68th Monaco Grand Prix

Monaco’s Formula 1 Grand Prix: Countdown

Formula 1 fans have a rendez-vous in Monaco from 13 to 16 May 2010

The suspense is reaching its peak for the second European Grand Prix of the Formula 1 season.  The Red Bull team has been monopolising pole position and places on the podiums since the beginning of the 2010 season.  The return of seven times world champion Michael Schumacher after three years of retirement is still arousing interest and excitement in the enclosure and the grandstands, leaving his fans expectantly awaiting his return to the top.  After a promising start in Spain – with a fast circuit in Barcelona of up to 308/310 km per hour, who knows what Monte Carlo’s urban circuit has in store!  Not so fast, admittedly, but just as thrilling … (289 km/hour in the tunnel in the Boulevard Louis II.)  It's the most difficult circuit in the world championship, “the drivers’ favourite.”

The narrow twisty roads, lined with barriers, demand complete concentration and faultless driving.  The qualifying sessions are decisive in this respect, as it is almost impossible to overtake on the track.  Few escape lanes, blind bends and some short straight stretches characterise the track, requiring an average of 4,150 gear changes during the event.  For 78 hours, the drivers and their monocoques continually come within a hair’s breadth of the barriers, and there is no room for error.

Fernando Alonso, the undisputed star of Formula 1 with his two world championship titles, was also the star in Spain this week-end.  More than ever before, Alonso, the “man with the golden thumbs” (insured for 10 million euros) is a front runner for the title.  After four different winners (Alonso, Button, Vettel and Webber), we’re still in suspense …