With 90th celebration since its first edition of Monaco Grand Prix, here are some interesting facts about the iconic Monaco race.
The heart thumping race track with twists and turns, Monaco Grand Prix is one of the oldest, challenging & prestigious motor races. With not much differences in the track established in the year 1929. It is still organized with the utmost respect for tradition and innovation, with still that touch of boldness, drivers compete in their excellence to negotiate this extremely technical course. With such vast history and amazing experience, there are few interesting facts you would be intrigued to know.
- Monaco is a constitutional monarchy with Prince Albert II as head of the state. It has 38,000 HNI clients including many current & past F1® drivers, and only 5,000 residents as locals. It has given produces four drivers over the years; Louis Chiron, André Testut, Oliver Beretta & Charles Leclerc. Chiron won the 1931 non-Championship Monaco Grand Prix & also holds the record for being the oldest driver to enter a F1® race.
- The track measures 3.34 kilometers with tight & twisty layout which makes overtaking extremely difficult & makes a good qualifying position even more important.
- The Monaco Grand Prix forms part of ‘Triple Crown’ of motorsport, along with Indianapolis 500 and 24 hours of Le Mans. Graham Hill has managed to achieve the Triple Crown to date.
- Daniel Ricciardo holds the record for the fastest single lap ever run in 1:10:81 last year.
- Brazilian god Ayrton Senna won six times, Michael Schumacher won five & Graham Hill, popularly known as the ‘King of Monaco’ has won five times as well. McLaren is the most successful constructor in Monaco, with 15 wins.
- On 14th April 1929, Prince Pierre inaugurated with a lap of honour carried out in a Torpedo Voisin driven by Charles Faroux, the course director. Williams won the Grand Prix in a green Bugatti 35 B in 3 ours, 56 minutes and 11 seconds, having completed 100 laps at an average speed of 80.194 km/h.
- The film ‘Ocean 12’ in 2004 promoted their film with Jaguar team who ran at the Monaco grand Prix with diamonds attached to the nosecones of the cars. On the first lap, the Jaguar of Christian Klien hit the barriers and retires from the race. The team was unable to recover the car or the crash site until the race finished. And the $300,000 diamond couldn’t be found.