Monaco: The Greatest Of Them All

Glitz. Glamour. Glory. It is all of these qualities that the Grand Prix of Monaco possesses. The tightest and "slowest" circuit on the calendar gives a sense of speed not seen elsewhere. Not only must the drivers push their cars and themseleves to the limit, but the limit at Monaco is closer than ever. To almost any driver it is the crowning achievement in their seasons, if not their careers. As Nelson Piquet said "a win here was worth two anywhere else". So what exactly makes a track where overtaking is next to impossible, speeds are highway-esque, and conditions old fashioned the greatest of them all? Its because Monaco embodies everything that Formula One should be; the ultimate test of car and driver skill.

There should be no surprise that the greats have won so many races here. Senna, Hill, Prost, Moss, Stewart and Schumacher have all taken multiple victories here. Each of them drivers capable of putting their immense skill to work to conquer the circuit. So what exactly makes the track so tough to conquer? There are many other street circuits which present similar challenges as Monaco including the tight barriers or the continually evolving track surface. Other tracks present twisting layouts or very slow corners, and there are even more which test a driver's endurance to the limit. Monaco is unique among them, and the greatest of them, by not only mixing all of these factors into a single circuit but doing it among the richness and glamour that is Monaco.

Where there are other street circuits (Valencia and Singapore) none of them give the same sense of speed that one gets from Monaco. The fact that not only are the barriers there to ruin anyones day, but putting so many cars into such a tight space amplifies the speed that much more. Valencia is a terrible track by any means, and it is more street circuit in name only. Singapore is the "Monaco of Asia" yet the track comes off as artificial, the sense of danger and speed deflated. Neither can come close to the skill required to win Monaco.

Although Monaco is the twistiest circuit on the calendar, it also provides much more excitement than any similar circuit. Hungaroring is the slowest non-street circuit along with Yas Marina. Neither produce the excitement that can match Monaco. Even with all the Middle Eastern glamour that come from racing in Abu Dhabi. Even in tests of endurance, only Spa can match Monaco. Yet, while Spa provides drivers with the longest lap on the calendar (over double that at Monaco) it doesn't not require the same constant attention that Monaco simply demands. Even the history of Spa doesn't get the same respect and awe that Monaco generates.

The Grand Prix of Monaco represents everything that Formula One should be. The continually push towards cookie-cutter tracks and boring layouts brings down what F1 should be. Monaco is the history of F1 and without her F1 would never be the same. Few races can claim such a rare title and Monaco is king of them all.