Formula One Monaco Grand Prix Classic Moments
Monaco has a special place on the Formula One calendar. The glitz, the glamour and the girls accompany the expensive yachts in the background. The racing isn’t bad either, and down the years there have been some classic moments on the tight and twisty streets.
1992
Nigel Mansell was on a roll, winning the first five races of the season, and had his eyes on winning at Monaco for the first time in his career. Mansell was on pole and commanded the race. However, with seven laps remaining, the Englishman suffered from a loose wheel-nut and had to come into the pits.
That left Ayrton Senna to lead, and once Mansell came out of the pits, on fresh tyres he very quickly caught up with the McLaren driver at an incredible rate, setting fastest laps close to two seconds quicker than Senna. The battle went down to the last four laps, and the crowd saw wheel-to-wheel action. Mansell did everything he could to find a way past, diving to the left and to the right trying to distract the Brazilian.
Senna held off Mansell and won the Monaco Grand Prix for the fifth time, while Mansell was left to rue the tyre problem he had.
1996
This race will always be remembered for having the fewest number of Formula One drivers to complete a race. In qualifying, Schumacher had taken pole position, and while he was slowing down on his out-lap he was on the racing line, when unfortunately Gerhard Berger was on a flying lap. Luckily for both drivers they didn’t collide as Berger swung his car to avoid Schumacher.
Rain came on race day. Pole-sitter Schumacher was overtaken by Hill going into turn one. There were four retirements on the first lap, and the biggest casualty was Schumacher, as he hit the barrier after sliding off the curb. Hill had an unassailable lead, and was driving superbly, but the race victory was not destined for him as he suffered an engine failure, handing the race lead to Jean Alesi. When he had to pit, a delighted Olivier Panis took the lead.
More drivers began to retire, and with a few laps remaining there were only four cars on track; David Coulthard’s McLaren, Panis’ Ligier, and the two Saubers of Johnny Herbert and Heinz-Harald Frentzen. Four became three as Frentzen joined the list of retirements, and that left only three drivers of the 22 that started the race still on the track to cross the finishing line, with Panis, a Frenchman in a French car taking the win at Monaco.
2006
Fernando Alonso won the race from pole position, but all the talk was about a certain Michael Schumacher and his “parking” at La Rascasse. He was on his final qualifying lap, and he went wide, locked up and left his Ferrari blocking the track. The yellow flags were waved, and that meant drivers behind Schumacher could not set their fastest lap times. One of them was Renault’s Alonso, who was quicker than Schumacher and would have been on pole position. Schumacher claimed he made a mistake and could not avoid putting the car where he did. "Whatever you do your enemies believe one thing and your supporters believe another. Some people may not believe this but that is the world we live in. I pushed hard, locked up, starting sliding and ran out of road. Those are the consequences here at Monaco,” said Schumacher.
As this was Schumacher, few believed him, and everyone began to remember his previous track record of tricks. He drove into Damon Hill in Australia in 1994 ending Hill’s hopes of a world championship. Also in 1997 he tried to end Jacques Villeneuve’s title aspirations by turning his car into the Canadian but, unlike Hill, Villeneuve did not retire and was able to win the world championship.
Renault were furious and firmly believed Schumacher was up to his old tricks again. Alonso felt like he had been robbed of a worthy pole position. "I was three-tenths quicker. I do my maximum in the car and the car was performing OK. I dominated all weekend and to lose the last lap because of an accident is not a good moment. I have my opinion and I am not going to say it here," said Alonso at the time.
Schumacher was given a penalty and started the race from the pit lane, promoting Alonso to pole position. It was another one of those tricks to add to the Schumacher portfolio.
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