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Event Information:
Monaco is the home of the Monaco
Grand Prix, a Formula One race held
each year on the Circuit de Monaco.
Run since 1929, it is widely
considered to be one of the most
important and prestigious automobile
races in the world, alongside the
Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of
Le Mans (informally known as the
Triple Crown of Motorsport). The
circuit has been called "an
exceptional location of glamour and
prestige."
The race is held on a narrow course
laid out in the streets of Monaco,
with many elevation changes and
tight corners as well as a tunnel,
making it one of the most demanding
tracks in Formula One. In spite of
the relatively low average speeds,
it is a dangerous place to race. The
first race in 1929, was organised by
Anthony Noghès under the auspices of
the "Automobile Club de Monaco", and
was won by William Grover-Williams
driving a Bugatti. The event was
part of the pre-Second World War
European Championship and was
included in the first Formula One
World Championship in 1950. It was
designated the European Grand Prix
two times, 1955 and 1963, when this
title was an honorary designation
given each year to one grand prix
race in Europe. Graham Hill was
known as "Mr Monaco" due to his five
Monaco wins in the 1960s. Brazil's
Ayrton Senna has won the race more
times than any other driver, with
six victories, winning five races
consecutively between 1989 and 1993.
The
Circuit de Monaco consists of the
city streets of Monte Carlo and La
Condamine, which includes the famous
harbour. It is unique in having been
held on the same circuit every time
it has been run over such a long
period - only the Italian Grand
Prix, which has been held at
Autodromo Nazionale Monza every year
except 1980 and 1921, has a
similarly lengthy and close
relationship with a single circuit.
The
race circuit has many elevation
changes, tight corners, and a narrow
course that makes it one of the most
demanding tracks in Formula One
racing. As of 2010, only two drivers
have crashed and ended up in the
harbour, the most famous being
Alberto Ascari in 1955. Despite the
fact that the course has had minor
changes several times during its
history, it is still considered the
ultimate test of driving skills in
Formula One, and if it were not
already an existing Grand Prix, it
would not be permitted to be added
to the schedule for safety reasons.
Even in 1929, 'La Vie Automobile'
magazine offered the opinion that
"Any respectable traffic system
would have covered the track with
Dange sign posts left, right and
centre.
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