Fangio, in fact, won the first Monaco Grand Prix in 1950 and although the race did not take place again until 1955 it has remained a permanent fixture on F1’s racing calendar ever since. Bernie Ecclestone (F1 supremo) announced in 2010 that a ten-year deal had been reached with the race organisers thereby keeping the Monaco race on the calendar until at least 2020.
Interestingly, Monaco’s the only event not to feature a podium as celebrations take place on the steps of the royal box, Mumm champagne flowing like water. It’s the only event to hold practice day the Thursday preceding the race allowing roads to be opened to the public on the Friday.
And because the race is held on a narrow street course with many elevation changes and tight corners as well as a tunnel it makes Le circuit de Monaco one of the most demanding of all tracks in Formula One. In spite of the relatively low-average speeds, it’s a dangerous place in which to race and Monaco’s the only Grand Prix that does not adhere to the FIA’s mandated 305 kilometres (190 miles) minimum race distance.
The Belgian-Dutch racing driver, Max Verstappen, son of Johannes (Jos the Boss) Verstappen, found how tight the circuit was in 2014 - his rookie year in Formula One driving for the Scuderia Toro Rosso team - when he shot straight into a tyre bank at the dangerous corner of Sainte Dévote (named after the patron saint of Monaco and, indeed, of Corsica) in a mistimed overtaking manoeuvre on Swiss-born, Lotus driver, Romain Grosjean, who, incidentally, has just been appointed F1 ambassador to G H Mumm, the official champagne of the Formula One Championship. This is the first time the brand - instantly recognisable by its distinctive jeroboam of G H Mumm Cordon Rouge - has appointed an F1 driver in this role. Good luck Grosjean! Champagne all round! Mumm, of course!