Formula 1 drivers are set to line up on the starting grid for the 79th Monaco Grand Prix. From Friday 27 to Saturday 28 May 2022, Principality of Monaco
The F1 Monaco Grand Prix, a legendary race!
The F1 Monaco Grand Prix is widely seen as one of the world's most prestigious motor races, as emblematic as the Indy 500, the Le Mans 24 Hours, and the WRC Monte-Carlo Rally.
It was the second circuit in history to host Formula 1 cars in 1950 (21 May), after Silverstone, but had already been the setting for races from 1929. It remains one of the last "driver's circuits", where human skill can still make all the difference (Ayrton
Senna was a six-time winner here, including five race wins in a row between 1989 and 1993).
The temporary 3.34 km track, installed on the city streets of Monaco itself for a few days during the Grand Prix race meeting, is the slowest in the Formula 1 World Championship.
Perhaps the most iconic circuit, every drive dreams of winning in Monaco, but achieving the top step of the podium is a tougher challenge than ever here. Navigating the labyrinthine streets is an exercise in fearless virtuosity and total concentration, as the track is narrow and edged with safety barriers, there are few run-off areas and many of the corners lack visibility. The few straights here and there require plenty of gear changes in the course of one lap.
All of which means that qualifying is crucial. With overtaking so difficult, the driver who starts from pole position has every chance of winning the race.
What makes the Monaco circuit so special is above all the setting, the track is very narrow and on the limit for driving a modern Formula 1 car, but that's what makes qualifying really crazy.
Max Verstappen, Winner of the 2021 Monaco F1 GP
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For many years, the Monaco Grand Prix was held over four days on the Ascension Day weekend. Free practice then took place on the Thursday. Now organised over one weekend in May, the Formula 1 Grand Prix is a three-day long event (with the Thursday being reserved for Formula 2 practice). One of the peculiarities of this street circuit sees the roads closed to traffic in the early hours of the morning, before opening again in the evening after the races. Throughout the weekend, it's possible to walk or drive along the circuit, and imagine yourself in the shoes of a Formula 1 driver for a brief moment.
Who will succeed the 2021 winner Max Verstappen and claim the chequered flag at the 79th Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix?