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The Monaco Grand Prix (French: Grand Prix de Monaco) is 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 (with which it forms the Triple Crown of Motorsport). The history, spectacle and glamour result in the race being considered "the jewel of the Formula One crown".

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. 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 consecutively between 1989 and 1993.

Origins
Like many European races, the Monaco Grand Prix predates the current World Championship. The principality's first Grand Prix was organised in 1929 by Anthony Noghès, under the auspices of Prince Louis II, through the Automobile Club de Monaco (ACM). Alexandre Noghès, Anthony's father, was founding president of the ACM, originally named Sport Vélocipédique Monégasque. The ACM made their first foray into motorsport by holding the Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo from 1911. In 1928 the club applied to the Association Internationale des Automobiles Clubs Reconnus (AIACR), the international governing body of motorsport, to be upgraded from a regional French club to full national status. Their application was refused due to the lack of a major motorsport event held wholly within Monaco's boundaries. The rally could not be considered as it mostly used the roads of other European countries.

In order to attain full national status, Noghès proposed the creation of an automobile Grand Prix in the streets of Monte Carlo. Noghès obtained the official support of Prince Louis II. Noghès also gained support for his plans from Monegasque Louis Chiron, a top-level driver in European Grand Prix racing. Chiron thought that the topography of the location would be well suited to setting up a race track.

The first Grand Prix Automobile de Monaco was an invitation only event, but not all of those invited decided to attend. The leading Maserati and Alfa Romeo drivers decided not to compete but Bugatti was well represented. Mercedes sent their leading driver, Rudolf Caracciola, to drive a Mercedes SSK. Caracciola drove a fighting race, bringing his SSK up to second position at the end of the race, despite starting in fifteenth. The race was won by "Williams" (pseudonym of expatriate Briton William Grover-Williams) driving a Bugatti Type 35B painted in what would become the famous British racing green.[2] Another driver who competed using a pseudonym was "Georges Philippe", the Baron Philippe de Rothschild. Chiron was unable to compete, having a prior commitment to compete in the Indianapolis 500 on the same day. However, Chiron did compete the following year, finishing second, and took victory in the 1931 race driving a Bugatti. As of 2008, he remains the only native of Monaco to have won the event.

Pre-war
The race quickly grew in importance. Because of the large number of races which were being termed 'Grands Prix', the AIACR formally recognised the most important race of each of its affiliated national automobile clubs as International Grands Prix, or Grandes Épreuves, and in 1933 Monaco was ranked as such alongside the French, Belgian, Italian, and Spanish Grands Prix. That year's race was the first Grand Prix where grid positions were decided, as they are now, by practice time rather than the established method of balloting. The race saw Achille Varzi and Tazio Nuvolari exchange the lead many times before being settled in Varzi's favour on the final lap when Nuvolari's car caught fire. The race became a round of the new European Championship in 1936 and 1937, and both races were won by Mercedes-Benz before the Second World War ended organised racing in Europe until 1945.

Formula One
Racing in Europe started again on 9 September 1945 at the Bois de Boulogne park in the city of Paris, four months and one day after the end of the war in Europe. In 1946 a new premier racing category, Formula One, was defined by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the successor of the AIACR, based on the pre-war voiturette class. A Monaco Grand Prix was run to this formula in 1948, won by the future world champion Nino Farina in a Maserati 4CLT. Although the 1949 event was canceled due to the death of Prince Louis II, it was included in the new World Drivers' Championship the following year. The race provided future five-time world champion Juan Manuel Fangio with his first win in a World Championship race, as well as third place for the 51 year old Louis Chiron; his best result in the World Championship era. However, there was no race in 1951, and in 1952, a year in which the world drivers' championship was run for less powerful Formula Two cars, the race was run to sports car rules instead and did not form part of the World Championship. Since 1955 - when Chiron again scored points and at 56 became the oldest driver to compete in a Formula One Grand Prix - the Monaco Grand Prix has continuously been part of the Formula One World Championship.

It was not until 1957, when Fangio won again, that the Grand Prix saw a double winner. Between 1954 and 1961 Fangio's former Mercedes colleague, Stirling Moss, went one better. The 1961 race saw Moss fend off three works Ferrari 156s in a year-old privateer Rob Walker Racing Team Lotus 18, to take his third Monaco victory.
Graham Hill won five of his 14 Grands Prix at Monaco

Britain's Graham Hill won the prestigious race five times in the 1960s and became known as "King of Monaco" and "Mr. Monaco". The 1965 race is considered his best. He took pole position and led from the start. On lap 25, he went up an escape road to avoid hitting a slow backmarker. Rejoining in fifth place, Hill set several new lap records on the way to winning. The race was also notable for the debut of Honda in the World Championship, and for Paul Hawkins' Lotus ending up in the harbour. A similar incident was included in the 1966 film Grand Prix.

By the early 1970s, as Brabham team owner Bernie Ecclestone started to marshal the collective bargaining power of the Formula One Constructors Association (FOCA), Monaco was prestigious enough to become an early bone of contention. Historically the number of cars permitted in a race was decided by the race organiser, in this case the ACM, which had always set a low number, around 16. In 1972 Ecclestone was starting to negotiate deals which relied on FOCA guaranteeing at least 18 entrants for every race. A stand off over this issue left the 1972 race in jeopardy until the ACM gave in and agreed that 26 cars could participate - the same number permitted at most other circuits. Two years later, in 1974, the ACM managed to get the numbers back down to 18.

Because of its tight confines and punishing nature, Monaco has often thrown up unexpected results. In the 1982 race René Arnoux led the first 15 laps, before retiring. Alain Prost then led until four laps from the end, when he spun off on the wet track, hit the barriers and lost a wheel, giving Riccardo Patrese the lead. Patrese himself spun with only a lap and a half to go, letting Didier Pironi through to the front, followed by Andrea de Cesaris. On the last lap, Pironi ran out of fuel in the tunnel, letting de Cesaris past, who also then ran out of fuel. In the meantime Patrese had bump-started his car and went through to score his first Grand Prix win.

In 1983 the ACM became entangled in the disagreements between Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile (FISA) and FOCA. The ACM, with the agreement of Bernie Ecclestone, negotiated an individual television rights deal with ABC in the United States. This broke an agreement enforced by FISA for a single central negotiation of television rights. Jean-Marie Balestre, president of FISA, announced that the Monaco Grand Prix would not form part of the Formula One world championship in 1985. The ACM fought their case in the French courts. They lost the case and the race was eventually reinstated.

For the decade from 1984 to 1993 the race was won by only two drivers - Frenchman Prost and Brazilian Ayrton Senna. Prost, already a winner of the support race for Formula Three cars in 1979, took his first Monaco win at the 1984 race. The race started 45 minutes late after heavy rain. Prost led briefly before Nigel Mansell overtook him on lap 11. Mansell crashed out five laps later, letting Prost back into the lead. On lap 27, Prost led from Ayrton Senna's Toleman and Stefan Bellof's Tyrrell. Senna was catching Prost and Bellof was catching both of them. However on lap 31, the race was controversially stopped. Later, FISA fined the clerk of the course, Jacky Ickx, $6,000 and suspended his licence for not consulting the stewards before stopping the race. The drivers received only half of the points that would usually be awarded, as the race had been stopped before two thirds of the intended race distance had been completed. Prost lost that year's championship by only half a point, less than the points lost by the early stoppage of the race.
Formation lap for the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix.

Senna holds the record for the most victories in Monaco, with six, including five between 1989 and 1993, as well as eight podium finishes in ten starts. His 1987 win was the first time a car with an active suspension had won a Grand Prix. His win was very popular with the people of Monaco, and when he was arrested on the Monday following the race, for riding a motorcycle without wearing a helmet, he was released by the officers after they realised who he was. At the 1992 event Nigel Mansell, who had won all five races held to that point in the season, took pole and dominated the race in his Williams FW14B-Renault. However, with seven laps remaining, Mansell suffered a loose wheel nut and was forced into the pits, emerging behind Ayrton Senna's McLaren-Honda. Mansell, on fresh tyres, set a lap record almost two seconds quicker than Senna's and closed from 5.2 to 1.9 seconds in only two laps. The pair duelled around Monaco for the final four laps but Mansell could find no way past, finishing just two tenths of a second behind the Brazilian. It was Senna's fifth win at Monaco, equalling Graham Hill's record. After Senna took his sixth win at the 1993 race, breaking Graham Hill's record for most wins at the Monaco Grand Prix, runner-up Damon Hill commented that "If my father was around now, he would be the first to congratulate Ayrton."

The 1996 race saw Michael Schumacher take pole position before crashing out on the first lap. Damon Hill led the first 40 laps before his engine expired in the tunnel. Jean Alesi took the lead but suffered suspension failure 20 laps later. Olivier Panis, who started in 14th place, moved into the lead and stayed there until the end of the race, being pushed all the way by David Coulthard. It was Panis' only win, and the last for his Ligier team. Only four cars finished the race.

Seven-time world champion Schumacher would eventually win the race five times, matching Graham Hill's record. As of 2008, he also holds the current lap record with a 1:14.439, according to the official Formula One website. In his last appearance, at the 2006 event, he attracted criticism while provisionally holding pole position with the qualifying session drawing to a close, by stopping his car at the Rascasse hairpin, blocking the track. A result of this was that yellow flags were waved, so that competitors were obliged to slow down, thus meaning they would not be able to beat Schumacher's lap time. Although Schumacher claimed it was a genuine accident, the FIA disagreed and Schumacher was sent to the back of the grid.

The Monaco Grand Prix is the one race of the year that every driver dreams of winning. Like the Indy 500 or Le Mans, it stands alone, almost distinct from the sport from which it was born. A combination of precision driving, technical excellence and sheer bravery is required to win in Monte Carlo, facets which highlight the differences between the great and the good in Formula One.

The Armco barrier-lined circuit leaves no margin for error, demanding more concentration that any other Formula One track. Cars run with maximum downforce and brakes are worked hard. Overtaking is next to impossible so qualifying in Monaco is more critical than at any other Grand Prix.

The Portier corner is key to achieving a good lap time around Monaco. It is preceded by the Loews hairpin, the slowest corner in Formula One, and followed by the tunnel, one of the few flat-out sections of the track. Some great names have ended their races in the barriers here, most notably Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher.

To win in Monaco places a driver's name on a list that includes many of history's all-time greats. Both Graham Hill, the man nicknamed 'Mr Monaco', and Schumacher have won it five times, Alain Prost took four victories, whilst Stirling Moss and Jackie Stewart each won here three times. But the record of wins in the Principality resides with the Senna, who won in Monte Carlo six times.

The race has been a regular fixture of the world championship since 1955, but in that time the circuit has changed remarkably little. Slight alterations were made for the 2003 event, in particular a new, gentler entry to the Rascasse corner, with even bigger changes in 2004, with a new pit complex and increased spectator capacity.

Year Driver                  Constructor
2008 Lewis Hamilton          McLaren-Mercedes
2007 Fernando Alonso         McLaren-Mercedes
2006 Fernando Alonso         Renault
2005 Kimi Räikkönen          McLaren-Mercedes
2004 Jarno Trulli            Renault
2003 Juan Pablo Montoya      Williams-BMW
2002 David Coulthard         McLaren-Mercedes
2001 Michael Schumacher      Ferrari
2000 David Coulthard         McLaren-Mercedes
1999 Michael Schumacher      Ferrari
1998 Mika Häkkinen           McLaren-Mercedes
1997 Michael Schumacher      Ferrari
1996 Olivier Panis           Ligier-Mugen Honda
1995 Michael Schumacher      Benetton-Renault
1994 Michael Schumacher      Benetton-Ford
1993 Ayrton Senna            McLaren-Ford
1992 Ayrton Senna            McLaren-Honda
1991 Ayrton Senna            McLaren-Honda
1990 Ayrton Senna            McLaren-Honda
1989 Ayrton Senna            McLaren-Honda
1988 Alain Prost             McLaren-Honda
1987 Ayrton Senna            Lotus-Honda
1986 Alain Prost             McLaren-TAG
1985 Alain Prost             McLaren-TAG
1984 Alain Prost             McLaren-TAG
1983 Keke Rosberg            Williams-Ford
1982 Riccardo Patrese        Brabham-Ford
1981 Gilles Villeneuve       Ferrari
1980 Carlos Reutemann        Williams-Ford
1979 Jody Scheckter          Ferrari
1978 Patrick Depailler       Tyrrell-Ford
1977 Jody Scheckter          Wolf-Ford
1976 Niki Lauda              Ferrari
1975 Niki Lauda              Ferrari
1974 Ronnie Peterson         Lotus-Ford
1973 Jackie Stewart          Tyrrell-Ford
1972 Jean-Pierre Beltoise    BRM
1971 Jackie Stewart          Tyrrell-Ford
1970 Jochen Rindt            Lotus-Ford
1969 Graham Hill             Lotus-Ford
1968 Graham Hill             Lotus-Ford
1967 Denny Hulme             Brabham-Repco
1966 Jackie Stewart          BRM
1965 Graham Hill             BRM
1964 Graham Hill             BRM
1963 Graham Hill             BRM
1962 Bruce McLaren           Cooper-Climax
1961 Stirling Moss           Lotus-Climax
1960 Stirling Moss           Lotus-Climax
1959 Jack Brabham            Cooper-Climax
1958 Maurice Trintignant     Cooper-Climax
1957 Juan Manuel Fangio      Maserati
1956 Stirling Moss           Maserati
1955 Maurice Trintignant     Ferrari
1953-1954 Not held
1952 Vittorio Marzotto       Ferrari
1951 Not held
1950 Juan Manuel Fangio      Alfa Romeo

Pre-Formula 1 Races
1949 Not held
1948 Giuseppe Farina         Maserati
1938-1947 Not held
1937 Manfred von Brauchitsch Mercedes-Benz
1936 Rudolf Caracciola       Mercedes-Benz
1935 Luigi Fagioli           Mercedes-Benz
1934 Guy Moll                Alfa Romeo
1933 Achille Varzi           Bugatti
1932 Tazio Nuvolari          Alfa Romeo
1931 Louis Chiron            Bugatti
1930 René Dreyfus            Bugatti
1929 William Grover-Williams Bugatti

Circuit & Location                     Circuit de Monaco, Montecarlo (Monaco)
Laps                                   78
Circuit length                         3.340 km (2.075 miles)
Race length                            260.520 km (161.887 miles)
Turns                                  19
Direction                              Clockwise

Most wins by single driver             Ayrton Senna (6)
Most wins by single constructor        Mclaren (15)

Lap Record Race                        1:14:439
Lap Record Driver                      Michael Schumacher
Lap Record Team                        Ferrari
Lap Record Year                        2004

Tyre compounds provided by Bridgestone Super soft & Soft

Fuel compsumption (kg/lap)             1.71 (Renault website); 1.62 (Williams website)
Full Throttle (%)                      44
Fuel effect (sec/10kg)                 0.26
Pitlane loss                           17.8 sec
Longest flat-out section               8 sec / 510 m
Right/left-hand turns                  12/7
Tyre wear                              Medium
Brake wear                             High
Downforce level                        Very High
Gear changes per lap                   54

Winner                       Lewis Hamilton
Winning team                 Mclaren-Mercedes
Winning time                 2:00:42.742 (126.170 km/h)

Pole time                    1:15.787
Pole driver                  Felipe Massa
Pole team                    Ferrari

Fastest lap                  1:16.689
Fastest lap driver           Kimi Räikkönen
Fastest lap team             Ferrari

Results:
Pos Driver                   Team                Laps Time/Retired Grid Pts
1   Lewis Hamilton           McLaren-Mercedes     76   2:00:42.742   3 10
2   Robert Kubica            BMW Sauber           76     +3.0 secs   5  8
3   Felipe Massa             Ferrari              76     +4.8 secs   1  6
4   Mark Webber              Red Bull-Renault     76    +19.2 secs   9  5
5   Sebastian Vettel         STR-Ferrari          76    +24.6 secs  19  4
6   Rubens Barrichello       Honda                76    +28.4 secs  14  3
7   Kazuki Nakajima          Williams-Toyota      76    +30.1 secs  13  2
8   Heikki Kovalainen        McLaren-Mercedes     76    +33.1 secs   4  1
9   Kimi Räikkönen           Ferrari              76    +33.7 secs   2    
10  Fernando Alonso          Renault              75    +1 Lap       7    
11  Jenson Button            Honda                75    +1 Lap      11    
12  Timo Glock               Toyota               75    +1 Lap      10    
13  Jarno Trulli             Toyota               75    +1 Lap       8    
14  Nick Heidfeld            BMW Sauber           72    +4 Laps     12    
Ret Adrian Sutil             Force India-Ferrari  67    Accident    18    
Ret Nico Rosberg             Williams-Toyota      59    Accident     6    
Ret Nelsinho Piquet          Renault              47    Accident    17    
Ret Giancarlo Fisichella     Force India-Ferrari  36    Gearbox     20    
Ret David Coulthard          Red Bull-Renault      7    Accident    15    
Ret Sebastien Bourdais       STR-Ferrari           7    Accident    16

Fastest lap                  1:15.110
Fastest lap driver           Felipe Massa
Fastest lap team             Ferrari
Session                      Qualifying (Q2)

Sector 1 time                19.493 seconds
Sector 1 driver              Lewis Hamilton
Sector 1 team                Mclaren-Mercedes
Session                      Qualifying

Sector 2 time                37.085 seconds
Sector 2 driver              Felipe Massa
Sector 2 team                Ferrari
Session                      Qualifying

Sector 3 time                17.988 seconds
Sector 3 driver              Heikki Kovalainen
Sector 3 team                Mclaren-Mercedes
Session                      Free Practice 2

Combined best lap            1:14.566

Speed Trap time              291.4 km/h
Speed Trap driver            Heikki Kovalainen
Speed Trap team              Mclaren-Mercedes
Session                      Qualifying

Local time:                                           GMT + 2 Hours
Central European Summer Time (Spain, Andorra, etc.):  GMT + 2 Hours
Western European Summer Time (UK, Portugal, etc.):    GMT + 1 Hours
Eastern European Summer Time (Finland, Greece, etc.): GMT + 3 Hours
Eastern Daylight Time (New York, Quebec, etc.):       GMT - 4 Hours

Session                                             WEST            CEST             EDT
Wednesday 20th May
Formula One Press Conference - Press Room           14:00           15:00           09:00

Thursday 21th May
Formula Renault 3.5 (Practice session)           07:30-08:15     08:30-09:15     02:30-03:15
Formula One Thursday Practice 1                  09:00-10:30     10:00-11:30     04:00-05:30
GP2 Practice Session                             11:00-11:30     12:00-12:30     06:00-06:30
Formula One Thursday Practice 2                  13:00-14:30     14:00-15:30     08:00-09:30
Formula One Press Conference - Press Room        15:00-16:00     16:00-17:00     10:00-11:00
GP2 Qualifying Session                           15:15-15:45     16:15-16:45     10:15-10:45
Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Practice Session        16:20-17:05     17:20-18:05     11:20-12:05

Friday 22th May
Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Qualifying Session      08:00-09:15     09:00-10:15     03:00-04:15
GP2 1st Race (45 Laps or 75 min)                 10:15-11:35     11:15-12:35     05:15-06:35

Saturday 23th May
Formula Renault 3.5 Qualifying Session(Even Num) 08:00-08:25     09:00-09:25     03:00-03:25
Formula Renault 3.5 Qualifying Session (Odd Num) 08:30-08:55     09:30-09:55     03:30-03:55
Formula One Saturday Practice                    10:00-11:00     11:00-12:00     05:00-06:00
Formula One Qualifying Session                      13:00           14:00           08:00
GP2 2nd Race (30 Laps or 45 min)                 15:00-15:50     16:00-16:50     10:00-10:50

Sunday 24th May
Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Race (16 Laps)          08:45-09:20     09:45-10:20     03:45-04:20
Formula Renault 3.5 Race (25 Laps)               10:10-11:00     11:10-12:00     05:10-06:00
Formula One Drivers' Track Parade                   11:30           12:30           06:30
Formula One Race (78 laps)                          13:00           14:00           08:00

DRIVER STANDINGS:
Pos     Driver                Team               Points Wins Podiums Top8 Pole Fast.Lap Ret. DSQ
1  (=)  Jenson Button         Brawn-Mercedes       41     4      5     5    3      1
2  (=)  Rubens Barrichello    Brawn-Mercedes       27            2     5           2
3  (=)  Sebastian Vettel      RBR-Renault          23     1      2     3    1
4  (+2) Mark Webber           RBR-Renault          15.5          2     3
5  (-1) Jarno Trulli          Toyota               14.5          2     3    1      1     2
6  (-1) Timo Glock            Toyota               12            1     4
7  (=)  Lewis Hamilton        McLaren-Mercedes      9                  3                      1
8  (=)  Fernando Alonso       Renault               9                  3
9  (=)  Nick Heidfeld         BMW Sauber            6            1     2
10 (+1) Nico Rosberg          Williams-Toyota       4.5                3           1
11 (-1) Heikki Kovalainen     McLaren-Mercedes      4                  1                 3
12 (+3) Felipe Massa          Ferrari               3                  1                 2
13 (-1) Kimi Räikkönen        Ferrari               3                  1                 1
14 (-1) Sebastien Buemi       STR-Ferrari           3                  2                 1
15 (-1) Sebastien Bourdais    STR-Ferrari           1                  1                 1
16 (=)  Adrian Sutil          Force India-Mercedes  0                                    1
17 (=)  Nelsinho Piquet       Renault               0                                    1
18 (+2) Robert Kubica         BMW Sauber            0                                    1
19 (-1) Giancarlo Fisichella  Force India-Mercedes  0
20 (-1) Kazuki Nakajima       Williams-Toyota       0                                    3


TEAM STANDINGS:
Pos     Team                Points Wins Podiums Top8 Pole Fast.Lap Ret. DSQ
1  (=)  Brawn-Mercedes        68     4      7    10    3      3
2  (=)  RBR-Renault           38.5   1      4     6    1
3  (=)  Toyota                26.5          3     7    1      1     2
4  (=)  McLaren-Mercedes      13                  4                 3    1
5  (=)  Renault                9                  3                 1
6  (=)  BMW Sauber             6            1     2                 1
7  (+2) Ferrari                6                  2                 3
8  (=)  Williams-Toyota        4.5                3           1     3
9  (-2) STR-Ferrari            4                  3                 2
10 (=)  Force India-Mercedes   0                                    1

I want the standard presentation of the circuit and the weekend on the first post.

what happened to tbk? this forum is close to an end.

what happened to tbk? this forum is close to an end.

I think he means it's two days before FP1 at Monaco and the race thread isn't 20 pages long already.

I think he means it's two days before FP1 at Monaco and the race thread isn't 20 pages long already.