Very few events in motorsport that act as standalone events even though it is considered a part of a Championship. One such event is the Monaco GP. The Monaco GP has been a part of Formula 1 since the early 90s well before Formula 1 became a Championship. Although Monaco GP has been a part of the sport for a long time, fans still find the unusual layout of the track hard to believe.
The Monaco Grand Prix was one of the first and only street circuits in Formula 1. Now the sport has introduced a number of other street circuits after the success of Monaco. The 2023 calendar features a total of 5 street circuits. But none of them are as complex as the Monaco Grand Prix.
Tell me it’s F1 Grand Prix week in Monaco without telling me it’s F1 Grand Prix week in Monaco.
📸: yvangrubski/IG pic.twitter.com/eQdTVTZetq
— Vincenzo Landino (@vincenzolandino) May 22, 2023
Due to the location of the race, the Monaco Grand Prix invites the presence of various A-list celebrities from all over the world. The track takes the cars alongside the Monaco coastline where celebrities and rich people watch the race from their yachts. Monaco is one of the most expensive Grand Prix to attend.
Why is the layout of the Monaco GP so different from the others?
The Monaco Grand Prix is a unique track that has a rich history in the sport. The track layout was designed during a much different era of Formula 1 where the cars were smaller and lighter making it easier to overtake on the track.
The streets of Monaco are generally small. The size of the country does not give the sport a better option for the circuit. However, the current layout is known to be legendary. Formula 1 generates millions of revenue from the Monaco Grand Prix alone. However, the track doesn’t provide many opportunities for overtakes in the current Formula 1 car.
Fans who have been following the sport for a while understand the significance of the Monaco Grand Prix. However, over the last few years, largely thanks to the Drive To Survive series, a lot of new fans have pooped up from around the world.
These new fans find the layout of the track a bit more Scalextric. For those who don’t know, Scalextric is a popular slot car racing manufacturing company. They provide the best quality products for slot car racing. The Scalextric tracks are meant to be twisty and curvy similar to the Monaco Grand Prix.
Does the layout of the track provide room for entertainment?
The Monaco Grand Prix is not an easy track for overtaking. With the Formula 1 car getting bigger by the season, it keeps getting more difficult to race on the track. However, the track does give a slight overtaking chance into turns 1 and 10.
This track really tests the drivers to the limit. The walls are so close to the track that a tiny error in judgment could see the driver go into the wall. We saw Charles Leclerc go into the wall during qualifying in 2021 after taking Pole Position. A lot of rookies find it very difficult to race on this track for the first time. This year’s Monaco Grand Prix will see 3 drivers driving here for the first time. This could bring out the safety car and maybe a red flag during the race.
Not how Charles Leclerc would have expected to take his eighth pole position 😱#MonacoGP 🇲🇨 #F1 pic.twitter.com/1Dq2Sg4Y7Q
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 22, 2021
It will be interesting to see how the hometown hero Charles Leclerc performs this weekend. Charles Leclerc is known to be a victim of a Monaco Curse which prevents him from having a good weekend during the Monaco Grand Prix. Over the last 6 years, Charles Leclerc has only finished the Grand Prix once. Even during that one time, Charles started from pole but ended up in 4th due to a bad strategy call.
Let us now wait and see what happens during the Grand Prix this Sunday.
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