The 1999 Canadian Grand Prix introduced the 'Wall of Champions' after four former world champions crashed at Turn 13, and was the first F1 race to finish behind the safety car.
Key Facts
- Race date
- 13 June 1999
- Season round
- 6th race of the 1999 F1 season
- Safety car deployments
- 4 (record at the time)
- Crashes at Turn 13
- 4 separate incidents
- Circuit
- Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal
- Finishing condition
- First F1 race to finish behind safety car
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Turn 13, the final chicane of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, posed repeated hazards during the 1999 Canadian Grand Prix, causing drivers to go wide or spin into the wall. Multiple incidents, including crashes involving former Drivers' Championship winners, prompted repeated safety car deployments throughout the race.
The 1999 Canadian Grand Prix was held on 13 June 1999 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. Four separate crashes occurred at Turn 13, three involving former world champions. The safety car was deployed four times, a record at the time, and the race concluded behind the safety car after Heinz-Harald Frentzen crashed with four laps remaining.
The wall at Turn 13 became known as the 'Wall of Champions' due to the number of title-winning drivers who crashed there. The race set a precedent as the first Formula One event to finish under safety car conditions, a procedure that has since become an established part of the sport's regulations.