10 facts about the Monaco Grand Prix

‘Past the tunnel and through the turns heading into the long left-hander’

The Monaco Grand Prix is here this weekend and it’s probably the best track in the racing calendar. Narrow roads, sharp turns and a tunnel are some of the few features of this legendary track.

The following are a few facts that not many might know about the Circuit de Monte Carlo:

1. Juan Manuel Fangio, Maurice Trintignant, Jack Brabham, Denny Hulme, Patrick Depailler and Riccardo Patrese all scored their maiden Formula One wins in Monaco.

2. Lotus scored their first win as a constructor in Monaco in 1960, although it wasn’t by the factory team but by Stirling Moss in a privately-entered Lotus 18.

3. Giancarlo Fisichella and David Coulthard – two of only 13 drivers to have started 200 or more Grands Prix – both achieved the milestone in Monaco.

4. Fernando Alonso claimed McLaren’s 150th Formula One race victory in Monaco in 2007.

5. Michael Schumacher holds the Monaco lap record – 1m 14.439s set in 2004 for Ferrari. (the F2004 still holds the record as thefastest Formula 1 car ever!)

6. Rubens Barrichello holds the record for the most Monaco podiums without a win – five. Double world champion Jim Clark holds the record for most Monaco pole positions without winning the race – four.

7. McLaren have claimed the most victories of any constructor in Monaco – 15 – but Ferrari have scored the most podiums – 48 in total. Ferrari have not won in the Principality since 2001.

8. Bruce McLaren celebrated a centenary of world championship starts at Monaco in 1970. Graham Hill started his 150th race in the same place three years later. Rene Arnoux, Rubens Barrichello and Johnny Herbert also all hit 100 race starts in Monaco, with Herbert also going on to celebrate 150 starts whilst in the Principality. Michael Schumacher followed his lead a year later in 2001.

9. History shows that pole position is not nearly as important as you might imagine in Monaco – the race has been won by the poleman 26 times in 59 races. Olivier Panis won the race from 14th on the grid in 1996 – the lowest any winning driver has started.

10. On average, a driver changes gear 62 times per lap at Monaco. The longest period they spend at full throttle is around 7.5 seconds (going through the tunnel).