At the Canadian Grand Prix, the welcome isn’t always warm—especially at Turn 14. For years, a cheery “Bienvenue au Québec” banner hung just above one of Formula 1’s most unforgiving barriers. It was an ironic greeting, given that the concrete wall beneath it would become infamous for ending the races of some of the sport’s most decorated drivers.
Known today as the Wall of Champions, this deceptively simple final chicane at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has built a brutal reputation. It’s not the sharpest or fastest corner on the calendar, but it’s a perfect storm of precision, pressure, and peril. Drivers that misjudge it by a fraction, and even World Champions, have found themselves scattered across the exit curb in carbon fibre wreckage.
We all love Montreal for its high-speed straights, tight corners, and unpredictable drama. From Jenson Button and his unforgettable last-lap win in 2011 to the countless legends humbled by the Wall, the circuit has etched itself into F1 lore. Turn 14 remains a timeless test, one that still punishes the best.
What To Know?
- The Wall of Champions is the nickname for the barrier at Turn 14 of Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, famous for catching out even world champions.
- It earned its name in 1999, when Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher, and Jacques Villeneuve all crashed there during the same race weekend.
- The corner demands absolute precision, thanks to high speeds, low grip, and aggressive kerbs that punish the smallest mistakes.
- Many top drivers have fallen victim, including Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Kevin Magnussen—proving it’s still a modern-day challenge.
Why is it called the Wall of Champions?
The Canadian Grand Prix has been a fixture on the Formula 1 calendar since 1978, but it wasn’t until 1999 that one of its corners gained global notoriety. That year, Turn 14 earned the nickname The Wall of Champions—and not by accident.
In a dramatic and chaotic race, three world champions—Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher, and hometown hero Jacques Villeneuve—all crashed into the same piece of concrete on the exit of the final chicane. Add Ricardo Zonta to the list of victims that day, and the corner’s legend was born. It wasn’t just a case of driver error—it was a showcase of how even Montreal’s subtle brutality could undo the sport’s best talent.
Schumacher himself summed it up with rare humility after his crash: “It was very clearly a mistake by myself… I hope that is the last one I make this year.”
Since then, the Wall has become a rite of passage—unforgiving and unpredictable. Low-grip tarmac, aggressive kerbs, minimal downforce, and a high-speed approach combine to create a corner that invites risk and punishes the smallest lapse. It’s Turn 13 that sets the trap, but it’s Turn 14 that delivers the final blow.
It’s a corner that demands absolute precision at the end of a lap defined by speed. The final chicane at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve doesn’t just punish carelessness—it punishes confidence that goes a fraction too far. Drivers thread the needle at nearly 300 km/h before stamping on the brakes and launching over the kerbs with millimetre-perfect intent. There’s no run-off, no margin, no second chances.
That’s part of what makes Montreal so compelling. Like Monaco, it’s a track of extremes—but in very different ways. Where Monaco is tight, slow, and high-grip, Canada is fast, open, and unforgivingly low on traction. The combination of long straights, and minimal downforce, means drivers constantly fight to keep their cars in check.
And Turn 14 is the ultimate test. The real danger starts earlier—at Turn 13. Take too much kerb and the car can launch, landing unsettled and sliding toward the wall with understeer and momentum that can’t be rescued. Even if the first part is clean, Turn 14 offers its own trap: a snap of oversteer, a twitch at the apex, and the rear end can whip around into the barrier. In the worst cases, drivers don’t just hit it—they hit it backwards.
Formula One History Recommends
Which F1 Champions have crashed at the Wall of Champions?
After multiple decades of unforgettable moments at the Canadian Grand Prix, the Wall of Champions has more than lived up to its name. What started as a freak coincidence in 1999 quickly turned into a trend, proving that no matter how skilled, experienced, or decorated a driver is, this corner doesn’t discriminate. Here’s a look at some of the world champions who’ve fallen victim to one of F1’s most punishing pieces of track.
2005: Jenson Button
Long before his dramatic last-lap victory in 2011 and his 2009 Championship-winning year, Jenson Button experienced the darker side of Montreal’s notorious final chicane. In the 2005 Canadian Grand Prix, Button became yet another world champion to fall victim to the future-named Wall of Champions—and in textbook fashion.
On lap 47, while running well inside the points, Button clipped the aggressive apex kerb at Turn 13 just a little too hard. The impact launched his BAR-Honda into the air, unsettled and out of control. With no grip and no time to recover, he skated across the narrow exit and slammed into the barriers at Turn 14.
It was a classic Montreal incident: a perfect example of how the wall punishes even the slightest misjudgment. What made it all the more painful was that Button had been on for a strong result—until that one small error turned into a race-ending crash. In a career defined by smoothness and control, Button’s 2005 collision was a rare misstep—and yet another chapter in the growing legend of the Wall of Champions.
1997: Jacques Villeneuve
The local hero has hit the wall more than once, but most memorably in 1997, the year he won the 1997 Drivers’ Championship. Just two laps into his home race, Jacques Villeneuve lost the rear of his Williams on turn-in and slammed backwards into the barrier—an early and embarrassing exit in front of his home crowd. He would crash again at the same spot in 1999, sealing the wall’s infamous nickname.
1999: Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher & Jacques Villeneuve
The 1999 Canadian Grand Prix was when the Wall of Champions truly earned its name—and its legend. In a span of just 20 laps, three Formula 1 World Champions crashed at the same corner, turning Turn 14 into one of the sport’s most iconic danger zones.
- Lap 14 – Damon Hill
The 1996 World Champion was the first to fall. Running slightly wide on the exit of the final chicane, Hill clipped the concrete with the right rear of his Jordan, snapping the suspension and sending him out of the race. - Lap 29 – Michael Schumacher
The four-time champion at the time (soon to be seven) followed suit. Carrying too much speed, Schumacher performed an elegant but ill-fated four-wheel drift—only to smash head-on into the wall. On his walk back to the pits, a TV reporter pushed for comment. Schumacher, visibly seething, snapped: “Have you a bit of respect for humans?” It was a rare display of raw emotion from the usually composed German. - Lap 34 – Jacques Villeneuve
In front of his home crowd, Villeneuve became the third champion to crash, straight-lining the kerbs and sliding helplessly nose-first into the unforgiving concrete.
Three champions. One wall. A legend was born.
…And the Rest
The Wall of Champions may have earned its name thanks to a trio of world champions in 1999, but it didn’t, and hasn’t, stopped there. Over the years, a long list of talented F1 drivers—some champions, others simply pushing the limit—have added their names to the wall’s unofficial roll call.
- Derek Warwick kicked things off with a dramatic crash in his Arrows back in 1988, long before the wall had its infamous title.
- Alex Wurz found the barrier in 1997, just ahead of its christening.
- The 1999 race was particularly brutal, also claiming Ralf Schumacher and Ricardo Zonta alongside the champions.
- Rubens Barrichello and Nick Heidfeld both met the wall in 2001 Qualifying, underlining how dangerous even single-lap runs could be.
- Juan Pablo Montoya added flair to the list with his 2006 crash.
- Kamui Kobayashi crashed out on lap one in 2010, a reminder that the wall doesn’t wait.
- Even Sebastian Vettel got caught out in 2011, running wide in practice.
- Bruno Senna and Pastor Maldonado joined the list in 2012, while Carlos Sainz nudged the barrier in 2016.
- More recently, Kevin Magnussen smashed into the wall in 2019, and 2025 F1 title contender Oscar Piastri hit the Wall of Champions in final practice for the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix, underlining that the threat still looms large in the modern era.
It’s a corner that keeps claiming scalps, proving time and again that no one is truly safe when it comes to the Wall of Champions.
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