Sandrine Garneau: “F1 Academy has a whole different vibe, and it’s so heartwarming to see women grow in all aspects of the sport.”

Sandrine Garneau is the Cheffe de l’exploitation (COO) and Marque et stratégies (Brand and Strategy) Officer at the Formula 1 Grand Prix Canada. She leads brand development, strategy, and operations, playing a key role in the event’s positioning and growth. Over the years, she has held several senior roles within the organisation, including Director General of Brand and Strategy and Marketing & Communications Director, managing campaigns, media relations, and event promotion. Her career began in communications and press roles linked to motorsports and university sports, supported by a background in public relations studies at McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management.

“In 2013, when I still had one year of university left, one of my professors approached me about doing an internship at the media centre of the Canadian Grand Prix in June, and that’s where my Formula 1 career began,” Sandrine tells Females in Motorsport.

After completing the internship, she returned to university to finish her degree. She came back to the Canadian Grand Prix in June 2014 for another internship, expecting to network and look for opportunities outside Formula 1 later that year. Instead, within an hour of arriving, she was offered a full-time position. After graduating in 2014, she joined the organisation as Coordinator of Communications and Marketing, before being promoted to Director of Communications and Marketing in 2018. She became the Director General in 2023. And became Chief Operating Officer in 2024.

“I think the best part for me, and I reflect on this often, is seeing how much Formula 1 has grown, how much I’ve grown, and how much our organisation has grown as well,” she says. “And at the time, there were maybe three or four women in the room. It was mostly men, and I was by far the youngest person there.

“Now to see the sport and us grow so much is just incredible.”

We all know how much Formula 1 has changed over the years. The fanbase has grown massively, safety standards have improved, and the sport now reaches audiences across the world. 

“In my role now, I get to attend around eight races, and it’s an amazing feeling,” she says. “But at the Canadian Grand Prix, we’re a team of nearly 50 people, and our offices are right at the track. I can see the podium from my office.

“Before COVID, we were a small organisation, about 16 of us. Then we were cancelled for two years, in 2020 and 2021.

“During that time, Drive to Survive really took off. So when we came back in 2022, we got the green light for the race in February, and the race was in June. 

“A lot had changed by then. Everything was more expensive, there was less manpower, and we had to rebuild and rehire almost from scratch.

”One of the biggest reasons the Canadian Grand Prix stands out is its proximity to the city. Many races are held far from city centres, sometimes an hour away, where teams and fans stay in different parts of the city. In Montreal, the city is part of the race. You can see the skyline from the podium, and that connection between the circuit and the city plays a huge role in shaping 

“Even with the advantage of our track, we try to do something different every year,” she says. “If you were to visit the site now, you’d already see how far ahead we are, the hospitality structures are going up, most of the grandstands are already in place, and it’s starting to look like a grand prix.”

Sandrine also highlighted the event’s natural setting and sustainability efforts. 

“Our race takes place in a park, which gives us an advantage when it comes to wellness and sustainability compared to city circuits or races held in parking lots,” she says. “Waste sorting is already part of the local culture, so recycling and composting aren’t new concepts for our fans.

“We’ve done bigger things, and now we need to do better. That means using the best technology, having enough sorting bins, and working closely with the city and park partners to keep improving.”

Apart from Formula 1, the Canadian Grand Prix also hosted the F1 Academy in 2025, marking another important step in the evolution. It gave fans the opportunity to experience a broader racing programme while spotlighting the next generation of talent on a global stage.

“We proudly pulled off the biggest crowd of the year here for F1 Academy,” she says. “I had mentioned to Susie Wolff beforehand that we would deliver the biggest crowd, and we did. Women’s sports in Canada are huge, so we had no doubt. When we said it, we were already pretty confident.

“F1 Academy has such a unique energy, and it’s truly heartening to watch women drive on the track. As a whole, it’s amazing to witness how much women have advanced and made their mark in major industries from 2013 to where we are today in 2025–26.”