The Monaco Grand Prix is the most famous race on the F1 calendar. The streets of Monaco are lined with expensive hotels, casinos, and supercars. The harbor is home to dozens of million dollar yachts as well.

Monaco is 1 of 7 street circuits that F1 drivers will race at in 2022. It is said by teams, drivers, and fans that the Monaco street circuit is the hardest track to race. The tight corners and walls that feel like they are squeezing you from both sizes makes the 19 feet long and 6.5 feet wide F1 cars difficult to pass during the race. Even in qualifying it is hard for drivers to be on the limit while not hitting the wall. This is why Monaco is regarded as the most prestigious track by many fans.

It’s home to some of the most famous turns in F1. There are 19 turns on the 2.074 mile long track. The Fairmont Hairpin is the slowest corner on the calendar. Drivers have to turn the wheel so much that they have to use one hand. When they straighten out after the turn, the drivers have to catch the wheel with the hand that they weren’t using.

A couple of turns after that is the tunnel. Monaco is the only track to have a tunnel that the drivers must drive through. The change in light is hard for the drivers to adjust to, especially because it is the fastest part of the track. Right after that they have to adjust to the sunlight and brake hard for the next turn.

Turn 14 is probably the most satisfying turn to watch, whether you are at the race or watching from home on your TV. The cars roar by a nearby swimming pool at full throttle. They swing left and quickly swing back right to avoid scraping the barrier. It almost seems like the cars have all the grip in the world, but really that corner is one of the most difficult to get right. Just last weekend one of the young drivers, Mick Schumacher, crashed there. The back end of the car actually separated from the car, which is the second time that has happened to him. This just shows how difficult and how much skill it takes to not only keep up with the competition, but also keep yourself from going into the barrier and ending your race early.

If a driver manages to keep up the pace and keep the car from going into the wall, the win is worth so much more than any other track. Monaco is not only the battle of skill, but a battle of the mind as well.

However, with all this praise the track gets from fans and drivers, last weekend might have been the last Monaco grand prix for a while. The FIA and Monaco cannot reach an agreement over a contract extension. Some say that the cars have outgrown the track and that it is boring to watch because of it. But many say that F1 cannot lose their most prestigious track. Only the future will tell if we will see this legendary track again.