The picturesque setting of Monaco has reverberated to the sound of the racing car since the 1920s and it remains the most prestigious event on the calendar. Although drivers are more focused on the racing aspect of the location, it is hard not to become engulfed in the glitz and glamour of Monte Carlo. The quite magnificent backdrop of the yachts bobbing on the harbour in the principality makes it undoubtedly F1’s duel in the crown, and its incredible to think that a circuit merely 2 miles long has given us years of treasured memories.
Every corner is littered with unforgettable Monaco moments. The first corner, a sharp right-hander named ‘St. Devote’ has been known to cause plenty of chaos at the start of the race as cars squabble amongst themselves for track position. Then it’s the climb up the hill towards Massanet as the cars form into line before the immediate left-right sequence of corners at Casino Square. Get it wrong there and you are in for a lot of trouble. The tight, bumpy nature of the racetrack means it is imperative not be an inch out of line. One false move and you will be punished. These particular characteristics of the Monaco racetrack ensure that driver skill and bravery often outweighs the performance of the car.
The run from Casino Square into Mirabeau is, in my eyes, the most iconic aspect of the circuit. Home to the people watchers; the historic elements of this famous racetrack come to the fore. The Loews hairpin, the slowest corner in F1, quickly follows and the shot of 24 cars fighting for position there is quite astonishing. Two corners later and we reach Portier, the right –hander that precedes the famous Monaco tunnel.
It is incredible to think that in spite of Ayrton Senna’s record six victories here, his famous Monaco moment occurred in the barriers at Portier. Although leading the race in 1988 by some 50 seconds and having qualified on pole by a scarcely believable 1.5 seconds from team mate Alain Prost, Senna refused to slow down and with the finishing line in sight buckled under the pressure. It appears that anybody, even the greats, are vulnerable in Monte Carlo.
For all the minor tweaks that have been made to the Monaco circuit, the legendary tunnel remains unaltered. The cars enter the darkness and reach a speed of 160mph. Scene of Damon Hill’s famous retirement in 1996 which gifted Olivier Panis is only victory and Michael Schumacher’s collision with a lapped Juan Pablo Montoya in 2004, the tunnel remains unforgiving. The drivers will not be able to access their DRS in the tunnel and for me that is the right decision. Opening your rear wing without acknowledging the position of the car in front could incur catastrophic collisions.
As the cars exit the tunnel, the driver’s eyes adjusting to the light as they enter the final third of the lap, they must immediately break hard for the Nouvelle chicane. The narrow nature of the circuit means F1 overtakes are few and far between. As the drivers follow one another through the Tunnel it is evident that a desperate lunge into the left-right Nouvelle chicane may be their only opportunity. Sheer bravery or bonkers; make your own judgement. For Adrian Sutil, these corners must still wake him up in the middle of the night with a cold sweat. It was here, just three years ago, where he was on course for a remarkable fourth place in that rain-affected race, only to retire when Kimi Raikkonen’s wayward Ferrari ploughed into the back of him. We all had a lump in our throat as he cried in the Force India garage that afternoon.
As the drivers pass the harbour, around Tabac and into the ultra-fast left-right chicane at the Swimming Pool, you get a real sense of Monaco’s history. The times and speed may have changed, but the action remains relentless. It was here, again in 2008, where Lewis Hamilton clipped the barrier on the run into the Swimming Pool and, ironically, it was an error which saw him win the race. Crazy occurrences such as these are not uncommon around the streets of the principality. The sharp right-handers La Rascasse and Anthony Noghes conclude the lap and we all know exactly what La Rascasse is famous for, don’t we?
The streets of Monte Carlo present the drivers with the most demanding race of the season: 78 laps around a bumpy, narrow racetrack within the confines of the Monaco barriers. Get it wrong just for a fraction and you are looking at an instant retirement. The circuit rewards drivers who respect but attack it and those who are brave enough to drive within millimetres of the Armco will reap the rewards. I will leave you with my favourite Monaco memory. It comes from 1992, the year I was born, and the fabulous duel between Senna and Nigel Mansell. A repeat of this in 2011 will only add to Monaco’s already overwhelming history.
1992 - Mansell vs Senna.(monaco) by chevychrist
Josh.
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