F1: 3 Reasons why the Monaco GP is a special race

#2 So Much History

The race goes back further than almost anyone alive can remember, just ask Prince Albert.

The Monaco Grand Prix isn't the first motor race that was run, that honour goes back to the turn of the 20th century in France. Nor is it the oldest GP, but Monte Carlo is a worthy jewel in the crown of Formula 1. The Monaco GP was first run in 1929 - 90 years ago this year - and has been almost ever-present on the F1 calendar. Alongside the races in Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Belgium, it's one of the true classics from Formula 1's European heartland and its removal from the roster would be a crying shame.

While those aforementioned races are important ones to win in a driver's career, nothing matches the prestige of winning in Monaco. From the unique podium to going to Prince Albert's (the head of state of Monaco) house for lunch, nothing else is like it in motorsport. The Monaco Grand Prix also makes up one of the events in motorsport's "Triple Crown" - along with the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Indianapolis 500 - and this is by most measures, the pinnacle of achievement as a driver. Only Graham Hill has ever won the triple crown, something that Fernando Alonso and Juan Pablo Montoya are trying desperately to emulate in the modern era. Speaking of Hill, if you were to ask the great drivers of the past which race they wanted to win the most, most of them, if not all, will say Monaco, just ask the likes of Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill that.

If that wasn't enough, the Amber Lounge and Charity Fashion Show are also hallmarks of the weekend's events. There's nowhere quite like Monaco.