Monaco F1 Grand Prix 2015: Start Time, Drivers, TV Schedule and More

There are various factors which make the Monaco Grand Prix the most prestigious race on the Formula One calendar. Although the compact street circuit means it’s extremely difficult for even the world’s finest drivers to conduct overtakes, the Monte Carlo showpiece is an unmissable spectacle.

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The sound of the engine roaring through the tunnel and the sight of cars tumbling downhill into the treacherous Fairmont hairpin stimulate the sporting senses like few other moments on the motor racing calendar.

Although the glamour and gravitas which comes with victory at Monaco makes this the race all drivers want to win, there’s the serious business of world championship points to consider when the lights go out on Sunday. Here’s all the key information ahead of the race and the details on where to catch the action.

Date: Sunday, May 23

Time: 1 p.m. (BST) 8 a.m. (ET) 2 p.m. (Local)

TV Info: Live on Sky Sports F1 (UK), NBCSN (US)

Live Stream: Sky Go UK, NBC Sports Live Extra

Team	Driver 1	Driver 2
Mercedes	Lewis Hamilton	Nico Rosberg
Red Bull	Daniel Ricciardo	Daniil Kvyat
Ferrari	Sebastian Vettel	Kimi Raikkonen
Lotus	Pastor Maldonado	Romain Grosjean
McLaren	Fernando Alonso	Jenson Button
Force India	Nico Hulkenberg	Sergio Perez
Sauber	Marcus Ericsson	Felipe Nasr
Toro Rosso	Max Verstappen	Carlos Sainz Jr
Williams	Valtteri Bottas	Felipe Massa
Marussia	Will Stevens	Roberto Merhi

Nico Rosberg Chasing Third Consecutive Monaco Win

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Having been brought up in the Principality, Nico Rosberg will have relished reigning supreme around these familiar streets in 2013. The German star also won here in 2014, as he dominated the early stages of the Formula 1 season.

The Mercedes man heads to Monaco this weekend on the hunt this time. Team-mate Lewis Hamilton currently boasts a 20-point lead in the individual standings, although Rosberg did cut the deficit to the Brit with a classy performance in the Spanish Grand Prix last time out.

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The German has clearly been in relaxed mood in the build-up to the race weekend, as we can see here courtesy of his official Twitter feed:

Rosberg could run into a fierce foe in Hamilton, though. Not only will the reigning world champion be desperate to get back on the top step of the podium after losing out to his team-mate last time, but the Brit will be buoyed after penning a lucrative new deal with his current employers, per Paul Weaver of the Guardian.

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Hamilton has admitted ahead of the Monaco spectacle that he needs to improve his record at this illustrious circuit, having only triumphed here once—back in 2008—in his distinguished career, per BBC Sport:

"

Whatever I feel about my abilities, somehow I have never executed a perfect weekend in Monaco. Even when I won I hit the wall early in the race, but thankfully was able to recover.

Will I ever have one of those perfect weekends here? I don't know, but I am going to give it everything I have got over these next four days. A win in Monaco gives you the same 25 points as anywhere else, and the ultimate goal is to be world champion, but winning here somehow feels a bit more special than in many other places.

"

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Indeed, a look at the field for this race and there’s not actually too much pedigree when it comes to this circuit. Rosberg and McLaren’s Fernando Alonso are the only two multi-winners in the field, with the likes of Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen having often run into trouble here in the past.

It’s easy to see why, though. The official Formula One Twitter feed gave us a timely reminder of just how difficult it is to get round this track intact:

All eyes will be on the front of the field and after the qualifying controversy of last year—when Rosberg, with the fastest time secured, went off at Mirabeau Corner and prevented Hamilton from having a crack at his fastest lap—there will be extra focus on the Hamilton-Rosberg dynamic.

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Expect the Brit to sample some revenge this year. Although Rosberg was looking back to his best in the previous outing, there’s been an encouraging aura about Hamilton so far this year, having won three of the opening five races so far.

With the issue of his long-term future finally sorted and memories of last season’s controversy still raw, expect a doubly determined Hamilton to take the iconic Monaco circuit by storm this weekend.

Prediction: 1. Hamilton, 2. Rosberg, 3. Vettel