Future of Canadian Grand Prix Clouded in Uncertainty ⇥ theglobeandmail.com

Sean Gordon, the Globe and Mail:

The contract between Montreal’s current race promoter, François Dumontier, and Ecclestone runs out in 2014, and while talks have been ongoing for more than a year to extend that contract for another decade, progress has been painstaking.

There is still ample time to reach a deal – the 2015 F1 calendar won’t come out until the fall of next year – but the longer the negotiations drag on, the more the uncertainty will build.

The Canadian Grand Prix is perennially one of the greatest races on the calendar. It doesn’t have the prestige of Monaco, nor the financial exuberance of Abu Dhabi, nor the incredible history of Silverstone or Spa. But what it does have is one of the most deceptively wonderful tracks in the world, paired with an excited crowd and unpredictable weather. Its discontinuation would be a significant loss; 2009 was a notably crappier season as a result.

But it’s 2013, and the race is on for this Sunday. The forecast for Montreal calls for a high chance of rain, which is good news for spectators. It’s going to be an exciting race.