Minor changes have been made to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, the seventh round of this year’s Formula 1 championship.
Canada is celebrating 50 years on the Formula 1 calendar in 2017, and the country will remain on the schedule until 2029, after a new contract was agreed.
Ahead of this weekend’s race, the FIA confirmed the tweaks that have been made on safety grounds.
“Large sections of ageing guardrail have been replaced by wall blocks, mainly in Turns 1, 2, 3, 7, 8 and 10,” read the updated circuit notes.
![Isack Hadjar [pictured] has deferred to Max Verstappen for Day 2 of the F1 pre-season test. Image: Red Bull Content Pool](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Isack-Hadjar-Red-Bull-test-2026-120x86.webp)
“All the new walls have been fitted with new debris fences of varying height. A new debris fence has also been installed on the wall on the driver’s right between Turn 14 and the finish line.
“The gravel around the outside of Turn 8 has been replaced by asphalt and the Grass-Crete around the outside of Turn 13 has also been replaced by asphalt.
“Tyre barriers have been replaced by TecPro barriers in Turns 1, 2, 3, 8, 10 and 13, and a 180 metre [long] SAFER barrier has been installed around the outside of Turn 5.”
The circuit layout has not been changed.
Formula 1 has visited the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on all but two occasions since 1978.
![Isack Hadjar [pictured] has deferred to Max Verstappen for Day 2 of the F1 pre-season test. Image: Red Bull Content Pool](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Isack-Hadjar-Red-Bull-test-2026-350x250.webp)
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