Despite the enveloping haze and smoke from Canadian wildfires that have blanketed landmarks like the Statue of Liberty in New York, Formula 1 has stated that the Canadian Grand Prix remains unthreatened.
The event, scheduled to take place next weekend in Quebec – the epicenter of much of the smoke – has been deemed safe by F1. They conveyed that Montreal’s conditions are distinct from the other affected areas in Canada and the US, reassuring that the air quality in the city remains good and the risk is minimal.
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Due to the deteriorating air quality caused by the fires, millions are being urged to wear N95 masks when outdoors. In response, New York has announced plans to start distributing free masks from Thursday. Likewise, Canada is advising residents to don masks if they must venture outside.
The smoky haze is projected to drift beyond New York, affecting other regions on the east coast. This comes as Toronto faces increasingly poor conditions due to the inflow of more smoke, as reported by Environment Canada on Thursday.
With 150 wildfires currently active, Quebec is grappling with its worst fire season to date.
F1’s discussions with the race promoter and Canadian authorities are ongoing, and its security and health and safety teams are already in Canada, prepping for the event. Personnel are expected to arrive at the beginning of next week.
At this stage, F1 officials have expressed no concerns about holding the event in Canada, but they have stated that they will continue to monitor the situation closely in the days to come.
The Canadian Grand Prix takes place on the Ile Notre-Dame, an island in the St Lawrence Seaway adjacent to downtown Montreal.
The current predicament arises just weeks after F1 had to cancel the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix due to severe flooding across northern Italy.
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