Returning for the first time since last year’s Formula One, the first glimpse of the Med brings back wonderful memories.
When balconies were really full
Graham Hill marching up to Casino Square straight into the American Bar at the Hotel de Paris for a very large gin and tonic, or Jackie Stewart doing his famous walk down the hill, hand-in-hand with his wife, Helen, carrying his own helmet!
I don’t think I’ve seen a driver do that in the last ten years.
The discount seats
And journalists could talk to drivers one-on-one, or even ski with them in Switzerland without a PR person present. Happy days.
Now, of course, with TV and, especially, social media, that sort of thing is unimaginable. Even Lewis Hamilton’s dog has his own website.
For example, when Fernando Alonso declared that he was going to race at Indy the whole of Spain started following his progress online. Never mind the race, the Spanish papers sent reporters to cover their hero’s every movement.
So is the Monaco Grand Prix the same after all these years? By and large, no. The one aspect that has changed, and had to change, was that of safety.
As a street circuit, Monaco can never be as safe as some of the new tracks where you can barely see the action because the cars are so far away but Lorenzo Bandini’s horrifying accident in 1967 could not happen today. The cars are stronger, racing suits are still fire-retardant but now more high-tech, helmets have been hugely improved and, certainly fire fighting equipment is much more advanced.
True, accidents can still happen, particularly on the first lap, but while pieces of the cars may fly on impact, the drivers will – hopefully – emerge unscathed.
Ayrton in the pit lane
Happiest Monaco Grand Prix memories? To watch Jean Pierre Beltoise win in the torrential rain back in ’72; to see Her Serene Highness Princess Grace hand over the massive trophy with this little guy standing next to her, who of course was none other than Prince Albert; Ayrton Sienna’s unforgettable fastest lap in 1988, and Michael Schumacher at his majestic best. The list is endless.
The wonderful thing is that, in spite of all the changes on the outside of the track, once the five red lights go out it will be a gigantic battle from the inside.
I know it won’t happen, at least it would be most unlikely, but I’d love an outsider like Sergio Perez (Force India) or Nico Hulkenberg (Renault) win the 75th Grand Prix de Monaco.
Andrew Frankl, 1966
Andrew Frankl, is Grand Prix Editor of FORZA. Article first published May 23, 2017.
The crisis brought about by Covid-19 cost the Principality €900 million in profits for the first half of the year, the latest report from IMSEE has revealed.
The Principality now has a new, easily identifiable way to locate electric vehicle recharging stations, introducing bright yellow ‘Monaco On’ recharging points.
Ballets de Monte-Carlo is returning for the 2020-21 season with an amazing line-up featuring an anthology of works by the ballet’s director, Jean-Christophe Maillot.
The crisis brought about by Covid-19 cost the Principality €900 million in profits for the first half of the year, the latest report from IMSEE has revealed.
Cecilia Bartoli, the future Director of the Opera de Monte-Carlo, has made her mark on the Principality, performing in the first cultural event to take place in the new Place du Casino.
The Principality now has a new, easily identifiable way to locate electric vehicle recharging stations, introducing bright yellow ‘Monaco On’ recharging points.
A new app by Monegasque organisation Peace and Sport is making it easier for educators to spread the message of using sport to create a more peaceful and non-violent world.
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The results of the first "Monaco Banking and Financial Services” Bachelor Program, which was introduced in September 2016, showed very satisfactory results, with twelve out of 14 students completing their year.
The success was welcomed on Tuesday evening by Didier Gamerdinger, Minister of Health and Social Affairs. The recently appointed minister thanked the Labour Directorate, representatives of the Monegasque Association of Financial Activities (AMAF), numerous professionals and Jean-Philippe Muller, Director of the International University of Monaco, all of whom had made major contributions to the course.
This Bachelor's degree is the only professional banking diploma specific to the Principality, and is equivalent to a Bac+3.
Part of its educational content is taught by professionals, a formula that meets the requirements and challenges of the Monegasque banking sector. The course reflects a concrete need for the labour market and is aimed primarily at Monegasques, residents of the Principality and young people from neighbouring communes.
Young graduates are immediately operational. Indeed, a dozen banking institutions welcomed them three days a week during the year while they attended IUM the other two days. The quality of the education provided by the IUM in addition to the effectiveness of the public-private relationship have made this new option very worthwhile, the government said.
The results of the first "