The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the most iconic races in the history of the world. One part of the triple crown, alongside the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, it’s the race that everyone, racing driver or not, wants to win. It’s a test of skill, endurance and daring that is rivalled by no other and desired by all.
But more often that not, there is criticism that labels this Grand Prix as uneventful, boring and anticlimactic.
Read on to discover, or to remind yourself, why this is far from the truth.
The Circuit
The Monaco Grand Prix has been held almost every single year in Formula 1 history from 1950, It’s the race that every driver has wanted to win for the last 75 years. That’s because, quite simply, there isn’t another Grand Prix like it. Over the years, other Grand Prix have certainly been inspired by it. The Azerbaijan, Singapore and Las Vegas Grand Prix come to mind as immediate examples. But none of them have ever been able to live up to the quintessential magic that makes Monaco so special.
A large part of this is because the Monaco Grand Prix is a race of endurance. It’s 78 laps of intensity like no other in Formula 1. Held on the streets of Monte Carlo that leads drivers around 18 corners across 2.075 miles of the principality, Monaco takes you right up to the very edge and dares you to go over it. One single lapse of concentration or one miniscule mistake and you’ll find yourself crashing into the barriers and out of the race. Everything can change in an instant in Monaco. There are no half measures here, no second chances. It’s all or nothing.
In 1955, for example, Alberto Ascari, through a combination of rogue brakes and being unable to avoid a patch of oil, flew off the circuit and into the harbour. In 2024, the seemingly smallest amount of initial contact sent Sergio Perez smashing into the barriers up Beau Rivage and taking both Haas cars out of the Grand Prix with him.
Finishing is it’s own Reward
All three races that make up the Triple Crowd are endurance races. 78 laps around the principality of Monaco. Five hundred miles around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway – a temple of speed where drivers reach an average lap speed of around 230mph. The 24 Hours of Le Mans gives the aim of the game away in its name. By nature, they are not meant to be easy; if they were, they wouldn’t have the prestige that is associated with them.
A little like the infamous Dakar Rally, finishing any of these can be seen as its own achievement. Nevermind standing on the podium or even winning, simply getting to the end of one of these races is victory in itself.
Finishing the Monaco Grand Prix can be seen as a triumph in a way that finishing any other Grand Prix just can’t be. You’re expected to finish the others. But with Monaco, it’s designed to test you. It’s the very essence of what a Grand Prix is. That’s a core tenet of Monaco that is often overlooked or undervalued.
Overtaking is Possible
With this generation of Formula 1 cars in particular, there’s not usually a lot of overtaking. Any moves that are made around the streets of Monte Carlo are high risk – and high reward. When we do see a move being accomplished, it never fails to put a little smirk on our faces. Everything is heightened in Monaco and therefore, more impressive. Being able to successfully pull off a manoeuvre down into Mirabeau, Portier or La Rascasse for example, takes guts, confidence and commitment of another nature. As mentioned above, one wrong move and it’s curtains. There is no room for uncertainty. Effective moves made so elevate the quality of the Grand Prix.
But Overtaking isn’t Essential
But that doesn’t mean that this venue needs a lot of overtaking for it to be a brilliant Grand Prix. In fact, it’s quite possibly the only Grand Prix on the calendar that wouldn’t need any overtaking at all for it to still be entertaining. The Monaco Grand Prix isn’t a race where the drivers and teams take each other on – at least not in the traditional sense. Sure, it’s part of it but the others with you on track are secondary opponents. As a driver, your real battle is with the circuit itself – it’s unforgiving nature pits each and every driver into their own individual war. Like a game of chess, it’s just you and the opponent with nowhere to hide as you are constantly tested on your strategic and forward thinking abilities.
Leclerc Victorious in 2024
Overtaking is obviously a large aspect in the wider world of motorsport. It can be difficult to put that element of racing to one side and appreciate this style of racing. Cast your mind back to 2024 when Charles Leclerc was finally able to become the first Monegasque to win in Monaco since Louis Chiron in 1931. It took him four attempts just to finish the Grand Prix, which he managed in 2022. But it took another two years for him to then actually win. It was a Grand Prix where, aside from the opening melees, not much happened.
Did that make everyone’s nerves vanish? Did that lessen the anticipation for what was to come? Was the tension for the possible result reduced? Not one bit. If anything, watching Charles Leclerc go head to head with the streets of Monaco became more and more mesmerising with every lap as we all began to dare that the impossible might finally happen. The end result speaks for itself.
The Calibre of Winners
There are a number of classic circuits on the Formula 1 Calendar. This year’s season opener, Australia, is one of them. So too are Japan, Silverstone and Monza. Monaco naturally sits amongst these and has earned that right by being different from all the others.
The calibre of drivers that have won the race in the past speaks volumes too. Juan Manuel Fangio. Stirling Moss. Jackie Stewart. Alain Prost. Michael Schumacher. Fernando Alonso. These are just a few of them and they are not drivers that people cast aside when debating the all times greats. They are some of the all time greats. Other drivers that have won over the years include Jack Brabham, Graham Hill, Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
Even those that have won it and haven’t reached the same heights as others are still drivers that you would never bet against. Bruce McLaren. David Coulthard. Kimi Räikkönen. Mark Webber. Daniel Ricciardo. Charles Leclerc. These are drivers that are tenacious, aggressive and driven in ways that others simply aren’t.
It’s a Classic
Ask someone to describe the Monaco Grand Prix. Glitz. Glamour. Speed. Royalty. On the edge. The pinnacle.
“It’s Monaco Baby!”
Then ask the drivers why they want to win the Monaco Grand Prix more than any other, aside from perhaps their home Grand Prix. The answer is always the same. “Because it’s Monaco.” You can’t compete with that. That’s why it’s such a brilliant venue. That’s why overtaking doesn’t matter as much as it does elsewhere. It’s a game of survival of the fittest and your reward is a level of eternal motorsport glory that precious few other races can offer. That’s why the Monaco Grand Prix is a classic.
Monaco – The Jewel in the Crown
From 1950 until 2025 – and beyond – Monaco has played host to one of the most spectacular races in the world. If you’re someone who hasn’t always been a fan, next time you watch it, reconsider it through the lenses presented above. Remember the history that Monaco is steeped in. Think back on the memorable moments throughout the decades; the roar of the cars as they went past in the 1960s as Stirling Moss beat three Ferraris to victory, Ayrton Senna’s iconic lap in 1988. Jenson Button winning for Brawn GP in 2009. Michael Schumacher’s final ‘Pole’ lap in 2012. Daniel Ricciardo embracing the swimming pool in 2018. Leclerc diving into the harbour victorious in 2024.
Monaco is the jewel in the crown not only for all of the reasons above, but, perhaps most importantly of all, for how it makes us feel.
The Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix takes place 22nd-25th May 2025.
Feature Image: McLaren Media Centre