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Why is Monaco GP The Crown Jewel of Formula 1?

Srijon Jana
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Why is Monaco GP The Crown Jewel of Formula 1?

Out of all the races in motorsports, the Monaco Grand Prix ranks number one in terms of repute. One of the oldest races in the Formula 1 Calendar, the Monaco GP was first held in the year 1929. Therefore it is quite evident that history plays a major role to play in making the race so highly regarded.

The track has produced some iconic races over the years. Some of the more recent ones include Lewis Hamilton‘s victory at the 2008 Monaco GP. It was special for Hamilton because, after making a mistake on lap 6 and losing his rear right tire, Hamilton made a gamble to shift to intermediate tires during a wet race, anticipating that it might dry out soon. And so it did, which meant that Hamilton could make a fierce charge from P5 to P1 and ensure an amazing victory.

Another iconic race at Monaco happened in 1996 when, once again, rain led to a lot of drama. Olivier Panis, who started from P14, fought his way up to the lead during the race. While still in the lead, Panis’ team told the Frenchman that he was low on fuel, and with a few more laps to go, he had to lift and coast. Meanwhile, David Coulthard’s McLaren kept closing in on him. Nevertheless, Panis held on to P1 for a brilliant and thrilling victory.

The Monaco GP also attracts some of the biggest celebrities in the world. Super athletes like Cristiano Ronaldo, who visited the race in 2019, to movie stars like Tom Holland, who was a guest for McLaren in 2021, the annual outing in the principality has always been a favorite for the stars.

Why The Monaco GP Is So Special?

Monaco definitely carries a lot of history with it, and it has seen many iconic races. But the same can be said for quite a few racing circuits around the world. Therefore, it is presumable that there are a lot of reasons other than history that create the grandeur of the Monaco GP.

The first and most important reason is the track itself. Monaco is the narrowest circuit on the calendar and it has absolutely no run-off areas. If a driver makes a mistake, that is it. It is quite easily the hardest track on the calendar to maneuver an F1 car around. To have 1000-horsepower cars driving on the edge through narrow streets and tunnels boggles the mind.

Monaco is the track where one can get the closest to the Formula 1 cars, watching them drive by at 300 kmph. As a Formula 1 fan who attended the Monaco Grand Prix describes it, “The cars are so close I have to hold my hat to prevent it from blowing off. You can see the drivers’ faces. I’ve been to other Grands Prix, but never this close.

The sound produced by the cars is another exciting aspect of Formula 1 racing. And at Monaco, it can get deafeningly loud. “The noise, oh the noise. It’s deafening. It’s so much louder here than other races, it echoes off the buildings. The RBR cars smell different from the others as they go past. Weird.” describes the same fan.


What adds to the whole experience is the dock right beside the circuit where millionaires on their ultra luxurious yachts congregate to watch the race. Then there are all the celebrities from around the world and the ridiculous after-hour parties that go on throughout the weekend.

The Monaco Grand Prix is a grand display of all the things that wealth can buy. It is everything that Formula 1 has to provide, cramped within a few square kilometers. The cars, the sounds, the machines, the smell, the wealth, the royalty, all of it condensed into walking distance.

Why the Monaco GP is Under Threat

Despite having a lot of history, the track was not built for modern cars. They are too wide and long to actually race each other on the track. In recent times, it is the pole sitter who has usually claimed victory.

It is extremely difficult to overtake in Monaco, the narrow street circuit provides no major overtaking opportunities. Added to this is the fact that the lack of runoff areas means that if a driver tries to overtake, he cannot just run wide like he can on other tracks. There is more risk than reward for a driver to attempt overtakes. Therefore the lack of overtaking leads to boring races. This has led to some fans calling for the Monaco GP to be replaced by other options.

It should be noted, however, that more overtaking does not necessarily equate to better entertainment. As explained by former F1 driver Eddie Irvine to Atlas F1, “Loads of overtaking is boring. It’s like fishing. You go fishing and you catch a fish every ten minutes and it’s boring. But if you sit there all day and you catch a mega fish—and an overtaking maneuver now has to be mega, it isn’t going to be easy—and you come back with stories.”

About the author

Srijon Jana

Srijon Jana

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Srijon Jana is a Formula 1 writer at The SportsRush. As a medical undergrad with a passion for motorsports, Srijon loves juggling between cadavers and cars with ease. He started watching F1 when he was only 11, and the beautiful cars grabbed his interest. Even now, he religiously follows all the Grands Prix, and when he is not gushing over Charles Leclerc, he likes to dabble in football as well. He is a college quizzer with several state-level and national-level accolades. He is a proud Ferrari fan, and loves to pass his free time reading, watching movies, and spending some quality time with his friends and family.

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