Monaco Grand Prix - The Finest Race Of All

Late May and all eyes are on the tiny Principality of Monaco. It's time for the greatest, most glamorous and toughest Formula 1 race of the year, the Monaco Grand Prix.

Tickets are expensive and a track-side table at the Cafe Rascasse, the excellent restaurant and cafe on the famous bend, will set you back Euro1,500 per seat. Not that there will be any tables left as the world of motor racing and its vast army of fans floods into the tiny, glamorous country on the Mediterranean coast. The hospitality industry goes mad for the Monaco Grand Prix too, with companies and their guests watching the race from exclusive apartment and hotel balconies overlooking the circuit.

For those that fancy a drive around the famous circuit, a visit to Monaco a few days after the race can be quite an experience. The spectator stands, safety gear, starting grid and lights will still be in place. Last year, four of us piled into a car, edged our way through the traffic onto Alonso's pole position on the grid, gave the traffic in front some time to get well away before we shot off at the mesmerizing speed of 40k an hour! After all, that's about as fast as you'll ever go on Monaco's crowded roads!

We did manage a couple of circuits, however, and even at a crawl that gives you an idea of the difficulty the real drivers face on this tight, narrow circuit. You sense what it must be like for the competitors as as they shoot out into the sunlight from the tunnel - the professionals are doing this at 280km per hour, or about 175 mph!

The circuit starts with a short burst on the flat before a tightish right-hand at Virage St Devote. Then it's a left hander through Monte Carlo before you descend down for the hairpin - and it is really tight - at the Grande Hotel followed by another tight right hand bend at Virage du Portier.

The tunnel sees you accelerating for the fastest part of the circuit, out of the tunnel and alongside the northern side of the port, past the stunning yachts, their decks all packed by champagne drinking spectators for the race. The left-hand turn sees you continuing alongside the port and through the chicane by the swimming pool. There's then the very tight hairpin at Virage Rascasse before rising uphill to Virage Anthony Noghes and a burst of speed as the lap is completed. If you were competing, it's a simple matter of repeating all that work another 76 times - a total of 263km!

Many of the competitors are racing near to home at Monaco. The Principality is a tax haven where many drivers now live. Not only is it financially sensible if you can choose where to reside, but Monaco is also a wonderful place to live. Yes, it gets crowded, but the climate is superb; it has some of the world's best restaurants and clubs; and it's packed full of glamor. And if you like shopping, and have the money, there's plenty to keep you busy when you're not behind the wheel.

If you have a chance to get to Monaco in late May, do so. It will be tough to find a place to watch the race unless you've booked well in advance. The authorities even put up screens to prevent the public getting a cheap view from the terraces leading down from the Palace but it's worth a visit just to soak up the atmosphere. And, as long as you drive safely, a circuit or two of the race route will help you realize just how skillful the professionals are.

On top of that, you can settle down for a lovely lunch in the Mediterranean sun at the Cafe Rascasse. The bill will be a tiny fraction of the cost on race day. But it will be a meal you'll remember for a long time to come.

Monaco Grand Prix
More information about the Monaco Grand Prix