SANDRINE GARNEAU Built F1 Canada From 16 to 50 Staff After COVID Cancelled Races

February 25, 2026

• SANDRINE GARNEAU went from university intern to Chief Operating Officer of Formula 1’s Canadian Grand Prix in just over a decade, starting with a 2013 media centre internship that turned into an immediate full-time offer. She’s now one of the most senior women in F1 operations, overseeing brand strategy and a team that grew from 16 to nearly 50 people.
• After COVID cancelled the Canadian GP for two years, GARNEAU led the complete rebuild from scratch in 2022 when Drive to Survive had exploded F1’s popularity. The challenge was massive—everything cost more, manpower was scarce, and they had just four months from getting the green light to race day, but Montreal’s unique city-circuit connection gave them a competitive edge.
• The 2025 Canadian GP delivered F1 Academy’s biggest crowd of the year, with GARNEAU confidently predicting the turnout to Susie Wolff beforehand. She credits Canada’s strong women’s sports culture for the enthusiastic response and sees F1 Academy as proof of how much women have advanced across major industries since her F1 career began in 2013.

all-female f1 academy, canadian grand prix, circuit gilles villeneuve, formula 1