Formula One motor race
Monaco Grand Prix
|
|
|
Number of times held
| 81
|
---|
First held
| 1929
|
---|
Most wins (drivers)
| Ayrton Senna
(6)
|
---|
Most wins (constructors)
| McLaren
(15)
|
---|
Circuit length
| 3.337
km (2.074
miles)
|
---|
Race length
| 260.286
km (161.734
miles)
|
---|
Laps
| 78
|
---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
---|
The
Monaco Grand Prix
(
French
:
Grand Prix de Monaco
) is a
Formula One
motor racing event held annually on the
Circuit de Monaco
, in late May or early June. Run since 1929, it is widely considered to be one of the most important and prestigious automobile races in the world,
[1]
[2]
[3]
and is one of the races?along with the
Indianapolis 500
and the
24 Hours of Le Mans
?that form the
Triple Crown of Motorsport
.
[4]
It is the only Grand Prix that does not adhere to the
FIA
's mandated 305-kilometre (190-mile) minimum race distance for F1 races.
[5]
The race is held on a narrow course laid out in the streets of
Monaco
, with many elevation changes and tight corners as well as the tunnel, making it one of the most demanding circuits in Formula One. In spite of the relatively low average speeds, the Monaco circuit is a dangerous place to race due to how narrow the track is, and the race often involves the intervention of a
safety car
.
The first Monaco Grand Prix took place on 14 April 1929, and the race eventually became part of the pre-
Second World War
European Championship
and was included in the first
World Championship of Drivers in 1950
. It was twice designated the
European Grand Prix
, in 1955 and 1963, when this title was an honorary designation given each year to one Grand Prix race in Europe.
Graham Hill
was known as "
Mr. Monaco
"
[6]
due to his five Monaco wins in the 1960s.
Ayrton Senna
won the race more times than any other driver, with six victories, winning five races consecutively between
1989
and
1993
.
[7]
In the 81 editions of the Monaco Grand Prix, there has only been two Monegasque drivers to win the race,
Louis Chiron
in 1931 and
Charles Leclerc
in
2024
, ending the 93 years drought.
[8]
The circuit has been called "an exceptional location of glamour and prestige".
[9]
The Formula One event is usually held on the last weekend of May and is known as one of the largest weekends in
motor racing
, as the Formula One race occurs on the same Sunday as the
Indianapolis 500
(
IndyCar Series
) and the
Coca-Cola 600
(
NASCAR Cup Series
).
[10]
History
[
edit
]
Origins
[
edit
]
Like many European races, the Monaco Grand Prix predates the current
World Championship
. The principality's first
Grand Prix
was organised in 1929 by
Antony Noghes
, under the auspices of
Prince Louis II
, through the
Automobile Club de Monaco
(ACM), of which he was president.
[11]
The ACM organised the
Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo
, and in 1928 applied to the
Association Internationale des Automobiles Clubs Reconnus
(AIACR), the international governing body of motorsport, to be upgraded from a regional French club to full national status. Their application was refused due to the lack of a major motorsport event held wholly within Monaco's boundaries. The rally could not be considered, as it mostly used the roads of other European countries.
[12]
To attain full national status, Noghes proposed the creation of an automobile Grand Prix in the streets of
Monte Carlo
.
[13]
He obtained the official sanction of Prince Louis II and the support of
Monegasque
Grand Prix
driver
Louis Chiron
. Chiron thought Monaco's topography was well-suited to setting up a race track.
[12]
The
first race
, held on 14 April 1929, was won by
William Grover-Williams
(using the pseudonym "Williams"), driving a
works
Bugatti
Type 35B
.
[6]
[14]
It was an invitation-only event, but not all of those who were invited decided to attend. The leading
Maserati
and
Alfa Romeo
drivers decided not to compete, but Bugatti was well represented.
Mercedes
sent their leading driver,
Rudolf Caracciola
. Starting fifteenth, Caracciola drove a fighting race, taking his
SSK
into the lead before wasting
4
+
1
⁄
2
minutes on refuelling and a tyre change to finish second.
[6]
[15]
Another driver who competed using a pseudonym was "Georges Philippe", the
Baron Philippe de Rothschild
. Chiron was unable to compete, having a prior commitment to compete in the Indianapolis 500.
[12]
Caracciola's SSK was refused permission to race the following year,
[15]
but Chiron did compete (in the works Bugatti Type 35C), when he was beaten by
privateer
Rene Dreyfus
and his Bugatti Type 35B, and finished second. Chiron took victory in the
1931 race
driving a Bugatti. He remained the only native of Monaco to have won the event until 2024.
[16]
Pre-war
[
edit
]
The race quickly grew in importance after its inception. Because of the high number of races which were being termed 'Grands Prix', the AIACR formally recognised the most important race of each of its affiliated national automobile clubs as International Grands Prix, or
Grandes Epreuves
, and in 1933 Monaco was ranked as such alongside the
French
,
Belgian
,
Italian
, and
Spanish
Grands Prix.
[17]
That year's race
was the first Grand Prix in which grid positions were decided, as they are now, by practice time rather than the established method of
balloting
. The race saw
Achille Varzi
and
Tazio Nuvolari
exchange the lead many times before the race settled in Varzi's favour on the final lap when Nuvolari's car caught fire.
[18]
The race became a round of the new
European Championship
in 1936, when stormy weather and a broken oil line led to a series of crashes, eliminating the
Mercedes-Benzes
of Chiron,
Fagioli
, and
von Brauchitsch
, as well as
Bernd Rosemeyer
's
Typ C
for newcomer
Auto Union
;
Rudolf Caracciola
, proving the truth of his nickname,
Regenmeister
(Rainmaster), went on to win.
[19]
In 1937, von Brauchitsch duelled Caracciola before coming out on top.
[20]
It was the last prewar
Grand Prix
at Monaco, for in 1938, the lack of profits for organisers, and demand for nearly £500 (approximately £40000 adjusted to 2023 inflation
[21]
) in appearance money per top entrant led AIACR to cancel the event, while looming war overtook it in 1939, and the
Second World War
ended organised racing in Europe until 1945.
[22]
Post-war Grand Prix
[
edit
]
Racing in Europe started again on 9 September 1945 at the
Bois de Boulogne
Park in the city of
Paris
, four months and one day after the end of the war in Europe.
[23]
However, the Monaco Grand Prix was not run between 1945 and 1947 due to financial reasons.
[24]
In 1946, a new premier racing category,
Grand Prix
, was defined by the
Federation Internationale de l'Automobile
(FIA), the successor of the AIACR, based on the pre-war
voiturette
class. A Monaco Grand Prix was run to this formula in
1948
, won by the future world champion
Nino Farina
in a
Maserati 4CLT
.
[25]
[26]
Formula One
[
edit
]
Early championship days
[
edit
]
The 1949 event was cancelled due to the death of Prince Louis II;
[24]
it was included in the new Formula One World Drivers' Championship
the following year
.
The race
provided future five-time world champion
Juan Manuel Fangio
with his first win in a World Championship race, as well as third place for the 51-year-old Louis Chiron, his best result in the World Championship era. However, there was no race in 1951 due to budgetary concerns and a lack of regulations in the sport.
[27]
1952 was the first of the two years in which the World Drivers' Championship was run to less powerful
Formula Two
regulations. The race was run to
sports car
rules instead, and it did not form part of the World Championship.
[6]
No races were held in 1953 or 1954 due to the fact that the car regulations were not finalized.
[27]
The Monaco Grand Prix returned in 1955, again as part of the Formula One World Championship, and this would begin a streak of 64 consecutive years in which the race was held.
[28]
In the 1955 race,
Maurice Trintignant
won in Monte Carlo for the first time and Chiron again scored points and at 56 became the oldest driver to compete in a Formula One Grand Prix. It was not until
1957
, when Fangio won again, that the Grand Prix saw a double winner. Between 1954 and 1961 Fangio's former Mercedes colleague,
Stirling Moss
, went one better, as did Trintignant, who won the race again in
1958
driving a
Cooper
. The
1961 race
saw Moss fend off three works
Ferrari
156s
in a year-old privateer
Rob Walker Racing Team
Lotus 18
to take his third Monaco victory.
[29]
Graham Hill's era
[
edit
]
Britain's
Graham Hill
won the race five times in the 1960s and became known as "King of Monaco"
[30]
and "Mr. Monaco". He first won in 1963, and then won the next two years.
[6]
In the
1965 race
, he took pole position and led from the start, but went up an escape road on lap 25 to avoid hitting a slow backmarker. Re-joining in fifth place, Hill set several new lap records on the way to winning.
[31]
The race was also notable for Jim Clark's absence (he was participating in
the Indianapolis 500
), and for
Paul Hawkins's
Lotus ending up in the harbour.
[32]
Hill's teammate, Briton
Jackie Stewart
, won in 1966 and New Zealander
Denny Hulme
won in 1967, but Hill won the next two years, the 1969 event being his final Formula One championship victory, by which time he was a double Formula One world champion.
[33]
Track alterations, safety, and increasing business interests
[
edit
]
By the start of the 1970s, efforts by Jackie Stewart saw several Formula One events cancelled because of safety concerns. For the
1969 event
,
Armco barriers
were placed at specific points for the first time in the circuit's history. Before that, the circuit's conditions were (aside from the removal of people's production cars parked on the side of the road) virtually identical to everyday road use. If a driver went off, he had a chance to crash into whatever was next to the track (buildings, trees, lamp posts, glass windows, and even a train station), and in Alberto Ascari's and Paul Hawkins's cases, the harbour water, because the concrete road the course used had no Armco to protect the drivers from going off the track and into the
Mediterranean
. The circuit gained more Armco in specific points for the next two races, and by 1972, the circuit was almost completely Armco-lined. For the first time in its history, the Monaco circuit was altered in 1972, as the pits were moved next to the waterfront straight between the chicane and Tabac, and the chicane was moved further forward right before Tabac, becoming the junction point between the pits and the course. The course was changed again for the 1973 race. The
Rainier III Nautical Stadium
was constructed where the straight that went behind the pits was, and the circuit introduced a double chicane that went around the new swimming pool (this chicane complex is known today as "Swimming Pool"). This created space for a whole new pit facility, and in 1976 the course was altered yet again; the Sainte Devote corner was made slower and a chicane was placed right before the pit straight.
[34]
By the early 1970s, as
Brabham
team owner
Bernie Ecclestone
started to marshal the collective bargaining power of the
Formula One Constructors Association
(FOCA), Monaco was prestigious enough to become an early bone of contention. Historically, the number of cars permitted in a race was decided by the race organiser, in this case the ACM, which had always set a low number of around 16. In 1972, Ecclestone started to negotiate deals which relied on FOCA guaranteeing at least 18 entrants for every race. A stand-off over this issue left the 1972 race in jeopardy until the ACM gave in and agreed that 26 cars could participate ? the same number permitted at most other circuits. Two years later, in 1974, the ACM got the numbers back down to 18.
[35]
Because of its tight confines, slow average speeds, and punishing nature, Monaco has often thrown up unexpected results. In the
1982
race,
Rene Arnoux
led the first 15 laps before retiring.
Alain Prost
then led until four laps from the end, when he spun off on the wet track, hit the barriers and lost a wheel, giving
Riccardo Patrese
the lead. Patrese himself spun with only a lap and a half to go, letting
Didier Pironi
through to the front, followed by
Andrea de Cesaris
. On the last lap, Pironi ran out of fuel in the tunnel, but De Cesaris also ran out of fuel before he could overtake. In the meantime, Patrese had bump-started his car and went through to score his first Grand Prix win.
[36]
In 1983, the ACM became entangled in the disagreements between
Federation Internationale du Sport Automobile
(FISA) and FOCA. The ACM, with the agreement of Bernie Ecclestone, negotiated an individual television rights deal with
ABC
in the
United States
. This broke an agreement enforced by FISA for a single central negotiation of television rights.
Jean-Marie Balestre
, president of FISA, announced that the Monaco Grand Prix would not form part of the Formula One world championship in 1985. The ACM fought their case in the French courts. They won the case and the race was eventually reinstated.
[35]
Era of Prost/Senna dominance
[
edit
]
For the decade from 1984 to 1993, the race was won by only two drivers, arguably the two best drivers in Formula One at the time
[37]
[38]
? Frenchman
Alain Prost
and Brazilian
Ayrton Senna
. Prost, already a winner of the
support race for Formula Three cars
in 1979, took his first Monaco win at the
1984 race
. The race started 45 minutes late after heavy rain. Prost led briefly before
Nigel Mansell
overtook him on lap 11. Mansell crashed out five laps later, letting Prost back into the lead. On lap 27, Prost led from Ayrton Senna's
Toleman
and
Stefan Bellof
's
Tyrrell
. Senna was catching Prost, and Bellof was catching both of them in the only naturally aspirated car in the race. However, on lap 31, the race was controversially stopped due to conditions deemed to be undriveable. Later, FISA fined the clerk of the course,
Jacky Ickx
, $6,000 and suspended his licence for not consulting the stewards before stopping the race.
[39]
The drivers received only half of the points that would usually be awarded, as the race had been stopped before two-thirds of the intended race distance had been completed.
[40]
Prost won 1985 after polesitter Senna retired with a blown Renault engine in his Lotus after over-revving it at the start, and Michele Alboreto in the Ferrari retook the lead twice, but he went off the track at Sainte-Devote, where Brazilian Nelson Piquet and Italian Riccardo Patrese had a huge accident only a few laps previously and oil and debris littered the track. Prost passed Alboreto, who retook the Frenchman, and then he punctured a tyre after running over bodywork debris from the Piquet/Patrese accident, which dropped him to 4th. He was able to pass his Roman countrymen Andrea De Cesaris and
Elio de Angelis
, but finished 2nd behind Prost. The French Prost dominated 1986 after starting from pole position, a race where the Nouvelle Chicane had been changed on the grounds of safety.
[41]
Senna holds the record for the most victories in Monaco, with six, including five consecutive wins between
1989
and
1993
, as well as eight podium finishes in ten starts. His
1987
win was the first time a car with an active suspension had won a Grand Prix. He won this race after Briton Nigel Mansell in a Williams-Honda went out with a broken exhaust. His win was very popular with the people of Monaco, and when he was arrested on the Monday following the race for riding a motorcycle without wearing a helmet, he was released by the officers after they realised who he was.
[42]
Senna dominated
1988
and was able to get ahead of his teammate Prost while the Frenchman was held up for most of the race by Austrian
Gerhard Berger
in a Ferrari. By the time Prost got past Berger, he pushed as hard as he could and set a lap some 6 seconds faster than Senna's; Senna then set 2 fastest laps, and while pushing as hard as possible, he touched the barrier at the Portier corner and crashed into the Armco separating the road from the Mediterranean. Senna was so upset that he went back to his Monaco flat and was not heard from until the evening.
[43]
Prost went on to win for the fourth time.
Senna dominated 1989 while Prost was stuck behind backmarker Rene Arnoux and others; the Brazilian also dominated 1990 and 1991. At the
1992 event
Nigel Mansell, who had won all five races held to that point in the season, took pole and dominated the race in his
Williams FW14
B-
Renault
. However, with seven laps remaining, Mansell suffered a loose wheel nut and was forced into the pits, emerging behind Senna's
McLaren
-Honda, who was on worn tyres. Mansell, on fresh tyres, set a lap record almost two seconds quicker than Senna's and closed from 5.2 to 1.9 seconds in only two laps. The pair duelled around Monaco for the final four laps but Mansell could find no way past, finishing just two-tenths of a second behind the Brazilian.
[44]
[45]
It was Senna's fifth win at Monaco, equalling Graham Hill's record. Senna had a poor start to the
1993 event
, crashing in practice and qualifying 3rd behind pole-sitter Prost and the rising German star
Michael Schumacher
. Both of them beat Senna to the first corner, but Prost had to serve a time penalty for jumping the start and Schumacher retired after suspension problems, so Senna took his sixth win to break Graham Hill's record for most wins at the Monaco Grand Prix. Runner-up
Damon Hill
commented, "If my father was around now, he would be the first to congratulate Ayrton."
[46]
Modern times
[
edit
]
The 1994 race was an emotional and tragic affair. It came two weeks after the race at
Imola
in which Austrian
Roland Ratzenberger
and
Ayrton Senna
both died in crashes on successive days. During the Monaco event, Austrian
Karl Wendlinger
had an accident in his
Sauber
in the tunnel; he went into a coma and was to miss the rest of the season. The German Michael Schumacher won the
1994 Monaco event
.
[47]
Schumacher also won the 1995 event. The
1996 race
saw Michael Schumacher take pole position before crashing out on the first lap after being overtaken by Damon Hill. Hill led the first 40 laps before his engine expired in the tunnel.
Jean Alesi
took the lead but suffered suspension failure 20 laps later.
Olivier Panis
, who started in 14th place, moved into the lead and stayed there until the end of the race, being pushed all the way by
David Coulthard
. It was Panis's only win, and the last for his
Ligier
team. Only three cars crossed the finish line, but seven were classified.
[48]
Seven-time world champion Schumacher would eventually win the race five times, matching Graham Hill's record. In his appearance at the
2006 event
, he attracted criticism when, while provisionally holding
pole position
and with the qualifying session drawing to a close, he stopped his car at the Rascasse hairpin, blocking the track and obliging competitors to slow down.
[49]
Although Schumacher claimed it was the unintentional result of a genuine car failure, the
FIA
disagreed and he was sent to the back of the grid.
[50]
In July 2010, Bernie Ecclestone announced that a 10-year deal had been reached with the race organisers, keeping the race on the calendar until at least 2020.
[51]
Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
, the FIA announced the 2020 Monaco Grand Prix's postponement, along with the two other races scheduled for May 2020, to help prevent the spread of the virus.
[52]
However, later the same day the Automobile Club de Monaco confirmed that the Grand Prix was instead cancelled, making 2020 the first time the Grand Prix was not run since 1954.
[53]
It returned in 2021, on 23 May,
[54]
where
Max Verstappen
won his first Monaco Grand Prix. The 2022 event saw the
Monegasque
driver,
Charles Leclerc
of
Scuderia Ferrari
, achieve his first Monaco Grand Prix pole position at the Circuit de Monaco (he had taken pole the previous year but could not start due to driveshaft failure
[55]
[56]
). However, a critical strategical error
[57]
[58]
meant Leclerc would drop to fourth, with Verstappen's teammate
Sergio Perez
winning the race. The race was delayed due to heavy rain; two formation laps were completed before the start procedure was suspended and further delayed an hour from its 15:00 local time intended start. In addition to a red flag due to a big crash from
Mick Schumacher
, this dropped the laps completed from the intended 78 to 64.
In September 2022, the Grand Prix signed a new race contract to remain on the F1 calendar until the 2025 season.
[59]
As part of this deal, the ACM relinquished advertising rights and television coverage to
Formula One Management
, with previous races having their television coverage produced by
Tele Monte-Carlo
.
[60]
[61]
The 2024 Grand Prix saw
Charles Leclerc
, driving for Ferrari, taking pole position for the third time around the principality of Monaco. The race was red-flagged after a heavy crash involving the Haas of
Kevin Magnussen
making contact with previous race winner Sergio Perez and his Haas teammate
Nico Hulkenberg
. Leclerc won from pole position after fending off
Oscar Piastri
to become the second Monegasque to win the race after Louis Chiron won the 1931 edition of the race.
Circuit
[
edit
]
The Grand Prix takes place on the Circuit de Monaco which traverses the narrow city streets of
Monte Carlo
and
La Condamine
alongside Monaco's harbour,
Port Hercules
. It has hosted the Grand Prix every time it has been run since 1929 ? only the
Italian Grand Prix
, which has been held at
Autodromo Nazionale Monza
during every Formula One regulated year except
1980
, has a similarly lengthy and close relationship with a single circuit.
[62]
The race circuit has many elevation changes, tight corners, and a narrow course that requires millimetre accuracy and makes it one of the most demanding tracks in Formula One racing.
[63]
[64]
Drivers will often touch the track walls to achieve a fast lap time. In 1929,
La Vie Automobile
magazine offered the opinion that "Any respectable traffic system would have covered the track with <<Danger>> sign posts left, right and centre".
[65]
As of 2022
[update]
, two drivers have crashed and ended up in the harbour, the most famous being
Alberto Ascari
in
1955
.
[66]
[67]
Despite undergoing minor
changes
throughout its history, the circuit is largely unchanged since 1929 and remains widely regarded as the ultimate test of driving skills and mental strength. If Monaco were not already an existing Grand Prix, it is unlikely that its street circuit would be permitted to host Formula One due to its short track length and concerns with safety and
overtaking
.
[68]
[69]
However, as the 'Crown Jewel' of Formula One with a near century-old heritage in motorsport, Monaco is granted some exceptions to accommodate its limited possibilities for expansion.
[70]
[71]
Triple Formula One champion
Nelson Piquet
famously described racing at Monaco as "like riding a bicycle around your living room," illustrating the unique challenges posed by the circuit's narrow streets.
[72]
[64]
He further emphasized the significance of victory at Monaco by stating that "a win here was worth two anywhere else".
Notably, the circuit includes a tunnel. The contrast of daylight and gloom when entering/exiting the tunnel presents "challenges not faced elsewhere", as the drivers have to "adjust their vision as they emerge from the tunnel at the fastest point of the track and brake for the
chicane
in the daylight.".
[73]
The fastest-ever qualifying lap was set by
Lewis Hamilton
in qualifying (Q3) for the
2019 Monaco Grand Prix
, at a time of 1:10.166.
[74]
Viewing areas
[
edit
]
During the Grand Prix weekend, spectators crowd around the Monaco Circuit. There are a number of temporary grandstands built around the circuit, mostly around the harbour area.
[75]
The rich and famous spectators often arrive on their boats and the yachts through the harbour. Balconies around Monaco become viewing areas for the race as well. Many hotels and residents cash in on the bird's eye views of the race.
[76]
Organization
[
edit
]
The Monaco Grand Prix is organised each year by the
Automobile Club de Monaco
which also runs the
Monte Carlo Rally
and previously ran the
Junior Monaco Kart Cup
.
[77]
The Monaco Grand Prix differs in several ways from other Grands Prix. The practice session for the race was traditionally held on the Thursday preceding the race instead of Friday.
[78]
This allows the streets to be opened to the public again on Friday. From the
2022 event
onwards the first two Formula One practice sessions will now be held on Friday, bringing the running schedule for Formula One in line with other Grands Prix.
[79]
Support races will still be run on Thursday.
[80]
Until the late 1990s the race started at 3:30 p.m. local time ? an hour and a half later than other European Formula One races. In recent years the race has fallen in line with the other Formula One races for the convenience of television viewers. Also, earlier the event was traditionally held on the week of
Ascension Day
. For many years, the numbers of cars admitted to Grands Prix was at the discretion of the race organisers ? Monaco had the smallest grids, ostensibly because of its narrow and twisting track.
[81]
Only 18 cars were permitted to start the
1975 Monaco Grand Prix
, compared to 23 to 26 cars at all other rounds that year.
[82]
The erecting of the circuit takes six weeks, and the removal after the race takes three weeks.
[83]
Until 2017, there was no proper
podium
at the race. Instead, a section of the track was closed after the race to act as
parc ferme
, a place where the cars are held for official inspection. The first three drivers in the race left their cars there and walked directly to the
royal box
where the 'podium' ceremony was held, which was considered a custom for the race.
[84]
The trophies were handed out before the national anthems for the winning driver and team are played, as opposed to other Grands Prix where the anthems are played first.
[85]
Fame
[
edit
]
The Monaco Grand Prix is widely considered to be one of the most important and prestigious automobile races in the world alongside the
Indianapolis 500
and the
24 Hours of Le Mans
.
[86]
[87]
These three races are considered to form a
Triple Crown
of the three most famous motor races in the world. As of 2023,
Graham Hill
is the only driver to have won the Triple Crown, by winning all three races. The practice session for Monaco overlaps with that for the Indianapolis 500, and the races themselves sometimes clash. As the two races take place on opposite sides of the
Atlantic Ocean
and form part of different championships, it is difficult for one driver to compete effectively in both during his career.
Juan Pablo Montoya
and
Fernando Alonso
are the only active drivers to have won two of the three events.
[88]
[89]
In awarding its first gold medal for motorsport to
Prince Rainier III
, the
Federation Internationale de l'Automobile
(FIA) characterised the Monaco Grand Prix as contributing "an exceptional location of glamour and prestige" to motorsport.
[9]
The Grand Prix has been run under the patronage of three generations of
Monaco
's royal family:
Louis II
,
Rainier III
and
Albert II
, all of whom have taken a close interest in the race. A large part of the principality's income comes from tourists attracted by the warm climate and the famous casino, but it is also a
tax haven
and is home to many millionaires, including several Formula One drivers.
[90]
Monaco has produced four native Formula One drivers?
Louis Chiron
,
Andre Testut
,
Olivier Beretta
, and
Charles Leclerc
[91]
?but its tax status has made it home to many drivers over the years, including
Gilles Villeneuve
and
Ayrton Senna
. Of the
2006
Formula One contenders, several have property in the principality, including
Jenson Button
and
David Coulthard
, who was part owner of a hotel there.
[92]
Because of the small size of the principality and the location of the circuit, drivers whose races end early can usually get back to their apartments in minutes. Ayrton Senna famously retired to his apartment after crashing out of the lead of
the 1988 race
.
[93]
In
the 2006 race
, after retiring due to a mechanical failure while in second place,
Kimi Raikkonen
retired to his yacht, which was parked in the harbour.
[94]
The Grand Prix attracts big-name celebrities each year who come to experience the glamour and prestige of the event. Big parties are held in the nightclubs on the Grand Prix weekend, and the
Port Hercule
fills up with party-goers joining in the celebrations.
[95]
Criticism from drivers and commentators
In the 21st century, several commentators and F1 drivers have called the Grand Prix the most boring race of all circuits, both to drive and to watch as a spectator. Criticism has been directed towards how few overtake attempts are performed, as well as how frequently the driver who sets the pole position wins.
[96]
[97]
Fernando Alonso
has said that the race is "the most boring race ever," and
Lewis Hamilton
stated that the 2022 Grand Prix "wasn't really racing."
[98]
[99]
Winners
[
edit
]
Repeat winners (drivers)
[
edit
]
Drivers
in bold
are competing in the Formula One championship in the current season.
Wins
|
Driver
|
Years won
|
6
|
Ayrton Senna
|
1987
,
1989
,
1990
,
1991
,
1992
,
1993
|
5
|
Graham Hill
|
1963
,
1964
,
1965
,
1968
,
1969
|
Michael Schumacher
|
1994
,
1995
,
1997
,
1999
,
2001
|
4
|
Alain Prost
|
1984
,
1985
,
1986
,
1988
|
3
|
Stirling Moss
|
1956
,
1960
,
1961
|
Jackie Stewart
|
1966
,
1971
,
1973
|
Nico Rosberg
|
2013
,
2014
,
2015
|
Lewis Hamilton
|
2008
,
2016
,
2019
|
2
|
Juan Manuel Fangio
|
1950
,
1957
|
Maurice Trintignant
|
1955
,
1958
|
Niki Lauda
|
1975
,
1976
|
Jody Scheckter
|
1977
,
1979
|
David Coulthard
|
2000
,
2002
|
Fernando Alonso
|
2006
,
2007
|
Mark Webber
|
2010
,
2012
|
Sebastian Vettel
|
2011
,
2017
|
Max Verstappen
|
2021
,
2023
|
Sources:
[100]
[101]
|
Repeat winners (constructors)
[
edit
]
Teams
in bold
are competing in the Formula One championship in the current season.
A pink background indicates an event which was not part of the Formula One World Championship.
A yellow background indicates an event which was part of the pre-
war
European Championship.
Wins
|
Constructor
|
Years won
|
15
|
McLaren
|
1984
,
1985
,
1986
,
1988
,
1989
,
1990
,
1991
,
1992
,
1993
,
1998
,
2000
,
2002
,
2005
,
2007
,
2008
|
11
|
Ferrari
|
1952
,
1955
,
1975
,
1976
,
1979
,
1981
,
1997
,
1999
,
2001
,
2017
,
2024
|
8
|
Mercedes
|
1935
,
1936
,
1937
,
2013
,
2014
,
2015
,
2016
,
2019
|
7
|
Lotus
|
1960
,
1961
,
1968
,
1969
,
1970
,
1974
,
1987
|
Red Bull
|
2010
,
2011
,
2012
,
2018
,
2021
,
2022
,
2023
|
5
|
BRM
|
1963
,
1964
,
1965
,
1966
,
1972
|
4
|
Bugatti
|
1929
,
1930
,
1931
,
1933
|
3
|
Alfa Romeo
|
1932
,
1934
,
1950
|
Maserati
|
1948
,
1956
,
1957
|
Cooper
|
1958
,
1959
,
1962
|
Tyrrell
|
1971
,
1973
,
1978
|
Williams
|
1980
,
1983
,
2003
|
2
|
Brabham
|
1967
,
1982
|
Benetton
|
1994
,
1995
|
Renault
|
2004
,
2006
|
Sources:
[100]
[101]
|
Repeat winners (engine manufacturers)
[
edit
]
Manufacturers
in bold
are competing in the Formula One championship in the current season.
A pink background indicates an event which was not part of the Formula One World Championship.
A yellow background indicates an event which was part of the pre-
war
European Championship.
Wins
|
Manufacturer
|
Years won
|
15
|
Mercedes
*
|
1935
,
1936
,
1937
,
1998
,
2000
,
2002
,
2005
,
2007
,
2008
,
2009
,
2013
,
2014
,
2015
,
2016
,
2019
|
14
|
Ford
**
|
1968
,
1969
,
1970
,
1971
,
1972
,
1973
,
1974
,
1977
,
1978
,
1980
,
1982
,
1983
,
1993
,
1994
|
11
|
Ferrari
|
1952
,
1955
,
1975
,
1976
,
1979
,
1981
,
1997
,
1999
,
2001
,
2017
,
2024
|
7
|
Honda
|
1987
,
1988
,
1989
,
1990
,
1991
,
1992
,
2021
|
6
|
Renault
|
1995
,
2004
,
2006
,
2010
,
2011
,
2012
|
5
|
Climax
|
1958
,
1959
,
1960
,
1961
,
1962
|
BRM
|
1963
,
1964
,
1965
,
1966
,
1972
|
4
|
Bugatti
|
1929
,
1930
,
1931
,
1933
|
3
|
Alfa Romeo
|
1932
,
1934
,
1950
|
Maserati
|
1948
,
1956
,
1957
|
TAG
***
|
1984
,
1985
,
1986
|
Sources:
[100]
[101]
|
* Between 1998 and 2005 built by
Ilmor
, funded by Mercedes
** Built by
Cosworth
, funded by Ford
*** Built by
Porsche
By year
[
edit
]
A pink background indicates an event which was not part of the Formula One World Championship.
A yellow background indicates an event which was part of the pre-
war
European Championship.
Previous circuit configurations
[
edit
]
-
1929?1971
-
1972
-
1973?1975
-
1976?1985
-
1986?1996
See also
[
edit
]
References
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edit
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. London, England: Motorbooks International. pp. 425?426.
ISBN
978-0-7603-0152-4
– via Internet Archive.
Bibliography
[
edit
]
- Codling, Stuart (2019).
The Life Monaco Grand Prix
. Beverly, MA: Motorbooks.
ISBN
9780760363744
.
- Folley, Malcolm (2017).
Monaco: Inside F1's Greatest Race
. London: Century.
ISBN
9781780896168
.
- Kettlewell, Mike. "Monaco: Road Racing on the Riviera", in Northey, Tom, editor.
World of Automobiles
, Volume 12, pp. 1381?4. London: Orbis, 1974.
External links
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