The Monaco Grand Prix is a motor racing event held in Monaco. It is conducted every year in Monaco in May or June. It is hosted by Formula One on the Circuit de Monaco. The event will be telecasted live on channels like Sky Sports F1, ESPN, and F1 TV Pro. The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the most luxurious and demanding events in the world of racing.
Monaco is the second-smallest country and hosts the Grand Prix every year to welcome the fastest drivers. Several celebrities are invited to host the event, which is conducted on a grand scale. This prestigious racing event started in 1929 and has continued to this day.
The racing track is designed with elevation changes, tight corners, and a tunnel for the race. The track is very narrow and dangerous, so selected safety measures are ensured. The track or circuit is constructed for six weeks and removed after the race is over. It almost takes three weeks to dismantle the construction.
Along with the Grand Prix are two other famous Grand Prix known as the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The three races are prestigious in automobile race history and are known as the Triple Crown. Ayrton Senna has won the Grand Prix of Monaco six times and has the longest winning streak in the history of this race. After him, Graham Hill and Michael Schumacher secured the streak of winning five times.
Here are some interesting facts about The Monaco Grand Prix :
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1. Monaco is one of the three circuits in Formula One history that has a tunnel.
There are different circuits in Formula One, where races are conducted every year, but the Monaco Grand Prix has a distinct feature from all the other circuits. The two other circuits that include a tunnel are the Detroit and Yas Marina circuits.
The Monaco Grand Prix has a tunnel, one of the circuit’s unique features. This part of the circuit is very challenging as there is no light, and it becomes difficult for the driver to function in poor visibility.
The tunnel also has a unique aerodynamic property. Since Monaco has a coastline, there is a high chance of sea breezes and other climatic conditions disturbing the race track. The tunnel also has an issue when it rains. The entire track remains wet, but the tunnel is dry when it rains. This makes it difficult for the drivers to continue the race.
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2. Unlike other races, the practice day of the Grand Prix was held on Thursday.
The practice sessions of every Grand Prix are generally conducted on Fridays to avoid public inconvenience. The break was taken on Friday instead to avoid traffic and continue the passage of vehicles in Monte Carlo. So there would not be any disruption or inconvenience in traffic.
All the other circuits conducted practice sessions on Friday only. So, the tradition of practicing on Thursdays continued until 2021. In 2022, the racing session started on Friday and continued until the weekend. The authorities made the change to make it a popular weekend activity instead of disrupting the flow.
3. The construction of the track takes around two months to complete.
The Circuit de Monaco is a racing track constructed around the city and takes a lot of time to build. The construction of this huge track takes around six weeks to complete. It is installed by following all the safety measures. It is a temporary arrangement.
Around 250 construction workers take part in building the race track. It takes a lot of effort to build the track as it is assembled on the streets. The builders need to ensure the safety of the public, too, so the construction continues for two months. Similarly, the removal of the track after the race also takes three weeks.
4. 33 Kilometers of safety rails are erected for the race.
The race track has a 33-kilometer safety barrier around it. These barriers are huge and made of steel. It has 20,000 meters of wire fencing, and 3600 tires are also used to create the barrier. The safety rails are painted red and white. These barriers are built to ensure the safety of drivers and the public. These barriers help to avoid collisions among drivers and protect them from injuries.
5. The race has the shortest lap out of all other Formula One races.
The Formula One races have a specific lap distance, which is generally 305 km or 190 miles. But the Monaco Grand Prix has the shortest lap, unlike all other Formula One races. This exception is given because of the shortness and slowness due to the dangerous and narrow edges. The Monaco Grand Prix takes 78 laps, but the lap distance is low when compared to all other racing tracks.
6. The Monaco race circuit is built on the streets of the country.
The Monaco de Circuit is built on public roads. The circuit is entirely constructed on the streets. This is a temporary facility, and the track is taken down after the race is complete. It is built on the streets of Monte Carlo and La Condamine.
This idea of building the track around the street was suggested by Antony Noghes, who is the president of the Automobile Club de Monaco. It started in 1929, and the tradition has remained the same since then. Several changes were made throughout the years, but the track being built on the streets did not change.
7. Monaco is the only race of the Grand Prix to not run the 305 km distance.
The Formula One races are generally conducted over a 305-kilometer-long track, which is 190 miles. It is the minimum length that the driver needs to cover to complete the race. However, the Monaco Grand Prix does not run the 305 km distance completely. The distance covered by the Monaco circuit is only 161.887 miles. The drivers need to change gears almost 5,000 times to race on this track, which makes it difficult to succeed. So this circuit has an exception to the rule of Formula One, which is completing the 305 km distance.
8. In the past seventy years, over 82 drivers stood on the Monaco Grand Prix podium.
Monaco’s track is one of the oldest and most famous racing tracks in history. One of the participants in the race mentioned that the track was like riding a bicycle around your living room. It is very dangerous and difficult to race on that track. Since the beginning of this race, around 82 drivers have made it to the Monaco Grand Prix podium. Among them, the famous ones are Ayrton Senna, Sebastian Vettel, and Lewis Hamilton. Over the years, these drivers gained recognition and made it to the top of the list.
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9. The Monaco Grand Prix is a part of the Triple Crown.
The Triple Crown is a prestigious association in the motorsport industry. There are three great motorsport events around the world, and among them are the Monaco Grand Prix, Indianapolis 500, and the Le Mans races. They are collectively known as the Triple Crown. These events are known to be the most important motorsport events in the world. A racer named Graham Hill is the only driver to complete the Triple Crown. Other drivers won the events partially but did not win the three events completely.
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10. The first race of the Monaco Grand Prix was conducted in 1929.
The first Grand Prix was organized by Antony Noghes under the patronage of Prince Louis II. The race was organized to gain widespread popularity across the nation. So then the race was sanctioned by the prince. The first race was witnessed in 1929. It was conducted on April 14, 1929. During the initial days, there was not much demand for these events, so it was an invitation-only event. After that, the Grand Prix continued until today.
11. The race was canceled several times due to unfortunate events.
The Monaco Grand Prix race was canceled several times due to various reasons. The race was canceled in 1949 due to the sudden death of Prince Louis II. It was also canceled in 1951 due to budget issues as well as a lack of regulations. Due to this, there were no races in 1953 or 1954. The event continued successfully in 1955. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, the race paused once again in 2020. However, it continued in 2021 again. In the 2022 race, the event got delayed due to heavy rains but was not canceled.
12. William Grover became the first racer to win the Monaco Grand Prix.
The first Monaco Grand Prix was conducted in 1929. William Grover, the only British participant, won the race. He raced in a Bugatti T35B. There were 16 participants in the race, and Grover won it. He was named in history for being the first winner of the Monaco Grand Prix. He won over Rudolf Caracciola, who raced for Mercedes. Grover was awarded a prize of 100,000 French francs. He also won the French Grand Prix in 1928 and 1929.
13. McLaren is the team to secure maximum wins in this race.
McLaren Racing Limited is a British racing company. It is also known as the Formula One constructor. It is a very successful driving team and has 15 wins in the Monaco Grand Prix. Ayrton Senna secured the maximum number of wins for Team McLaren. The team won 183 races, 12 driver’s championships, and eight constructor championships. It is also the second-most successful team after Ferrari in F1 racing.
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14. Monaco Grand Prix is a historic race.
The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the most popular races in Formula One. It was started by Antony Noghes in 1929 under the patronage of the royal family. The prestigious race is also listed under the Triple Crown. It is a very demanding race, and people spend a lot of money to watch it.
Antony Noghes wanted to conduct an international racing event, so he started working towards the Monaco Grand Prix. He is the one who had the idea behind laying the track on streets in Monte Carlo. Slowly, Monaco became a dominant racing event in the world and gained attention. After all these years, it is considered one of the most important events in racing and is considered a very prestigious event.
15. Monaco Grand Prix is the only race that does not pay sanctioning fees every year to Formula One.
Formula One collects sanctioning fees from the countries that conduct these races. But Monaco pays a very low fee to the owners of Formula One when compared to other countries. Generally, it is almost half of what other countries pay. It pays around $15 million. The reason might be the popularity of the racing event among all the other events. However, Monaco’s Prince Albert II told the media that it was just a rumor.
16. The slowest corner of Monaco is known as “Hairpin.”
The Fairmont Hairpin is one of the parts of the Circuit de Monaco. It is a part of the track and takes 48 km/h or 30 mp/h. It was also known as Fairmont, Station, and Loews earlier. The name of the corner changes according to the name of the nearby hotel. Fans can view the racing event from the hotel.
The hairpin corner is one of the most dangerous spots in the race, and racers have specially designed steering systems to go through this point. It is a 180-degree bending corner. The racers need to be very careful at this spot because even a tiny mistake can lead to a dangerous situation. So this corner has special prominence in the race.
17. Graham Hill was awarded as Mr Monaco.
Norman Graham Hill is a British race car driver and team owner. He was the Formula One World Champion two times, in 1962 and 1968. He also stood up as a runner-up three times. A funny thing about Graham Hill was that he did not even pass the driver’s license test until he was 26 but entered the racing field the next year. He was the most celebrated racer of his generation.
Graham Hill was also the only person to win the Triple Crown of Motorsports. He has a streak of winning five times continuously in the Monaco Grand Prix. For his impeccable achievements, he was awarded the title of Mr. Monaco. In 1969, he was severely injured and could not perform like he always did. This incident affected his career.
18. In 1955, Monaco Grand Prix announced being a part of Formula One.
The Monaco Grand Prix was held by Antony Noghes under the patronage of the royal family. This event started in 1929 and continued for a few years. The races were not held from 1945 to 1947 because of financial issues. Several issues happened during that period.
The racing event was not active until 1954. In 1955, the Monaco Grand Prix announced that the racing event would now be a part of Formula One and continue hosting racing events. The Monaco Grand Prix functioned as a part of the Formula One World Championship.
19. The Monaco Grand Prix is organized by Automobile Club de Monaco.
The Automobile Club de Monaco, or ACM, is responsible for conducting the Monaco Grand Prix. This club organizes and manages all the activities of the race. This club was established in 1925 and is a member of the FIA, which is the governing body for motorsports.
The FIA establishes several regulations that should be followed by racing events. ACM ensures that the Monaco Grand Prix abides by the rules and regulations of the FIA. ACM also takes care of building the street circuit and also ensuring public safety. ACM makes sure that the standards are met. Other processes like tickets, seating arrangements, and performances are also managed by this club.
20. The Grand Prix has been under the patronage of the royal family of Monaco.
The Monaco Grand Prix is under the patronage of the royal family of Monaco. The royal family helps promote this prestigious event. The royal family has been adding a touch of elegance to the racing event.
The late Prince Rainier III, a ruler of Monaco, has actively participated in improving and promoting the prestigious event worldwide. The royal family is also known to have an interest in motorsports, which leads to their active involvement.
The royal family also hosts exclusive events and parties during the race weekend. The family also participates in flagging off the race and presenting trophies to the winners. They participate in the celebrations, and it reflects the support and passion of the family towards the event.
