The primary reason for this trip was to attend the 58th Monaco Formula One Grand Prix.

Formula One

For those unfamiliar with the sport, Formula One racing is simply the pinnacle of all motor racing. Nothing else comes close to Formula One in challenging man and machine to the limit. It requires considerable skill to control a modern Formula One car. Of the hundreds of professional racing drivers in the world, only a few dozen meet the challenges of Formula One. Of those, only a handful exploit the performance of these mind-boggling machines to the maximum.

The current-generation Grand Prix car is like a fighter aircraft in terms of pure uncompromising functionality. They weigh about 1300 lbs including driver and are powered by 3-liter V-10 engines revving to 17,000 RPM and producing over 800 horsepower! They accelerate from 0-60 mph in less than 2 seconds, 0-100 mph in under 4 seconds, and attain straight-line speeds well in excess of 200 mph and lateral cornering forces of up to 4G (four times the pull of gravity).

In most places outside the US, particularly in Europe, Formula One is front page news. Other than World Cup Soccer and the Olympic Games, more people watch Formula One racing than any other sport. Formula One is truly international, with races held in England, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and other European venues, as well as Canada, South America, Australia, and southeast Asia. This year Formula One is returning to the United States, after a 9-year absence.

Only two Americans, Phil Hill in 1961 and Mario Andretti in 1978, have won the Formula One World Championship. Fifty-two Americans have either entered, practiced or qualified for an F1 race since 1950, 17 of which have scored championship points.

There is a lot of money in Formula One today. Drivers are paid millions of dollars. The world's leading driver, Michael Schumacher is paid $30M per year in salary and reportedly grosses over $80M annually including endorsements and other compensation. The top teams spend hundreds of millions of dollars each year in pursuit of the Formula One Drivers and Constructors World Championships. There is so much at stake in Formula One these days that there is often controversy and accusations of dirty politics and unfair dealings. Rumors abound and this side of the sport has become somewhat of a circus, itself a part of the entertainment.

The Monaco Grand Prix

With the Le Mans 24 hour and the Indianapolis 500, the Monaco Grand Prix represents one of the three largest and most widely recognized automobile sporting events in the world.

The Grand Prix de Monaco is the only remaining real street course in Formula One. The race circuit is laid out on the twisting, narrow streets of the Principality of Monaco. Driving the circuit in your street car, assuming no traffic and hard driving, takes 5 minutes or more. The Grand Prix cars circle the track in about 1 minute, 20 seconds. Each evening the track is reopened to the public and one will find an exotic array of cars such as Ferraris, Rolls Royces, Aston Martins, Lamborghinis, Porsches, Mercedes-Benzes and Bentleys parading around the circuit. The ratio of Ferraris to other cars in Monaco on Grand Prix weekend is about 5 to 1.

The Monaco circuit exudes a special heritage with names like St. Devote, Beau Rivage, Mirabeau, Loews, Tabac, and La Rascasse having deep significance to F1 fans.

And so with that introduction, it's on to my trip to Monaco... Next Page