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The Formula 1 world championships were inaugurated in 1950. Since then, 32 countries have hosted at least one Grand Prix event. Throughout the years, there have been some truly iconic venues to host a Formula 1 race. Tracks that fans and drivers look forward to. Out of all these venues, which ones are the most iconic?
Top 5 most iconic Formula 1 tracks
5: Interlagos, Brazil
Brazil has produced some of the sport's greats like Ayrton Senna, Emerson Fittipaldi and Nelson Piquet. Apart from great drivers, Brazil also has one of the most iconic circuits on the Formula 1 calendar: Interlagos in Sao Paulo.
What makes Interlagos special is the unpredictable weather, and that the race at the track always takes place at the business end of the season. There are usually championships at stake when Formula 1 goes racing at Interlagos. The track has been the venue for some of the most remarkable title deciders in recent history.
In 2007, Kimi Raikkonen narrowly won the championship against the McLaren duo of Alonso and Hamilton by a solitary point. The following season Lewis Hamilton snatched the title from home hero Felipe Massa by overtaking Toyota's Timo Glock on the last corner of the last lap. In 2012, Sebastian Vettel won the championship after spinning on the first lap. It was one of the most epic recovery drives in Interlagos and Formula 1 history.
4: Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium is arguably one of the biggest fan-favorite tracks in all of Formula 1. What makes Spa a unique circuit on the calendar is that it consists of a lot of fast corners. Races at Spa often see a lot of overtaking. Being one of the longest tracks on the calendar also means that it is more like an endurance race. It requires precision and focus throughout its 7 kilometers.
The track also has some of the most legendary corners in motorsport history. None more so than Eau Rouge and Raidillon, where the track sees elevation changes, followed by the long Kemmel straight.
The track also saw Anthoine Hubert's fatal crash during a Formula 2 support race in 2019. Spa holds a special place in the hearts of Gasly and Leclerc, who lost their childhood friend at the track.
#3: Silverstone, United Kingdom
Silverstone hosted the first Formula 1 Grand Prix event in 1950. Since then, the track has hosted 55 races in 70 years. Silverstone is made special by the fans in attendance. Formula 1 has seen many great British drivers from Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart to, more recently, Lewis Hamilton. British fans have always come out in droves to support their home heroes and are rarely left disappointed.
Lewis Hamilton has won the British Grand Prix seven times, a record at the track. He is followed by Jim Clark with five wins and Nigel Mansell with four.
The 2019 British Grand Prix at Silverstone holds the record for being the most attended Formula 1 race of all time, with 141,000 fans flocking the iconic grandstands.
The track has recently supported the use of COVID passports to allow fans into the circuit on race weekends.
Also read: Silverstone supports COVID passports for Grand Prix
2: Monza, Italy
The Autodromo Nazionale di Monza is widely regarded as the home of Italian motorsport. Monza is one of the fastest circuits on the Formula 1 calendar and is rightly nicknamed the "Temple of Speed."
Monza holds the record for hosting the most Formula 1 Grand Prix events, with 70 races. Barring 1980, Monza has been the home of the Italian Grand Prix and hosted a race every season. Monza has some iconic corners which include the Curva Grande, the two Lesmos, the Ascari chicane and the final corner, Parabolica.
However, just like Silverstone, it is the fans in Monza that make the circuit iconic. Loud and passionate Ferrari fans called the Tifosi come out in large numbers in hopes of a Ferrari win at Monza. During the race, the grandstands are covered in red. Fans gathering beneath the podium is another sight to behold at the track, especially if a Ferrari driver wins at the track. The last time the Tifosi cheered for one of their own at Monza was in 2019, when Charles Leclerc took the checkered flag after a race-long battle against two Mercedes cars.
1: Circuit de Monaco, Monaco
Without a doubt, the most iconic circuit in Formula 1 is Monte Carlo in Monaco. Winning in Monaco is the dream for many Formula 1 drivers. The Monaco Grand Prix is al a part of the Triple Crown of Motorsports along with the Indy500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Monaco has been made iconic because of its narrow, street track. Formula 1 races on the roads of Monaco. These roads are used by regular vehicles throughout the year, but on a Formula 1 weekend, the city is at a standstill. The track has not changed since the first race took place in the principality in 1950. Monaco has a few iconic corners such as the hairpin, the tunnel section and the Casino section, which are now a part of Formula 1 tradition.
However, in recent seasons, the Monaco Grand Prix has a tendency of hosting boring races. The narrow streets don't allow for much overtaking with the wide Formula 1 cars nowadays. The main attraction at Monaco has always been Saturday's qualifying session. It is one of the most important, intense and prestigious sessions in motorsport. Monaco is and will always remain the "Jewel in the Formula 1 crown."
