The sounds of twenty engines singing at twenty thousand revolutions per minute around almost three and a half kilometers of windy, elevated, and treacherous pavement are a welcome sound to the people of France. This track encapsulates what a Formula One car is designed for. Built in the streets of Monaco, the track has many challenging corners, elevation changes, and it is very unforgiving to mistakes.
McLaren and Ferrari have very good records here so that should make for a very competitive race. Only three active drivers have scored a win here, and they all did it in a McLaren, although none of them drive in a silver car now. Fernando Alonso has two as well as David Coulthard, and Kimi Raikkonen has scored a win here too.
With the loss of traction control this year, will there be more attrition due to a carelessly placed wheel? If history has anything to say, drivers will have to pay even closer attention when they get back into the throttle as the very hard and very close walls of the track will definitely cause a threat to component damage or total vehicle destruction. From the tunnel and the chicanes to the steep incline up to Massenet (turn three), this track has many infamous sections that seem to yearn for rubber.
Monaco keeps the drivers full attention for almost two hours straight. Now add nineteen other cars around him and that allows for a very dramatic race. A tight, twisty track means that making a pass will be very risky to both competitors and must be timed just right. Qualifying will be even more important this year as the fewer cars that a competitor has to pass the easier his day will be.
So does the quality of driving needed to complete the race and the stunning atmosphere surrounding this tiny city in France constitute the best race of the calendar? Many of the drivers enjoy it because it is very challenging and the characteristics it shows resemble what a Formula One car is meant to do. Together with the atmosphere and scenery, I think of Monaco when Formula One is mentioned.
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2 months ago
What ... a ... GREAT ... Circuit ... I can run this one through in my head I know it that well ... Racing this track over and over again on my PS3 ... Amazing, flying out of that tunnel and into the bright sunlight, down into the Marina ... Its always, always a special day for all ... Fans and drivers ... Its very very taxing, as you say needing 100% attention for the full race ! I think Ferrari will struggle with this one again this year ... McLaren is the more beneficial car to this kind of track ... Ferrari need a fast track with long sweeping corners and high speed apex and straights ... McLaren will relish the twists and turns and with the agressive styles of LH and HK I think they might just nick a McLaren 1-2 ! Fingers crossed !
from 2 months ago
I hope your right ben! Mclaren definitely have an advantage in Monaco, the track is suited to the shorter wheel base!
Monaco is my worst track on the PS3, i always crash, usually because i late break to try and gain some places after a dismal qualifying. Did you hear about Codemasters getting the rights to F1 games. A new F1 game for the PS3 is expected in late 2009, i cannot wait!
2 months ago
"I think of Monaco when Formula One is mentioned." - Me Too!
It is hard to say what is the Best Race. For it is almost impossible to pass here, the "Ring" is a harder track I'd say (although it's "easier" for that track to be considered harder cause it's old and much longer), the Macau Grand Prix is very similar but actually has many passing opportunities with it's 4 continuous straightaways, and Sazuka is probably the most challenging "normal distance" track. I think what Monaco has is all Top 3 positions in different categories; glamour (which would be #1), difficulty, most fun for drivers, best city street circuit; and that overall, makes it the Best race of them all!
2 months ago
me think not. second best, after spa. To be honest, i do prefer macau. It's absolutely insane. Although I do enjoy playing monte carlo on the ps3.
Great article.
2 months ago
Since i live in Monte Carlo (originaly Finnish), this streets are very bumpy, specialy in the Casino square, so i don't think it's best, it's just most challenging in Formula 1 and that's all. Many drivers don't like this circuit, neither do i, cause it looks very funny, it's extremly tight, somehow it looks same when you play it on PS3 and when you see it in real.
2 months ago
No. Monaco is a challenging circuit, but it produces attrition-fests, which are falsely acclaimed as exciting races. You can't pass, and even if you have the sack to do so, you get punished, because there is one line around Monaco, and one line only. Monaco isn't about the race as much as it's about the spectacle, the celebrities, the stupid stunts the sponsors pull to make the drivers as uncomfortable as possible. (Hopefully Vodafone won't make Hamilton do anymore stunts.) When Sunday comes, and the drivers line up on the grid, though, it suddenly doesn't matter about who's got the best engine. It is about who can caress and coax their car to the finish.
The best tracks are Spa, Suzuka, Silverstone, and Montreal. Tracks that are technical, fast, will punish you for being stupid, and reward you for being brave.
2 months ago
It depends on what you want out of a race.
If you want wheel to wheel racing with positions swapping through the field for lap after lap, probably best to wait for the Indy 500 or Coca Cola 600 later on in the day...
If you want suprises, unpredictability, strategy, pitstops and crashes, then by all means tune in at 1pm for Monaco.
Personally I get a kick of seeing these multi million pound speed machines fumbling around streets that you or I could drive on, even if it isn't the best race of the year.
What it IS though, is the best QUALIFYING of the year, since the pole is so important, teams go all out on Saturday to get it leading to some impressive driving!
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