Formula 1 fever spreads through the Principality
Everybody wants to go to the Monaco Grand Prix: motorsport fans with tents, VIPs with their own boats – for the teams, too, Monte Carlo occupies a very special position among the 17 race circuits. And it does so although the facts about racing and the track tell a different tale, with Monte Carlo mainly scoring on tradition, emotion and fascination.
The ING Race Index, equivalent to the Dow Jones of Formula 1, uses continuously updated information to keep a running assessment of the key factors affecting the race circuits, thus allowing them to be compared. Even Monte Carlo, the odd-man-out of the Grand Prix, fits into the scheme - with surprising results. The ING Race Index ranges from a low of 0 to a peak of 100 points, offering a clear guide of which course offers which challenges.
The circuit itself makes things tricky even for conventional car drivers in the Principality. It is extremely narrow, very difficult to overtake - in fact genuine urban traffic conditions. The exceptional position occupied by the tour of the port also determines strategy in the Monaco Grand Prix. This is why it is best to win the Qualifying session. The driver in pole position has also been its ultimate winner 21 times since 1950. As a result, the race scores 54.66 points in this category and hence only manages position 16 in the ING Race Index.
Sometimes the racing drivers look as if they are hurtling through a banked bobsleigh track. Yet here touching the sides must be avoided at all costs. In fact you would have to be dozing to be overtaken on the 3.34-kilometre (2.07-mile) circuit. But being alert all the time is strenuous: each of the 19 mostly tight curves has its own special tricks; some of the corners have to be entered blindly. This continuous stopping and starting is a drain on the concentration. And Monaco is unforgiving on mistakes, which is why it has 66.30 points and position four in this category of the ING Race Index.
Vehicle tuning is not an insurmountable problem in Monte Carlo. It simply calls for different measures, very different in fact. Low tyre and brake wear on the one hand, minimum grip level on the other, although it improves throughout the weekend. Teams counter this with an aerodynamics package specially developed and tested for Monaco ("high downforce"). It is only needed this one time per year and is aimed at achieving maximum downforce. The slow curves ruin traction, the bumpy surface saps the constancy of the vehicle and its setup. This is why the ING Race Index gives the factor of vehicle setup 53.13 points and position 15.
If there is something for eight-cylinder motors to savour, this glamour weekend is when they find it. The average speed is 150.707 km/h (93.65 mph) - cars travel faster in all of the other 16 races. With a minimum amount of full-throttle racing, demands are placed on low-rev engine performance. Peak values are only recorded for gear changing - 53 times per lap. In this category that yields 50.47 points in the ING Race Index, position 15.
However, Monte Carlo is unrivalled for top position where tradition, fascination and emotion are concerned. Out of the 100 possible points, the Grand Prix of Monaco, which has already been held 53 times, scores almost 99 points. Formula 1 sets the whole city vibrating, and not only during the race.
The ING Race Index, equivalent to the Dow Jones of Formula 1, uses continuously updated information to keep a running assessment of the key factors affecting the race circuits, thus allowing them to be compared. Even Monte Carlo, the odd-man-out of the Grand Prix, fits into the scheme - with surprising results. The ING Race Index ranges from a low of 0 to a peak of 100 points, offering a clear guide of which course offers which challenges.
The circuit itself makes things tricky even for conventional car drivers in the Principality. It is extremely narrow, very difficult to overtake - in fact genuine urban traffic conditions. The exceptional position occupied by the tour of the port also determines strategy in the Monaco Grand Prix. This is why it is best to win the Qualifying session. The driver in pole position has also been its ultimate winner 21 times since 1950. As a result, the race scores 54.66 points in this category and hence only manages position 16 in the ING Race Index.
Sometimes the racing drivers look as if they are hurtling through a banked bobsleigh track. Yet here touching the sides must be avoided at all costs. In fact you would have to be dozing to be overtaken on the 3.34-kilometre (2.07-mile) circuit. But being alert all the time is strenuous: each of the 19 mostly tight curves has its own special tricks; some of the corners have to be entered blindly. This continuous stopping and starting is a drain on the concentration. And Monaco is unforgiving on mistakes, which is why it has 66.30 points and position four in this category of the ING Race Index.
Vehicle tuning is not an insurmountable problem in Monte Carlo. It simply calls for different measures, very different in fact. Low tyre and brake wear on the one hand, minimum grip level on the other, although it improves throughout the weekend. Teams counter this with an aerodynamics package specially developed and tested for Monaco ("high downforce"). It is only needed this one time per year and is aimed at achieving maximum downforce. The slow curves ruin traction, the bumpy surface saps the constancy of the vehicle and its setup. This is why the ING Race Index gives the factor of vehicle setup 53.13 points and position 15.
If there is something for eight-cylinder motors to savour, this glamour weekend is when they find it. The average speed is 150.707 km/h (93.65 mph) - cars travel faster in all of the other 16 races. With a minimum amount of full-throttle racing, demands are placed on low-rev engine performance. Peak values are only recorded for gear changing - 53 times per lap. In this category that yields 50.47 points in the ING Race Index, position 15.
However, Monte Carlo is unrivalled for top position where tradition, fascination and emotion are concerned. Out of the 100 possible points, the Grand Prix of Monaco, which has already been held 53 times, scores almost 99 points. Formula 1 sets the whole city vibrating, and not only during the race.