Long since a mainstay of the Formula 1 calendar, and almost as long since derided for its dull on-track action and ostentatious partying, the Monaco Grand Prix faces among the most criticism of the calendar’s circuits.
At the same time every year, the harbour of Monte Carlo fills up with ever bigger vessels for a weekend of champagne, celebrity, social media posturing and glamour, a word incredibly overused when it comes to this event.
But it’s about more than that. It’s about one of the spiritual homes of F1, somewhere fans can get closer to the action than anywhere else, and which brings its own unique atmosphere.
Yes, it is very expensive - a grandstand ticket in Monaco will set you back around €500 on race day and you’re unlikely to find somewhere that mere mortals can afford to stay in the principality itself for the weekend – but the cost of F1 tickets everywhere has risen, and a seat on Sunday at Silverstone is a similar price.
But, put that all to one side, and let’s concentrate on the spectacle on track. Though there are many debates about the best spot from which to spectate, we took more of a roving approach. Heading out of the paddock in the opposite direction to the track, we first pass the looming grandstands by the swimming pool and Louis Chiron before coming to a standstill before the Nouvelle Chicane.
Though I have been trackside before at Barcelona, Silverstone, Spielberg and Monza, nothing comes close to this – quite literally. I am incredibly privileged to get this close to the action, and being trackside is a real highlight of this job. Standing at Tabac, the cars get terrifyingly close, so much so that I jump back the first time a driver passes.
It’s even scarier at the chicane, with nothing to separate myself from the passing traffic but a few brave photographers. I’ve been in a similar situation before at Monza’s Variante del Rettifilo, but this is even more extreme - though still not quite on the same level as standing roadside at the Isle of Man TT. It’s awe-inspiring, being so close to such an incredible feat of engineering as it’s deftly manoeuvred around such a tricky sequence.
Source: Autosport