   #copyright

Monaco Grand Prix

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Sports events

   CAPTION: Monaco Grand Prix

   Circuit de Monaco
                Laps               78
           Circuit length          3.34 km (2.08 miles)
             Race length           260.52 km (161.88 miles)
             Lap record            {{{Lap_record}}}
     Most wins by single driver    Ayrton Senna (6)
   Most wins by single constructor McLaren (13)
                     Last race ( 2006):
               Winner              Fernando Alonso
            Winning team           Renault
            Winning time           1:43:43.116
              Pole time            1:13.898 (DQ)
                                   1:13.962
             Pole driver           Michael Schumacher (DQ)
                                   Fernando Alonso
              Pole team            Ferrari (DQ)
                                   Renault
             Fastest lap           1:15.143
         Fastest lap driver        Michael Schumacher
          Fastest lap team         Ferrari

   The Monaco Grand Prix (Grand Prix de Monaco) is a Formula One race held
   on the streets of the Principality of Monaco. Run annually since 1929,
   it is widely considered to be one of the most important and prestigious
   automobile races in the world alongside the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race
   and 24 Hours of Le Mans. Its history, the spectacle of the event, and
   the glamour associated with it result in the race being considered the
   jewel of the Formula One crown.

   The Monaco Grand Prix predates the organised World Championships; the
   Principality's first Grand Prix race was organised in 1929 by Antony
   Noghes, under the auspices of Prince Louis II through the "Automobile
   Club de Monaco" (A.C.M.). That first race was won by William
   Grover-Williams (a.k.a. "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. The race
   is held on a narrow course laid out in the streets of Monaco, whose
   many elevation changes and tight corners make it one of the most
   demanding tracks in Formula One. On the race weekend frogmen (divers)
   are employed to rescue any drivers who happen to crash into the
   harbour.

   Brazil's Ayrton Senna has won the most Grands Prix here, taking six
   victories, five consecutive from 1989 to 1993, earning him the title
   "Master of Monaco". However it is Graham Hill, a 5-time winner of the
   race, who is known as the "King of Monaco"., predating Senna.

History

Beginning

   Like many European races, the Monaco Grand Prix predates the organised
   World Championships; the Principality's first Grand Prix race was
   organised in 1929 by Antony Noghes, under the auspices of Prince Louis
   II through the "Automobile Club de Monaco" (A.C.M.) of which Alexandre
   Noghes (Antony's father) was the founding president. The Grand Prix was
   the result of a challenge for the Automobile Club, which could be
   recognised internationally only if it could stage a race in the very
   limited territory of the Principality. The Rallye Automobile Monte
   Carlo, organized by the A.C.M. since 1911, could not be considered as
   it used the roads of other European countries.

   The inaugural Monaco Grand Prix was won by William Grover-Williams
   (a.k.a. "Williams") driving a Bugatti Type 35B painted in what would
   become the famous British racing green colour. There is no relationship
   between "Williams" and the later Formula One team of the same name. The
   Monaco Grand Prix counted toward the European Championship from 1936 to
   1939 (although the race was not held in 1938).

   The Monaco Grand Prix was one of the races in the inaugural Formula One
   World Championship in 1950, with Juan Manuel Fangio winning that year.
   It was also Fangio's first win in a World Championship race. However,
   there was no race in 1951, and in 1952 the Monaco Grand Prix took place
   but was run to sports car rules. Since 1955, the Monaco Grand Prix has
   taken place each year and has been raced as part of the Formula One
   World Championship.

Notable Monaco Grands Prix

   1933
          This was the first Grand Prix where grid positions were decided
          by practice time rather than the established method of
          balloting. Achille Varzi and Tazio Nuvolari exchanged the lead
          many times during the race and the race was settled in Varzi's
          favour on the final lap when Nuvolari's car caught fire due to
          over-revving.

   1965
          Graham Hill took pole position, and led from the start. On lap
          25, Hill 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.

   1982
          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.

   Formation lap for the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix.
   Enlarge
   Formation lap for the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix.

   1984
          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 as the race had been stopped
          before 2/3 of the total length had been run. If Prost had
          finished in second and the race been stopped after 2/3 of the
          distance had been run, he would had received 1.5 more points in
          the championship. At the end of the season Prost lost the title
          to Niki Lauda by half a point, the closest margin ever.

   1993
          Alain Prost took pole, but was penalised for jumping the start,
          and could only recover to fourth place. Ayrton Senna was
          victorious, breaking Graham Hill's record for most wins at the
          Monaco Grand Prix. Damon Hill came second and Jean Alesi came
          third. "If my father was around now, he would be the first to
          congratulate Ayrton," Hill stated after the race.

   1996
          Michael Schumacher took pole position, but crashed 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.

   2006
          The qualifying session was drawing to a close, with Michael
          Schumacher provisionally on pole position, when Schumacher
          stopped 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 race proved to
          be a battle between Fernando Alonso and Kimi Räikkönen, which
          was settled when Räikkönen's McLaren caught fire. Juan Pablo
          Montoya finished second and David Coulthard took Red Bull
          Racing's first podium finish in third.

The Circuit

   The exit of Piscine, leading into La Rascasse.
   Enlarge
   The exit of Piscine, leading into La Rascasse.
   Circuit map for the Circuit de Monaco.
   Enlarge
   Circuit map for the Circuit de Monaco.

   The Grand Prix of Monaco is held each year on the Circuit de Monaco,
   which consists of the city streets of Monte Carlo and La Condamine,
   which includes the famous harbour. It is unique in having been held on
   the same circuit every time it has been run over such a long period -
   only the Italian Grand Prix has a similarly lengthy and close
   relationship with a single circuit. The erecting of the circuit takes
   six weeks, and the removal after the race takes three weeks. The race
   circuit has many elevation changes, tight corners, and a narrow course
   that make it perhaps the most demanding track in Formula One racing. On
   the race weekend frogmen (divers) are employed to rescue any drivers
   who happen to crash into the harbour, although as of 2006 only two have
   done so, the most famous being Alberto Ascari in 1955. Despite the fact
   that the course has had minor changes several times during its history,
   it is still is considered the ultimate test of driving skills in
   Formula One, and if it were not already an existing Grand Prix, it
   would not be permitted to be added to the schedule, for safety reasons.
   To say that the Monaco circuit is an anachronism unsuitable for the
   race is not entirely correct as it was considered unsafe in 1929 when
   racing began at Monaco.

   Nelson Piquet was fond of saying that racing at Monaco was "like trying
   to cycle round your living room," but added that "a win here was worth
   two anywhere else".

   Monaco is approximately 20 minutes from Nice by train. There is a
   helicopter shuttle service to and from Monte Carlo, which takes roughly
   seven minutes. France's Nice Cote d'Azur is Monaco's nearest
   international airport, lying approximately 37km away. Monte Carlo can
   be reached by car by using the A8 highway. There are also rail links
   available from Nice and a shuttle-bus that runs every 15 minutes. Bus
   journeys to Monaco take around 45 minutes.

Organisation

   The Grand Prix of Monaco is organized each year by the Automobile Club
   de Monaco which also runs the Monte Carlo Rally and the Monaco Kart
   Cup.

   The organisation of the Monaco Grand Prix differs in several ways from
   that of every other Grands Prix on the Formula One calendar. First
   practice for the race is held on the Thursday preceding the race, not
   Friday as for all other Formula One races. Monaco is currently the only
   Formula One race held in the centre of a town, so having first practice
   on the Thursday allows the streets to be opened to the public again on
   the Friday, helping ease the disruption caused by the event. Until the
   late 1990s the Monaco Grand Prix started at 3pm local time - an hour
   later than other European Formula One races. In recent years the race
   has fallen in line with the other races for the convenience of
   television viewers.

   There is no podium as such at the race. Instead a section of the track
   is closed after the race to act as parc fermé, a place where the cars
   are held for official inspection. The first three drivers in the race
   leave their cars there and walk directly to the royal box where the
   'podium' ceremony is held, a location much closer to the crowd than at
   other races.

Notable drivers

   Graham Hill won at Monaco more times than any other British driver.
   Enlarge
   Graham Hill won at Monaco more times than any other British driver.

   Britain's Graham Hill won the prestigious race five times and became
   known as "King of Monaco" and "Mr. Monaco". Hill, who badly damaged his
   legs in a crash at the end of the 1970 Formula One season, continued to
   compete, but after failing to qualify for the 1975 race he retired to
   run his Embassy Hill team. His son Damon Hill, himself a world champion
   and winner of 22 Grands Prix, never won at Monaco, although he managed
   2 second places and a pole position in 1995.

   Brazil's Ayrton Senna, has won the most Monaco Grands Prix, taking six
   victories, five of them consecutively from 1989 to 1993, as well as
   having a total of eight podiums in ten starts, with the other two
   starts being retirements, one from the lead.

   Louis Chiron is the only native of Monaco to have won the race. He took
   victory in the 1931 race driving a Bugatti. Monaco also provided his
   best result in the World Championship era, as he took third place in
   the 1950 Grand Prix.

   Stirling Moss won his first Monaco Grand Prix in 1956, but arguably his
   later victories are the most memorable. In 1959 he started from pole
   position but retired with axle failure. 1960 saw Moss' independent Rob
   Walker Lotus win in changeable conditions. The 1961 race saw Moss back
   in the Rob Walker Lotus, and he fended off three works Ferraris to win
   the race.

   French driver, Alain Prost, has won the Monaco Grand Prix more than any
   other French driver. As well as his numerous Formula One wins at
   Monaco, he also won the Monaco Grand Prix support race for Formula
   Three cars in 1979. The previous year he was arrested at Monaco, but
   released in time to start the Formula Three race, and he finished
   fourth.

Triple Crown

   The race forms one leg of the so-called ' Triple Crown' of the three
   most famous motor races in the world, the other two being the
   Indianapolis 500 and the 24 hours of Le Mans. Graham Hill is the only
   driver to have completed this Triple Crown, similar to Tennis' Grand
   Slam, by winning all three. The feat is rendered even more difficult by
   the fact that the Indianapolis 500 and the Monaco Grand Prix both take
   place during May, with practice for the 500 lasting the duration of the
   month. Juan Pablo Montoya, who won the 2003 Monaco Grand Prix and the
   2000 Indianapolis 500, is the only driver active in 2006 who has won
   two legs of the title.

Glamour

   In awarding its first Gold medal for motor sport to Prince Rainier III,
   the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) characterised the
   Monaco Grand Prix as contributing "an exceptional location of glamour
   and prestige" to motor sport and this view is often repeated by
   journalists and companies promoting holiday packages for the Grand
   Prix. It has been run under the patronage of three generations of
   Monaco's royal family: Louis II, Rainier III and Albert II, all of whom
   have taken a close interest in it. A large part of the principality's
   income comes from tourists attracted by the warm climate and the famous
   casino, but it is also a tax haven and is home to many millionaires,
   including several Formula One drivers.

   Monaco has produced only three native Formula One drivers, Louis
   Chiron, André Testut and Olivier Beretta, but its tax status has made
   it home to many drivers over the years, including Gilles Villeneuve and
   Ayrton Senna. Of the 2006 Formula One contenders, several have property
   in the principality, including Jenson Button and David Coulthard, who
   is part owner of a hotel there. Because of the small size of the town
   and the location of the circuit, drivers whose races end early can
   usually get back to their apartments in minutes. Ayrton Senna famously
   retired to his apartment after crashing out of the lead of the 1988
   race.

Winners of the Monaco Grands Prix

Repeat Winners (Drivers who have won more than once)

Number of Wins             Driver                         Years Won
      6        Brazil Ayrton Senna            1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993
      5        United Kingdom Graham Hill     1963, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1969
               Germany Michael Schumacher     1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001
      4        France Alain Prost             1984, 1985, 1986, 1988
      3        United Kingdom Stirling Moss   1956, 1960, 1961
               United Kingdom Jackie Stewart  1966, 1971, 1973
      2        Argentina Juan Manuel Fangio   1950, 1957
               France Maurice Trintignant     1955, 1958
               Austria Niki Lauda             1975, 1976
               Jody Scheckter                 1977, 1979
               United Kingdom David Coulthard 2000, 2002

Repeat Winners (Contructors)

          Only Formula One championship races count; embolded teams are
          still competing in the Formula One championship

   Number of Wins Constructor Years Won
   13 United Kingdom McLaren 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990,
   1991, 1992, 1993, 1998, 2000, 2002,
   2005
   8 Italy Ferrari 1955, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1981, 1997,
   1999, 2001
   7 United Kingdom Lotus 1960, 1961, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1974,
   1987
   5 United Kingdom British Racing Motors 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1972
   3 United Kingdom Cooper 1958, 1959, 1962
   United Kingdom Williams 1980, 1983, 2003
   2 Australia Brabham 1967, 1982
   Italy Maserati 1956, 1957
   France Renault 2004, 2006

By Year

   A dark background indicates an event which was not part of the Formula
   One World Championship.
   Year Driver Constructor Location Report
   2006 Spain Fernando Alonso Renault Monaco Report
   2005 Finland Kimi Räikkönen McLaren- Mercedes Monaco Report
   2004 Italy Jarno Trulli Renault Monaco Report
   2003 Colombia Juan Pablo Montoya Williams- BMW Monaco Report
   2002 United Kingdom David Coulthard McLaren- Mercedes Monaco Report
   2001 Germany Michael Schumacher Ferrari Monaco Report
   2000 United Kingdom David Coulthard McLaren- Mercedes Monaco Report
   1999 Germany Michael Schumacher Ferrari Monaco Report
   1998 Finland Mika Häkkinen McLaren- Mercedes Monaco Report
   1997 Germany Michael Schumacher Ferrari Monaco Report
   1996 France Olivier Panis Ligier- Mugen Honda Monaco Report
   1995 Germany Michael Schumacher Benetton- Renault Monaco Report
   1994 Germany Michael Schumacher Benetton- Ford Monaco Report
   1993 Brazil Ayrton Senna McLaren- Ford Monaco Report
   1992 Brazil Ayrton Senna McLaren- Honda Monaco Report
   1991 Brazil Ayrton Senna McLaren- Honda Monaco Report
   1990 Brazil Ayrton Senna McLaren- Honda Monaco Report
   1989 Brazil Ayrton Senna McLaren- Honda Monaco Report
   1988 France Alain Prost McLaren- Honda Monaco Report
   1987 Brazil Ayrton Senna Lotus- Honda Monaco Report
   1986 France Alain Prost McLaren- TAG Monaco Report
   1985 France Alain Prost McLaren- TAG Monaco Report
   1984 France Alain Prost McLaren- TAG Monaco Report
   1983 Finland Keke Rosberg Williams- Ford Monaco Report
   1982 Italy Riccardo Patrese Brabham- Ford Monaco Report
   1981 Canada Gilles Villeneuve Ferrari Monaco Report
   1980 Argentina Carlos Reutemann Williams- Ford Monaco Report
   1979 Jody Scheckter Ferrari Monaco Report
   1978 France Patrick Depailler Tyrrell- Ford Monaco Report
   1977 Jody Scheckter Wolf- Ford Monaco Report
   1976 Austria Niki Lauda Ferrari Monaco Report
   1975 Austria Niki Lauda Ferrari Monaco Report
   1974 Sweden Ronnie Peterson Lotus- Ford Monaco Report
   1973 United Kingdom Jackie Stewart Tyrrell- Ford Monaco Report
   1972 France Jean-Pierre Beltoise British Racing Motors Monaco Report
   1971 United Kingdom Jackie Stewart Tyrrell- Ford Monaco Report
   1970 Austria Jochen Rindt Lotus- Ford Monaco Report
   1969 United Kingdom Graham Hill Lotus- Ford Monaco Report
   1968 United Kingdom Graham Hill Lotus- Ford Monaco Report
   1967 New Zealand Denny Hulme Brabham- Repco Monaco Report
   1966 United Kingdom Jackie Stewart British Racing Motors Monaco Report
   1965 United Kingdom Graham Hill British Racing Motors Monaco Report
   1964 United Kingdom Graham Hill British Racing Motors Monaco Report
   1963 United Kingdom Graham Hill British Racing Motors Monaco Report
   1962 New Zealand Bruce McLaren Cooper- Climax Monaco Report
   1961 United Kingdom Stirling Moss Lotus- Climax Monaco Report
   1960 United Kingdom Stirling Moss Lotus- Climax Monaco Report
   1959 Australia Jack Brabham Cooper- Climax Monaco Report
   1958 France Maurice Trintignant Cooper- Climax Monaco Report
   1957 Argentina Juan Manuel Fangio Maserati Monaco Report
   1956 United Kingdom Stirling Moss Maserati Monaco Report
   1955 France Maurice Trintignant Ferrari Monaco Report
   1952 Italy Vittorio Marzotto Ferrari Monaco Report
   1950 Argentina Juan Manuel Fangio Alfa Romeo Monaco Report
   1948 Italy Giuseppe Farina Maserati Monaco Report
   1937 Germany Manfred von Brauchitsch Mercedes-Benz Monaco Report
   1936 Germany Rudolf Caracciola Mercedes-Benz Monaco Report
   1935 Italy Luigi Fagioli Mercedes-Benz Monaco Report
   1934 France Guy Moll Alfa Romeo Monaco Report
   1933 Italy Achille Varzi Bugatti Monaco Report
   1932 Italy Tazio Nuvolari Alfa Romeo Monaco Report
   1931 Monaco Louis Chiron Bugatti Monaco Report
   1930 France René Dreyfus Bugatti Monaco Report
   1929 United Kingdom William Grover-Williams Bugatti Monaco Report
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monaco_Grand_Prix"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
