The Monaco Grand Prix is the one race of the year that every driver dreams of winning, requiring a combination of precision driving, technical excellence and sheer bravery to win in Monte Carlo.
These facets highlight the differences between the good drivers and the great in Formula 1.
The Armco barrier-lined circuit leaves no margin for error, demanding more concentration that any other Formula 1 track. Cars run with maximum downforce and brakes are worked hard. Overtaking is next to impossible so qualifying in Monaco is more critical than at any other Grand Prix.
The Portier corner is key to achieving a good lap time around Monaco. It is preceded by the Loews hairpin, the slowest corner in Formula 1, and followed by the tunnel, one of the few flat-out sections of the track. Some great names have ended their races in the barriers here, most notably Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher.
To win in Monaco places a driver's name on a list that includes many of history's all-time greats.
Both Graham Hill, the man nicknamed 'Mr Monaco', and Schumacher won it five times, Alain Prost took four victories, whilst Stirling Moss and Jackie Stewart each won here three times. But the record of wins in the Principality resides with the Senna, who won in Monte Carlo six times.
The race has been a regular fixture of the world championship since 1955, but in that time the circuit has changed remarkably little. Slight alterations were made for the 2003 event, in particular a new, gentler entry to the Rascasse corner, with even bigger changes in 2004, with a new pit complex and increased spectator capacity. (Source: F1.com)
Facts & Statistics supplied by Reuters:
- Lap distance:3.337km. Total distance: 260.286 km (78 laps)
- 2017 pole: Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari, One minute 12.178 seconds.
- 2017 winner: Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Ferrari
- Race lap record: Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India 1:14.820 (2017)
- Start time: 1310 GMT (1510 local)
Race Victories
- Hamilton is going for his third win in a row, after Azerbaijan and Spain.
- The Briton has 64 victories from 213 races and is second in the all-time list behind seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher (91). Vettel has 49.
- Ferrari have won 231 races since 1950, McLaren 182, Williams 114, Mercedes 78 and Red Bull 56. Former champions McLaren and Williams have not won since 2012.
- Pole Position
- Hamilton has a record 74 career poles. Vettel has 53.
- Max Verstappen, at 20 years old, can become the youngest ever pole sitter this season. The current youngest is Vettel, who did it at the age of 21 years and 72 days.
Podium
- Hamilton has 121 career podiums and is second on the all-time list behind Schumacher (155). Vettel has 101, Kimi Raikkonen 94.
- Championship Points
- Hamilton has had a record 30 successive scoring finishes to date. He leads Vettel by 17 points after five races.
- Mercedes are 27 points ahead of Ferrari in the constructors’ championship.
- Russian rookie Sergey Sirotkin (Williams) is the only driver on the starting grid yet to score a point in his career.
- Haas’s Romain Grosjean has yet to open his account for 2018 and including last season the Frenchman has not scored for nine races in a row.
- Sauber have already scored more points (11) than in all of last year (five), with Charles Leclerc scoring in his last two races. The last time Sauber took points from three successive races was in 2015.
Monaco Grand Prix
- This year’s race is the 65th edition.
- The last six races have seen the safety car deployed.
- Mercedes have won four of the last five Monaco Grands Prix, but Ferrari ended that streak last year with their first in the principality since 2001.
- The driver on pole has won 10 of the last 17 races in Monaco. In 1996, Frenchman Olivier Panis won from 14th on the starting grid — the lowest winning start position to date.
- Since 1950, only 10 times has the race been won by a driver starting lower than third.
- Four former Monaco winners will be on Sunday’s grid: Alonso (2006, 2007), Vettel (2011), Hamilton (2008, 2016), Raikkonen (2005).
- Alonso missed last year’s race to compete in the Indianapolis 500.
- Leclerc will be the first Monegasque to compete in his home race since Olivier Beretta in 1994.
Milestone
- Hamilton’s victory in Spain was his 41st from pole position, one more than the record he had previously shared with Schumacher.
- Max Verstappen’s third place in Spain was Red Bull’s 150th podium finish.
- Monaco also sees Red Bull celebrating their 250th race start. They won their 100th and 150th races.
- Vettel can take his 50th win on Sunday.
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