The Grand-Prix circus arrived in downtown Montreal with Prost and McLaren firmly in command of the Championship at the start of their transatlantic campaign. However, the tight and, in places, narrow Montreal circuit produced really close racing with Nelson Piquet celebrating Brabham's return to form in a spectacular start-to-finish victory. McLaren seemed unable to answer the BMW Turbo's speed despite masterly driving from Lauda. Added interest came from Elio de Angelis (Lotus) who drove with a verve that at times proved almost dangerous for his rivals. The championship really came alive in Montreal and if Brabham's reliability can be assured, Piquet could yet pose a serious threat to the McLaren team.