MONACO — The duality of the race so often described as Formula One‘s jewel in the crown, the Monaco Grand Prix, remains as clear as ever.
While qualifying for the event, which snakes around the twisty streets of the Monte Carlo harbourside, is rightfully considered one of the standout moments in a Formula One season, many see the often-processional race that follows on Sunday as one of the worst. Lewis Hamilton, a four-time winner of the grand prix and one of the many F1 drivers who is a resident of the principality, is one of the biggest advocates for a format change.
“Do you guys not fall asleep on Sunday watching the race?” he asked the media ahead of this weekend’s event. “I don’t know how you do it.”
Like most in F1, Hamilton’s reservations about the final product do not diminish his love for what the event means and what it stands for. His boyhood idol Ayrton Senna is as synonymous with the race as the yachts that line the harbour throughout the three days of track action.
“I always feel when you look into the harbour, you look over this place and you think about the history, it just blows you away,” Hamilton said. “I remember watching on TV as a kid, dreaming of going through that tunnel where Ayrton was. It is very, very surreal to think today that I’m one of the 20 to do it. Even though it’s been so many years and I’ve been doing it for so long, I think I was really grateful for that moment this morning to feel that.
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“I was just reflecting on when I first came here when I was 13, and that really opened my eyes. That became a dream, like, OK, this is the most beautiful place I’ve ever been; this is where I want to live.”
Monaco’s race certainly looks like no other. The yachts lining the harbour form an iconic backdrop, as do spots such as the hairpin at Casino Square and the famous tunnel section. That backdrop, a city for the super wealthy located between the Maritime Alps and the French Riviera, is unmatched at any other event. The circuit has remained largely unchanged in its long history as a world championship race — only the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 interrupted a run of races stretching back to 1955.
The narrow 3.337-kilometre circuit is the shortest in the championship. Its narrow roads, lined with barriers on either side from start to finish, have made qualifying one of the most revered and anticipated days of the year.
“One of the best moments of the season, I agree on that,”…
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