May 15, 2014
Set against the stunning backdrop of the picturesque Mediterranean, the Monaco Grand Prix is the jewel in the Formula 1 crown and the most prestigious of all Grands Prix. Along with the Indianapolis 500 and Le Mans 24 Hours, the race is considered part of motorsport’s triple crown. Graham Hill, the man known as “Mr Monaco” for his five wins at the event during the 1960s, is the only driver to have achieved the elite triple crown. The glamorous street circuit is the slowest and most difficult of all on the Formula 1 calendar as it winds through the streets of Monaco, challenging drivers with hairpin bends, numerous elevation changes and tunnels. It is also the race that all drivers want to win.
Located near southeastern France with the French Riviera to the west and the Italian Riviera to the east, the Principality of Monaco is the second smallest country in the world (after Vatican City) and home to some of the wealthiest people in the world. world. With its casinos, high-end boutiques and high-rise apartments with million-dollar views, this glittering playground for the rich and famous is the perfect host for the world’s most intoxicating motorsports event.
This year marks the 72nd edition of the Monaco Grand Prix and the illustrious race has a long and rich history. The first Formula 1 race here took place in 1929 and was won by William Grover-Williams, a special agent who worked for the Special Operations Executive in France during World War II. Driving a Bugatti 35B, Williams beat out highly favored Mercedes driver Rudolf Caracciola. In 1950 the event was included in the inaugural FIA World Drivers’ Championship, one of six Grand Prix races counting towards the Championship at the time.
The list of winners from this auspicious race reads like a Who’s Who of Formula 1 World Champions. The late Ayrton Senna holds the record with six wins, five of which were consecutive. Joining him on the champion’s multiple win roll of honor is Michael Schumacher (5) Alain Prost (4), Jackie Stewart (3), Niki Lauda (2) and Fernando Alonso (2). Considered the ultimate test of a driver’s skills, the difficult circuit eluded triple world champion Nelson Piquet, who liked to maneuver through the narrow streets to “fly a helicopter in his living room.” But it is the famous tunnel section that causes the most difficulty for drivers; a rapid transition from light to dark and back to light.
Six from the current grid have tasted success in Monaco: Nico Rosberg, Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen. With the circuit favoring driver skill over power, the 2014 Monaco Grand Prix is a chance for anyone to win. The only certainty is that as the drivers make their way through the narrow and twisty track, tackling the dangerous hairpin bends and treacherous tunnel, Formula 1 fans from around the world will be treated to a spectacle that only Monaco can offer.