Monaco. When I hear the name of this country, particular words come to mind. Glitz, glam, casinos, celebrities, money, famous, sun, sea and most importantly; Formula One. In this blog post, I am going to be explaining my opinion on why Formula One can never loose the most prestigious race on the calendar that is the Monaco Grand Prix.
The Monaco Grand Prix first came to light in 1929 when it first became apart of the "pre-Second World War European Championships." The story of how the race came about is an interesting one. Then president of the Automobile Club de Monaco (ACM); Antony Noghés applied to the Association Internationale des Automobiles Clubs Reconnus in 1928 in order to give the ACM an upgrade from their status as a regional French club to full national status. However, unfortunately, this was denied due to the lack of motorsport in the principality. Noghés then came up with the idea of a race within the streets of Monte Carlo and with official permission from then Prince Louis II, the Monaco Grand Prix was born. Officially holding their first race on 14th April 1929 which was eventually won by French-Brit; William Grover-Williams.
In the years leading up to the war, the Monaco Grand Prix grew in popularity and eventually was recognised as a national grand prix in 1933. However this wasn't to last, because in 1939 due to the Second World War, all racing in Europe was suspended until 1945.
The Monaco Grand Prix has officially been apart of the Formula One World Championship since 1955, with races in 1950 and 1952 respectively. Throughout the years, hundreds of drivers have taken to these streets, guiding their cars at ridiculous speeds through the likes of Massenet and Piscine (also known as the Swimming Pool Chicane) and squeezing themselves and their machinery through the tight corners of Sainte-Dévote and Mirabeau. And, when a driver wins, it is something special. Known as one of, if not the most demanding race on the current Formula One calendar, it has split the men from the boys and given us a range of different winners; from William Grover-Williams to Juan Manuel Fangio, from the "King of Monaco" - Graham Hill to Jack Stewart, Ayrton Senna to Alain Prost and Fernando Alonso to Sebastian Vettel. This is just a small handful of winners. In fact, Australian Daniel Ricciardo won the prestigious race just moments before I started to write this.
But, if it's so famous and historical in Formula One, why do people moan about it? Simple. As the cars have evolved over the years, the racing around Monte-Carlo has become some-what less thrilling. The cars may be faster but overtaking is harder. Non-F1 fans perception of the sport being "cars driving around in circles" becomes just that. However, it's not always a "bore fest." At times the racing can live up to being thrilling. Look at the 2008 race. Unpredictable weather made for a classic.
I for one enjoy Monaco. Do I ever find it long and boring? Sometimes, yes. But the anticipation of the event gets me hyped. The glitz and glamour is fabulous. But what really makes Monaco for me is the tight, narrow circuit. When you're waiting for the lights to go out, wondering who'll be first to make that unforgivable mistake. When you're waiting for the rain to mix things up and the wheel to wheel battles that unfortunatley we don't always get.
Monaco is a special race. Monaco is Formula One, just look at the history. It cannot afford to loose such an iconic and prestigious event. Next time you're moaning that it's boring, think of its history and watch a classic. I hope Monaco will still be around for some time.
Comments