added to the list. As Sebastian Vettel, who in 2011 ended against the famous wall with his Red Bull (the German was a reigning monarch with his 2010 title, the first of the four he achieved).

Of the active champions, Max Verstappen was a victim of the wall in the 2019 Canada GP training. Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, for now, are undefeated. Will they continue like this after the 2024 visit?