The circuit is located on Île Notre-Dame, a man-made island in the St. Lawrence River. It is part of the city of Montreal, was originally named the Île Notre-Dame Circuit. It was renamed in honour of Canadian Formula One driver Gilles Villeneuve, following his death in 1982. Gilles is the father of Jacques Villeneuve. The venue hosted the Champ Car World Series Grand Prix of Montreal from 2002 to 2006.