If you’re a genuine Formula 1 follower, you would already know that the Monaco Grand Prix is unlike any other race of the season; so what makes Monaco the crown jewel of every year’s Formula 1 calendar? Below are a few fun facts.
– The Monaco Grand Prix is not only one of the most glamorous races on the Formula One racing calendar; it is also one of the oldest. Run on the tight and twisting streets of Monte Carlo, the event was first held back in 1929.
– Drivers must change gear a staggering 54 times per lap at Monaco, meaning more than 4,200 changes over the course of the race. Just 42 percent of the lap is spent at full throttle, with the longest period of full-throttle running a mere eight seconds.
– The Monaco circuit is the shortest Grand Prix track on the calendar at 3.340 kilometres. The race distance of 260.520 km is the shortest of the season and nowhere else does a race cover more laps (78).
– Michael Schumacher and Graham Hill have both won five teams in Monte Carlo, with Alain Prost grabbing four wins while Stirling Moss and Jackie Stewart have three triumphs to their tally; but the record of most wins in the Principality resides with the legend Ayrton Senna who won six times.
– McLaren have scored the most victories at the Monaco race with 15 wins. The second most successful team at the track is Ferrari with nine, while Lotus has seven, including their maiden victory in 1960.
– It takes six weeks to set up the circuit and three weeks to remove it.
– Qualifying is crucial as overtaking is very difficult. The world’s most famous street circuit offers no margin for error and the crash barriers are unforgiving. Overall speeds are relatively low, with the maximum of about 290 km/h through the tunnel section, and the track is tight and twisty.