How The Monaco Grand Prix Became The Most Iconic F1 Race

Monaco Grand Prix

Christian Hartmann

• The Monaco Grand Prix is the crown jewel of Formula 1, known for its glitz and glamour.
• The race features a tight, unforgiving track with hairpin turns that continue to challenge drivers.
• Iconic moments include Senna's 1988 crash, Schumacher's 2012 pole, and Ricciardo's 2018 win.
• This article is part of "Behind the Wheel," a series about the highly competitive and high-tech world of Formula 1.

There's certainly something unique about Monaco.

The principality, which takes up less than 1 square mile, is notorious for being a playground for the ultrawealthy. But it's arguably best known for the Monaco Grand Prix, a car race through the streets of Monte Carlo that has been an integral part of the Formula 1 calendar since the series' inaugural season in 1950.

In the decades since then, the Monaco Grand Prix has become the crown jewel of Formula 1 — and arguably the most famous race in the world.

"Monaco is really everything Formula 1 aspires to be: wealth, fame, decadence," said Bob Varsha, a longtime Formula 1 broadcaster who covered the Monaco Grand Prix for ESPN throughout the 1990s and 2000s. "It's the billionaire's Disneyland, cloaked in mystery, soaking in money and luxury."

The grand prix actually began in 1929, before Formula 1 existed. It was one of a handful of races held within and around Monaco, cementing the principality's status as a paradise for car enthusiasts. The race joined the Formula 1 calendar in its inaugural season in 1950 and became famous for its tight, unforgiving track, with hairpin turns that challenge drivers and engineers alike.

"Monaco is nothing like any other track on the calendar," Varsha said. "It's almost a reverse challenge to all of the engineering minds in Formula 1. You take this fabulous, technological, spacecraft-like race car, and you have to totally rebuild it, rethinking it for the slower speeds and tight corners of Monaco."

Clive Rose/Getty Images)

The narrow track, which doesn't allow for much overtaking, has only added to the race's reputation. And though Formula 1 has changed a lot since 1950, Monaco's beautiful vistas with cars speeding past yachts and taking sharp turns around its casino have contributed to its lasting charm.

"Of course, there is only one Monaco," said Zak Brown, the CEO of McLaren, whose team is enjoying a resurgent season after the driver Lando Norris' victory at the Miami Grand Prix. It's "the pinnacle of the calendar and arguably the most famous race in the world, up there with the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans."

But Monaco earned its reputation on more than just its beautiful scenery and longevity. Here are some of the race's iconic moments that helped it earn its legendary status.

A legend is born

At the 1950 Monaco Grand Prix — the race's first as part of Formula 1 — the Argentine driver Juan Manuel Fangio earned the victory for Alfa Romeo. It would be Fangio's first of many victories in the series; he'd go on to win five Formula 1 world championships throughout the 1950s, establishing himself as the sport's first true star.

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The movie treatment

Jackie Stewart is one of the most famous drivers in F1's history, and part of that reputation was earned in Monaco. His quest to win the 1971 Monaco Grand Prix was documented in Roman Polanski's film "Weekend of a Champion," which highlighted the race's glitz and glamour and Stewart's amusing personality.

Decades later, returning as a broadcaster, Stewart received adoration from race fans throughout Monaco. "I learned very quickly that Sir Jackie is the mayor of Monaco during race weekend," Varsha, who worked with Stewart as broadcast partners on several occasions, recalled. "Nothing is major league that weekend unless Jackie is there."

Senna's crash

Perhaps no one exemplified the Monaco Grand Prix as much as Ayrton Senna, the legendary Brazilian driver who won the race a record six times.

His most memorable moment, though, may have come in a loss. He famously crashed out of the lead in 1988 despite cruising toward what seemed like a surefire victory. The moment was a centerpiece of the documentary "Senna."

Universal Pictures

"Senna led by a mile and felt he was having an out-of-body experience," Varsha recalled. "And then he hit the fence with this massive lead, got out of the car, stomped away to his apartment, and didn't show up again until later that evening."

Senna's surprising defense

That crash was a distant memory by 1992, as Senna unexpectedly claimed his fifth Monaco Grand Prix victory.

The British driver Nigel Mansell, in a dominant Williams-Renault car that started on pole, clocked significantly faster lap times than Senna, though the Brazilian fended him off in the dramatic closing stages of the race.

"That's probably my favorite Monaco moment," Brown said. "Senna came out in front, and Mansell had the superior car, but he just couldn't get by him. There was about a five-lap shootout at the end, and it was pretty awesome."

Schumacher's shocking pole

The 2012 season marked Michael Schumacher's last in Formula 1. The legendary German driver had established himself as one of the sport's all-time greats, having won seven world championships, and he came out of retirement to drive for the Mercedes F1 team.

While he didn't gain any victories during his Mercedes stint, he earned a pole position at his final Monaco Grand Prix at 43. His masterful lap edged out the Australian Mark Webber by only eight-hundredths of a second. An unrelated penalty would ultimately force Schumacher to start the race from sixth position, but he still thoroughly enjoyed his final pole — a feather in the cap of an extraordinary career.

Ricciardo's redemption

In modern Formula 1, few drivers are as popular as Daniel Ricciardo.

In 2016, the affable Aussie saw his sizable lead at Monaco diminish when his pit crew botched a strategy call, leading to a lengthy pit stop that ultimately landed Ricciardo a runner-up finish to Lewis Hamilton.

Two years later, Ricciardo earned his redemption, converting pole position to victory. He celebrated afterward with an epic belly flop into a pool.

The storyline served as a pivotal moment in season one of "Drive to Survive," the Netflix docuseries that would bolster Formula 1's popularity in the US and help cement Ricciardo as a fan favorite.

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Leclerc's hometown agony

In recent years, the hometown hero Charles Leclerc — one of the most famous athletes to hail from Monaco — has become a focus of the grand prix.

The Ferrari driver has yet to earn a podium at his home race, though he's been tantalizingly close to victory.

The worst heartbreak came in 2021. Despite earning pole position, a gearbox issue on the warm-up lap forced Leclerc to retire before the race even began.