Monaco Grand Prix Tickets
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Monaco Grand Prix Tickets
27 May 2012 at 14:00 Local Time | Circuit de Monaco
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The Monte Carlo Grand Prix - Circuit De Monaco
Location
Monaco is the second smallest country in the world behind the Vatican City and covers an area of less than a square mile. It is located on the southern coast of France and is not all that far from Nice. A large part of the land mass is actually a rock upon which the ruling Grimaldi family have built their castle. The Grimaldi's came to power almost 800 years ago when they took over a Monk fortress, and they transformed Monaco into a principality in 1338. The city is a playground to the rich and famous who are able to take advantage of the incredible taxation laws that benefit residents. It is the most expensive city in all of Europe and is very popular with high stakes gamblers who have made its casino one of the most famous in the world.
Circuit Origins
Alexandre Noghes was a wealthy cigarette manufacturer who lived in Monaco as a close friend to the Royal Family. In 1911 he used his influence to organise the very first Monaco Rally which has since become synonymous with the WRC. Eighteen years later his son, Anthony, did likewise and came up with an idea to run a Grand Prix through the streets of Monte Carlo. Motor-racing was a wealthy and exclusive sport so was always going to be a natural fit with Monaco. The layout that Anthony Noghes proposed is the same one used today, and is a testament to just how popular the Grand Prix has become.
Description
There is no Formula One circuit like Monaco anywhere else in the world. The track winds its way between the buildings of Monte Carlo and is so slow the cars will get up to 250 kph just once. The average speed is by far the slowest of any circuit. The track is 3.5 kilometres shorter than Spa Francorchamps but the cars will take just 30 seconds less to cover the distance. In fact, the pace at Monaco is so slow that the Grand Prix will only cover 260km as opposed to the 300km run everywhere else. After cars leave the start line they veer right up a big climb towards the world famous casino. From there they start heading back down the hill towards the harbour where the track runs alongside the water before looping back onto the pit straight. It is easily one of the most picturesque circuits and is a photographers dream. The circuit is incredibly narrow and spectators can get closer to the cars than any other racetrack.
Racing History
Monaco is the longest race in terms of time and if it is slowed by wet weather will go to the full two hour limit. Overtaking is near impossible and the only way to pass another car is to throw caution to the wind and hope for the best. There simply isn't enough space to race. Often the best strategy is to stack the car with as much fuel as possible and wait for the pitstops, because no-one can pass you if you're slow and you won't get held up by anyone in front of you doing the same thing. The first driver who does not need to qualify on his fuel load will almost certainly have the tank filled to the brim. The fuel burn penalty at Monaco is minimal due to the low speeds and in 1997 Mika Salo finished fifth without making a single pitstop. This race has the highest attrition of the season because the cars are punished by the bumps as much as the drivers are punished by the barriers. F1 machinery is not built for the slow corners and often struggle with the demands of the tight layout. All of this puts higher emphasis on driving talent than usual. For example, Rubens Barrichello was usually just a tiny bit slower than Michael Schumacher during their time together at Ferrari, but at Monaco he was a long way behind the German. This is the case with a lot of other drivers who have become known as Monaco specialists, such as Jarno Trulli and Lewis Hamilton. When it comes to driving talent at Monaco the statistics speak for themselves. Between 1984 and 2001, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher own every single Monaco Grand Prix except for three. It didn't matter what car those guys were in because they has the skill at Monaco to overcome any handicap. Cars that are rubbish can also do well at Monaco and there have been a number of surprise winners in the past. Engine power counts for nothing and neither does aerodynamics because the track is so slow and everyone has the same full downforce wing settings. You could be a slow driver in a car with no engine power and awful aerodynamics, but as long as you're accurate you can still get a good result at Monaco.
Driving Challenges
The whole track is a mammoth challenge because the barriers are only a split second away. At full speed a Formula One car travels the length of an Olympic swimming pool in half a second, and even though Monaco is a slow circuit they still pack a punch. If the driver loses concentration for just as long as it takes him to blink he will end up in the wall. Perhaps the biggest challenge for drivers is keeping focus for the full length of the race, which is extremely difficult because Monaco is the longest hardest slog of the season. There are no straights for the drivers to relax on and they always have to be paying attention to everything around them. That is of course presuming they have made it through the first corner unscathed. The start at Monaco is the most dangerous of any race because there is simply no space to manoeuvre. It only takes one driver to get a little over confident and a multiple pile up will ensue. Two corners in particular offer a unique challenge. The section around Casino Square is tricky because the drivers change direction and elevation over a crest at the same time. The first of those corners is blind and the exit is also off camber making this one of the trickiest bends in F1. The car will understeer into the first left hander but will oversteer like mad on the exit of the right hander. The other supreme challenge at Monaco is the Tabac corner because speed through there is totally dependent on how close a driver can get to the barriers. The quickest way though is to be an inch away on the entry, apex, and exit. The closer a driver can go the quicker he can take the corner, and it is usually where someone comes unstuck in qualifying. Tabac is all about precision and bravery, a combination rarely seen in modern F1. See for yourself by buying your Monaco Grand Prix tickets today.
What happened in 2009?
The race was all about tyres and the victory went to Jenson Button who looked after his rubber the best. Barrichello came home second ahead of Kimi Raikkonen who took his first podium of the year. Sebastian Vettel crashed out after giving his tyres too much punishment in the early stages.
Why Watch?
Monaco is the most watched Formula One Grand Prix of them all. In fact, it is one of the most watched sporting events of the year, and for very good reasons. It is a truly unique race. It is the most challenging and the most unpredictable, the driver can make the most difference, and even if it looks like getting boring there is plenty of scenery to look at instead. The history, drama, and excitement of Monaco make it a must see event.
Memorable Moments
1950 : As Juan Manual Fangio approached a blind corner on lap two he noticed the crowd were not looking at him in the lead, but at something on the circuit ahead. He slowed right down and avoided a massive pileup that claimed many of the drivers behind him who were not so observant. The crash was started by a wave from the harbour that splashed onto the circuit.
1965 : Graham Hill had an incident with a backmarker on lap 25 and lost the lead. He fought back through the order to claim a dominant victory, earning the nickname Mr Monaco along the way.
1970 : Jack Brabham threw away victory in the most spectacular fashion by crashing into the wall on the very last corner of the race. Brabham had managed to avoid the barriers for almost two hours but made an awful mistake right before the finish line, handing Jochen Rindt the win.
1982 : The lead changed six times in the final four laps in one of the most exciting Grands Prix in F1 history. A late shower caught out most of the drivers in the dying stages, and Ricardo Patrese took victory despite having to bump start his car after a spin on the second last lap.
1984 : Ayrton Senna stormed through the field in a Toleman during a wet race in his first season of F1. Senna was robbed of victory when the race was controversially stopped as he passed Alain Prost for the lead.
1992 : Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell staged an epic battle for the lead in the final laps of the race. Mansell was behind Senna and had a much faster car, but could not get past despite trying every trick in the book. Fans the world over held their breath as Senna won by just two tenths of a second.
1996 : Only three cars finished the Grand Prix making it the smallest field to complete a race in Formula One history. Olivier Panis took the win in rainy conditions.
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