Formula 1 returns to Montreal after a two-year absence and former world champions Emerson Fittipaldi and Michael Schumacher, who starts 13th on the grid, enjoy a pre-race chat at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
The sell-out crowd rise to their feet for the drivers parade and the biggest ovation of goes to McLaren's Lewis Hamilton. On the track where he took his maiden race win in 2007, Hamilton starts on pole for the third time
Race day gets off to a bad start for championship leader Mark Webber as the Australian, who qualified in second, receives a five-place grid penalty for changing his gearbox and drops to seventh
Webber's demotion sees team-mate Sebeastian Vettel promoted a place to second on the grid and the German looks in high sprirts as he is interviewed by BBC Sport's Martin Brundle
With four safety car interventions in the past four Canadian Grands Prix - and 20 in the 11 held since 1998 - all eyes are on Turn One as the race gets off to a thrilling start
Force India's Vitantonio Liuzzi takes an early spin after contact with Felipe Massa of Ferrari, helping the Mercedes of Schumacher to jump up to eighth. It's all action but there's no need for a safety car.
Hamilton (pictured) and team-mate Jenson Button start on soft tyres while some of their rivals head out on hards. The McLarens struggle for grip and both men are forced to pit early, switching to hard tyres
Webber and Vettel are among those to start on hard tyres and they appear to have got it right. When the McLarens of Hamilton and Button head into the pits, the Red Bull pair assume the top two positions
Ferrari's Fernando Alonso pits at the same time as former McLaren team-mate Hamilton (lap seven) and the pair go side by side coming out of the pit lane, Alonso eventually managing to sneak ahead
Webber and Vettel soon run into problems with the hard tyres so pit on laps 13 and 14 respectively. That hands Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi the lead, with Alonso and Hamilton closing fast
Hamilton and Alonso find themselves in the middle of an enthralling battle and the Englishman puts himself in a position to win when he passes his Spanish rival on lap 15 and retakes the race lead as Buemi pits for new tyres
After Hamilton and Alonso make their second pit stops, Webber opens an 11.8 second lead. But his second set of hard tyres begin to go off and it's not long before Hamilton and Alonso are at the front again
Alonso gets held up behind Karun Chandhok for the second time in the race and that allows Button to close in on the Ferrari. The reigning world champion moves into second place coming into Turn Eight on lap 56
McLaren tell Hamilton to look after his tyres and, initially, Button and Alonso reduce the gap. But 2008 champion Hamilton is not going to let this one slip and storms to a fine victory
Their relationship crumbled at McLaren and there seems no loved lost as Hamilton celebrates his win by tipping champagne over a glum-looking Alonso
All smiles in the McLaren garage as the Woking-based team move top of the constructors' standings and Hamilton heads the drivers championship for the first time in 18 months
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