Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix: Defending the Circuit

This weekend will see Formula One step back in time and pay respects to tradition and history. Yes it’s the time when those powerful machines blast through the claustrophobic, steep and twisting streets of Monaco.

This seems especially nice after the events in Turkey, Bahrain, and Malaysia, which say a lot about the modern ways of Formula One—i.e. have a race in the middle of nowhere, in a country which has no motor racing history or heritage, and therefore only one man and his dog(s) (excuse the pun after the GP2 race in Turkey) turn up to watch the cars go round a circuit.

But this weekend will change all that, as Formula One returns to the location with a great racing history and pedigree, and a place where cars have been racing since the 1930’s.

Much maligned as Monaco often is by many journalists and team members, I always look forward to it as one of the highlights of the Formula One season.

Yes, I accept that it is more dangerous than other F1 circuits and that overtaking is about as likely as Max Mosely making a quiet and dignified exit from the FIA, but there are so many things about Monaco that are so special and unique, and, personally speaking, some of my favourite Formula One moments have happened on the streets of the principality.

What is good about Monaco is that it has a refreshing habit of ripping up the form book and producing some unpredictable and highly unusual results and incidents. Where else would we see a race being held up due the road being blocked and a traffic jam forming behind as happened in 2000 and 2005?

In 2004, an incredibly dull season where the winner was seemingly known after a few laps of Friday practice, the Monaco race was a cracker. We had a surprise result, Jarno Trulli narrowly beating Jenson Button, and Michael Schumacher retiring after a bizarre crash behind the safety car, and accidents and incidents galore.

In 1996, in probably the craziest race I’ve ever watched, four cars made it to the chequered in the wet dry conditions, Alesi and Hill were robbed of certain victory by car failures, and rain master Schumi threw it in the wall whilst leading on the first lap.

Numerous collisions and incidents occurred, and whilst all this was happening, surprise eventual winner Panis and second placed Coulthard, both in highly unfancied cars, were having a late dice for the lead as the conditions changed lap by lap.

In one crazy race we had more drama, excitement and incidents than we often witness in five or six races! The 1996 Monaco was Formula One at its raucous, crazy best, packed with drama-peppered, unexpected results and incidents.

I could go on with the thrills that happened in Monaco—who could forget 1992 and the thrilling final laps as Mansell tried in vain to pass Senna for victory?

Yet, Monaco does have another side.

Often if the race is not totally crazy, it goes to the other extreme and throws up Catalunya and Hungaroring levels of sleep induction, like the last year’s race did. From pole position, Alonso had the race won by the first corner and the cars followed each other home in pretty much the same order as they started on the grid.

Yet, despite this and all the other criticisms levelled at the place, I really like Monaco, and always look forward to it.

Monaco is the unique challenge of the circuit—where else do we see the drivers get tested in such a way?

They have to be so precise, millimetre perfect, to get a quick lap time and not throw it into the ever present Armco barriers. They have no long wide straights where they can relax for a few seconds, and they have to deal with all the usual street furniture of a public road such as white lines, and camber and manhole covers.

And with no traction control or other aids this year, and the forecasters predicting a wet weekend, I’m hoping this year’s event will be one of those Monaco specials that we’ll all be talking about for many years to come.