Monaco Formula 1 GP on Sunday: 80 years of splendor and excitement

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Three-time F1 world champion Nelson Piquet (70) aptly characterizes the F1 street circuit in Monaco: “It’s like flying a helicopter in the living room!” There are only two opinions about the 3,337 kilometer racetrack, which offers only one pass at the end of the start-finish straight: bullshit or the highlight of the season? There are constant debates about whether the race is still up to date and whether it would be better to remove it from the World Cup calendar. But anyone who has experienced the best racing class in Monaco’s urban canyons with their own eyes and ears will be thrilled.

Narrow street circuit is always good for headlines. And rags often fly. Michael Schumacher (54) lost his friendship with Fernando Alonso (41) when Schumi parked his car so awkwardly at the barriers in the last few seconds of qualifying that no one had their best time under the yellow flag in qualifying. Last year Sergio Pérez (33) similarly upset Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen (25).

Starting position is very important

Because on no other racetrack the front starting position is as decisive as in Monte Carlo. With the tactics and nerves of steel, you can win on the slow street track (lap average about 150 km/h) even with low material. Ayrton Senna (1960-1994) proved this in 1992 when he beat Nigel Mansell’s (69) Williams-Honda in a weak McLaren-Ford.

But Monaco also represents spectacular accidents, which fortunately often do not have serious consequences. As the high surf of the Mediterranean flooded the runway at Tabac bend in 1950, there was a first lap buildup in the wet section behind Juan Manuel Fangio (1911-1995). which eliminated nine cars from the race crack.

Spectacular take offs

When Alberto Ascari (1918–1955) sailed through hay bales and sandbags to the harbor basin five years later in his Lancia, it got really wet. In 1965 Australian Paul Hawkins (1937–1969) repeated this spectacular takeoff at Lotus – fortunately he survived without serious consequences. But ever since, the frogmen have been on the alert at this point despite the triple crash barrier to quickly rescue race drivers who have fallen into the water if needed. Italian Lorenzo Bandini was less fortunate than Ascari and Hawkins in 1967. He was fatally injured when he collided with a lamppost at the Monaco GP and his Ferrari caught fire. And in 1994, a serious accident ended the career of Sauber driver Karl Wendlinger (54), crashing sideways into the guardrails at high speed in a harbor chicane, and then in a coma for several weeks. 17 years later, in training, Sergio Pérez – again with a Sauber – flew into the same spot, but now better guarded barrier. With a hip sprain and concussion, he only had to miss the race the next day.

Patience brings victory

In no other race is calmness as important as in Monaco. The Sauber driver would probably have won in 1996 had Heinz-Harald Frentzen (55) not lost his patience in the sudden overtaking maneuver and crash of fourth-place Ferrari driver Eddie Irvine (57). Because then winner Olivier Panis (56) was still far behind in Ligier at the time.

Concentration is the most important and important thing on the narrow street track in the Principality of Monaco! In 1988, Ayrton Senna looked like the definitive McLaren winner for a long time. He took a 50-second lead against teammate Alain Prost (68) in 54 of 72 laps. Team principal Ron Dennis (75) ordered leader Senna to set slower lap times to avoid jeopardizing the one-two. Result: With eleven laps to go, the apparently bored Senna slipped into the barriers on the Portier curve after a concentration error, thus betraying what he believed was a safe victory.

Only one directed “Triple Crown”

The “Triple Crown” of motorsport are victories in the three most important and most diverse car races in the world; The Monaco F1 street circuit, the Le Mans 24-hour endurance race, and the Indianapolis 500-mile oval. Fernando Alonso (wins at Monaco 2006 and 2007, Le Mans 2018 and 2019, Indy 2017, 2019 and 2020) and Juan Pablo Montoya (47 wins at Monaco 2003, Indy 2000 and Le Mans 2018, 2020 and 2021) made. But to date, two-time F1 world champion Graham Hill (1929-1975) is the only person to win the Triple Crown, with five victories at Monaco (1963-65, 1968 and 1969), an Indy success in 1966 and a victory in 1966. . Le Mans in 1972 has been successful so far.

The Monaco Grand Prix has not lost its magic even 80 years later. Nowhere else are audiences and photographers closer to the action. Nowhere else does the deafening noise combined with the speed in the only tunnel of the F1 circus get you so deep in your stomach. Nowhere else is the audience as impressive as in Monte Carlo.

* Writer and photographer Daniel Reinhard (62) from Sachseln OW and his father Sepp (91) photographed together all the Monaco Formula 1 GPs from 1958 to 2016.

Source: Blick