Despite the heavy rain at 2011 Grand Prix du Canada, the inaugural year of the Grand Prix Legends Club was a huge success. The weekend's wet conditions didn't stop honoured guests Jacques Villeneuve, Peter Windsor and motorsport artist Serge Dumont from entertaining clients as they enjoyed one of the most exciting F1 races ever; one that saw McLaren driver Jenson Button capture his first victory of the season.
"It's definitely my best race. I'll remember this for a long time," said Button. The 2009 World Champion had never won in North America. Button completed an amazing charge to victory from last place, making six visits to the pit lane, five regular stops and one drive-through penalty, before storming back into contention as the track dried and the safety car exited the field.
The unpredictable elements throughout the race that led to Button's victory included torrential downpours, several appearances by the safety car and the first use of Pirelli tyres in wet conditions. This generated a new level of excitement for Grand Prix Legends Club guests as Mr. Villeneuve and Mr. Windsor provided expert commentary and insight into the challenges of the four-hour long race. Guests enjoyed a great vantage point from the club, looking right onto the infamous Senna turn, as seasoned Formula 1 drivers fought against the challenging weather conditions leading to two major accidents; one involving Button and his McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton. Guests were also treated to a clear view of the podium where the top three finishers Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber celebrated by dousing each other in champagne.
The excitement of the weekend, however, was not limited to the circuit. The Grand Prix Legends Club generated its own thrills when racing legend Jacques Villeneuve engaged in a head to head race on one of the club's full motion F1 racing simulators and posed with guests for photos. Live contesting challenged guests to predict the race qualifiers and winners. In addition to providing much needed cover from the rain, the Grand Prix Legends Club offered guests many activities during the delays in the race from relaxing massages to watching F1 artist Serge Dumont paint an original piece to non-stop action on the racing simulators. After experiencing a truly legendary event, guests left the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve anticipating next year's spectacle.
