The recent announcement of the extension of the Belgian Grand Prix on the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit until 2031, although welcomed by Formula 1 fans, sounds like a blow to Montreal.
As she leaves office in 2025, the damage she has done to the reputation and attractiveness of the Montreal Grand Prix appears irreversible.
The alternation model adopted for the Belgian Grand Prix, which will only take place every other year from 2028, is a dangerous precedent.
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has already expressed support for a rotation between European races, and that idea could well extend to the Montreal Grand Prix.
With the total lack of modernization of the infrastructure around the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit and a growing loss of confidence in the municipal administration, Montreal is now vulnerable to a partial — or even total — relocation of its Grand Prix.
The announcement of the extension of the Belgian Grand Prix, but on an alternating model, only aggravated the fears of Montrealers.
If Spa-Francorchamps, with its massive investments, must now share its place on the calendar, what will happen to Montreal, where no significant modernization has been carried out for years?
Rumors of a rotation with other circuits, or even of a pure and simple replacement by Toronto, are becoming more and more insistent.
For F1 promoters, the idea of diversifying locations to maximize economic benefits and attract new markets is attractive.
And with a municipal administration perceived as hostile towards the pollution caused by F1, Montreal is in a weak position.
The comparison with Spa-Francorchamps is overwhelming. Wallonia, supported by its regional government, has injected millions of euros to modernize the circuit, increase the capacity of the stands and offer an unrivaled fan experience.
In return, Montreal, under the governance of Valérie Plante, stood out for its inaction and misdirected priorities.
Poorly planned investments and short-term vision have left the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit in a state of relative abandonment, accentuating rumors of a possible departure of Formula 1 to Toronto or other more lucrative destinations.
Stefano Domenicali has never hidden his dissatisfaction with the Plante administration. Although his public statements remain diplomatic, the decisions made by F1 speak for themselves.
The lack of progress on Montreal’s facilities, combined with a series of blunders by the mayor, largely contributed to this embarrassing situation.
The monster traffic jams around the 2024 Grand Prix, aggravated by unnecessary inspections of the terraces and disastrous management of logistics, have only added fuel to the fire.
It is obvious that Valérie Plante, by adopting an anti-Grand Prix posture in the name of the environment, has alienated an essential strategic partner.
The event, although crucial for the local economy and the international image of Montreal, was relegated to the background, sacrificed in the name of a green vision disconnected from economic realities.
This posture not only irritated F1 promoters, but also gave its competitors, like Toronto, the opportunity to shine.
The 2024 Montreal Grand Prix will be remembered as a logistical and media disaster. The Plante administration has demonstrated a blatant inability to meet the needs of an event of this scale.
Empty terraces, a result of unnecessary bureaucratic inspections, have transformed the city center into a dead zone.
-Meanwhile, traders, who hoped to benefit from the economic fallout from the event, found themselves counting their losses.
The Grand Prix fiasco was not an isolated case. The Presidents Cup, another prestigious international event, also suffered from the chaotic management of Valérie Plante.
Traffic jams, shuttles blocked by last-minute inspections, and the total lack of support from the mayor transformed what could have been a showcase for Montreal into a public humiliation.
On social networks, the anger is enormous.
Valérie Plante’s disastrous management has generated a torrent of criticism, amplified by a viral video in which the mayor seemed to be losing her means.
Citizens, tired of scandals and broken promises, express their disillusionment:
“An orange cone would do a better job. »
“She is destroying Montreal. »
“Why keep a Grand Prix in a city that no longer wants it? »
These comments, although cruel, reflect a reality: Montreal is in decline under the leadership of Valérie Plante.
And even as she prepares to leave her position, the repercussions of her management will be felt for years to come.
The extension of the Belgian Grand Prix until 2031, with massive investments in infrastructure, is tangible proof that Montreal could have done the same.
Instead, the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit stagnates, relations with F1 deteriorate, and the city risks losing a key event for its economy and prestige.
Montrealers, who saw their city sink into a series of crises in 2024, hope that the end of the Plante era will mark a turning point.
But the potential loss of the Grand Prix, or its alternation with other cities, would be a difficult wound to heal.
For Valérie Plante, history will remember that she was the mayor who let Formula 1 slip away, sacrificing a pillar of Montreal’s culture and economy in the name of a poorly executed ideology.
As Valérie Plante prepares to leave the political scene, her record is marked by resounding failures. The Montreal Grand Prix, once a symbol of pride for the city, is now in danger.
And even if a new administration tries to repair the damage, it may already be too late to save Montreal’s place on the Formula 1 starting grid.
For Montrealers, Plante’s departure in 2025 will not be able to erase the scars left by a catastrophic 2024.
As for Formula 1, history could well show that Stefano Domenicali was right to turn his sights towards other horizons, leaving Montreal behind, a victim of its own incompetence.
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