Formula One Monaco Grand Prix – History, Winners, and Track

The Monaco Grand Prix is considered to be one of the most prestigious car races in the world and ranks alongside the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of LeMans. The three races form the “Triple Crown of Motorsport”.

History Of Monaco Grand Prix

The Monaco Grand Prix traces its roots to 1929 when the first Grand Prix was organized by Antony Noghès. With the support of Prince Louis II who was then the president of the Automobile Club de Monaco. In 1933, the Association Internationale des Automobiles Clubs Reconnus (AIACR) which was the governing body of racing, ranked the Monaco Grand Prix as a certified International Grand Prix along with the Belgian, French, Italian and Spanish Grand Prix races.

The Monaco Grand Prix became a round of the European Championship in 1936. The race was canceled in 1938 and halted during the war. European car racing resumed four months after the end of World War 2 in 1945 but from 1945-47, the Monaco Grand Prix was not run due to financial reasons. It was run for the first time in the post-war era in 1948 and in 1955 it officially became a part of the Formula One World Championship.

The Circuit de Monaco

The current Monaco Grand Prix is raced at the Circuit de Monaco, a 3.37 km length race track with 19 turns. The FIA Grade 1 rack has a capacity of 37,000 and is located in Monte Carlo in Monaco. The Monaco Grand Prix covers a distance of 260.286 km or 78 laps around the Circuit de Monaco.

The Circuit de Monaco is arguably the most famous race track in the world. It is a street circuit located in the city streets of Monaco and La Condamine around the harbor of Monaco’s principality. More popularly known as Monte Carlo, it is considered one of the most demanding race tracks in the world. The track is narrow with tight corners and has many elevation shifts.

Due to the tight and twisting nature of the circuit, the track favors driving skill versus the speed of the car. Hence, the Monaco Grand Prix is also known as the ultimate test of a driver’s skills. Estimates have it that a driver will have to change gears 5,000 times throughout the 78-lap race. The circuit also has the slowest and quickest corners in Formula One. There isn’t as much overtaking here as in the other circuits because of its narrow and dangerous course.

The race track has been revised several times but it still carries the layout it had in 1929. The most recent major change in the circuit happened in 2004 when a pit complex was permanently built at the swimming pool area of the circuit. The new complex replaced the cramped facility that was formerly and temporarily used.

This year’s race will be the 77th time the Monaco Grand Prix will be run and the 66th time it will be run as part of the Formula One World Championship. This year’s race will be held from May 23-26, 2019 and as always, fireworks are expected.

Monaco Winners

Over the last 70 years, a total of 81 drivers have stood on top of the podium at the Monaco Grand Prix. Ayrton Senna has the most Top Three finishes in Monaco with 8 while current drivers Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel each have six podium finishes. Senna is the driver who has most wins in Monaco. The Brazilian won a total of six Monaco Grand Prix races, including five straight victories from 1989-1993. Next, on the win list are British driver Graham Hill and German legend Michael Schumacher. Hill won five out of his total 14 Grand Prix races in the Principality while Schumacher won five times from 1994-2001.

Frenchman Alain Prost won four, including three in a row from 1984-1986. For the ten years beginning 1984 and ending in 1993, only Prost and Senna won the Monaco Grand Prix. It can be recalled that Senna’s legend began in 1984 when he famously dueled Frost in a rain-soaked race. Prost ultimately won that particular race, but every race fan will agree that Senna’s star was born on that day.

Englishmen Stirling Moss and Jackie Stewart each won the race thrice, as did German Nico Rosberg. Of the current drivers in the Formula One season, Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes and Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari have two wins apiece. Kimi Raikkonen of Alfa Romeo Racing and Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull are the only other current drivers to have claimed victory in Monaco.

On the other hand, McLaren is the winningest Constructor in the Monaco Grand Prix, having won a total of 15. Ferrari is the only other car-maker to have won double-digits in Monaco with a total of 10 victories. Mercedes and Lotus each have 7 wins while British constructor BRM has five. Bugatti and Red Bull each have four with the latter winning last year. Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Cooper, Tyrrell, and Williams have three wins each while Brabham, Benetton and Renault have each won twice.

Daniel Ricciardo won the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix. Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton came in second and third, respectively. The odds for this year’s race aren’t out yet because there is still a race that will be run before it. That race is the 2019 Spanish Grand Prix which will be held on May 12, 2019. Until then, F1 betting for the 2019 Monaco Grand Prix will have to wait. We will give an update once the odds for this race are available so stay tuned for that.