The track was built to commemorate the achievement of Formula One great Gilles Villeneuve. Building a completely new facility was out of the question since it was too expensive and would take too long, so a novel and simple solution was employed. The roads on the Ile Notre Dame were linked to form a race track.

The circuit requires a medium to low downforce car setup achieved by reducing the profile of the wings and the angle of the wing flaps. This is one of the most demanding tracks on the brakes with most of the cars using enlarged brake ducts to optimize the cooling of the discs and callipers. The distinctive element of this circuit is its high kerbs. It has a reputation of forcing the best of drivers to make mistakes with three world champions Michael Schumacher, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve biting the dust after crashing into the ‘Quebec Wall’, thus nicknamed as 'The Wall of Champions'.

The Casino de Montréal, the largest casino in Canada, is situated at the centre of the circuit. The track is surrounded by narrow streets, vintage buildings and exclusive places to eat with one of the most recommended restaurants Le Queue du Cheval located at Rue Ste Catherine which also happens to be a good place for shopping and for its lively nightlife.

Recent results:

2010: Lewis Hamilton (McLaren Mercedes)
2008: Robert Kubica (BMW Sauber)
2007: Lewis Hamilton (McLaren Mercedes)
2006: Fernando Alonso (Renault)
2005: Kimi Raikonen (McLaren Mercedes)