Ecclestone was claimed to have said the famous round could be dropped from the world championship. A statement issued by the event organisers said:

The Automobile Club de Monaco does not intend to comment on the statement attributed to Mr Ecclestone regarding the future of the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix.

Assuming that the media who reported the statement checked it for validity with Mr Ecclestone, one has to take into account the context and intention behind the statement.

The reality is quite simple: The Automobile Club de Monaco and Formula One Management are currently engaged in negotiations.

When the time comes and an agreement is reached, the Automobile Club de Monaco will issue a press release.

Monaco has featured in every year of the world championship since 1955.

It is the only race on the calendar which retains the income earned from advertising at the circuit during its Grand Prix weekend. The signage rights for the other circuits are controlled by Allsport Management, which also runs the Formula One Paddock Club.

Read more: F1 2011 Season

The blast up the hill - and the scenery - hasn't changed

Monaco has the longest unbroken run of years as a Grand Prix venue – having held an F1 race every year since 1955.

Much of the track remains the same, but there have been changes in recent years – some of which were criticised for diminishing the challenge of this unique venue.

Monte-Carlo circuit, Monaco – 1955

Length: 3.18km (1.976 miles)

Monte-Carlo circuit, Monaco – 2010

Length: 3.34km (2.075 miles)

Grand Prix racing was first held on the streets of Monte-Carlo in 1929. The Monaco Grand Prix has been a permanent fixture on the F1 calendar since 1955.

It’s a unique track which could not be replicated anywhere else – mainly due to being narrower and shorter than the minimum limits for new F1 circuits.

Its importance to Formula 1 as an event that has worldwide recognition can be gauged by the fact that not only are the venue’s shortcomings overlooked, but it is the only race where the promoters, and not Formula One Management, retain revenue from trackside advertising.

The configuration of the circuit has changed on numerous occasions since that first race. But from the climb up Massenet, around Casino, dropping down from Mirabeau to the Grand Hotel hairpin and around Portier, today’s F1 drivers trace the exact same route that Rudolf Caracciola and his rivals first did over 80 years ago.

The changes that have been made have been partly in the pursuit of improved safety and partly due to new buildings being erected in the principality.

The start line was originally on the harbour front where the swimming pool now stands. It was switched to its current location in 1963, making Sainte Devote the first corner.

La Piscine and Rascasse

Monaco practice in pictures

In 1973 the Monaco circuit took a major departure from its original configuration to the more sinuous version we know today. The construction of a swimming pool on the harbour front forced a detour after Tabac, adding four new corners to the circuit.

From the exit of ‘La Piscine’ the drivers now arrived at a revised final sequence. The old Gasworks hairpin was gone, replaced by a tight left-hander leading into a pair of right-hand turns called La Rascasse. Another new corner, a right-hand turn taking the cars back onto the start/finish straight, was named after the designer of the original track, Anthony Noghes.

One other significant change that year altered the challenge of the circuit without actually changing its configuration. The tunnel was extended due to the building of Loews Hotel, which also gave its name to the hairpin after Mirabeau.

Sainte Devote

The first corner was originally a faster right-hander, but this was tightened in 1976. At first a barrier stood on the inside of the new corner, but in 2003 it was opened out to give drivers more room to escape the first-lap mayhem that often ensues here.

Nouvelle Chicane

Until 1985 the chicane in front of the harbour was a fast left-right flick. In qualifying for that year’s race the cars were changing lanes at 160mph and the drivers urged the race organisers to build a safer alternative.

So for the 1986 race a new concrete section was built, extending over the harbour and allowing the chicane to be tightened. Although the kerbs here have been changed many times since then – including this year – the corner is basically the same. It’s the nearest thing Monaco has to an overtaking opportunity.

New Rascasse

Several revisions were made to the circuit in 2003, mostly moving barriers to create limited run-off space. The entry to the swimming pool complex had this treatment in 1997, and six years later the exit also had its barriers moved, making the exit slightly quicker.

Also in 2003 Rascasse was altered to give the cars a faster, straighter run into a less tight corner. Not that it made it any easy for Michael Schumacher to get around it in 2006…

The pit lane exit was also changed. Although cars still have to negotiate the tricky switch onto the start/finish straight, the actual exit now extends past the first corner, giving them a safer passage onto the circuit.

The current pit complex was used for the first time in 2004. Unusually, it faces away from the start/finish straight, towards the harbour and the final sequence of bends.

Monte-Carlo circuit, 2010 Monaco Grand Prix (click to enlarge)

How F1 tracks have changed

• F1 circuits history part 1: 1950
• F1 circuits history part 2: 1951-53
• F1 circuits history part 3: 1954-57
• F1 circuits history part 4: 1958-60
• F1 circuits history part 5: 1961-66
• F1 circuits history part 6: 1967-70
• F1 circuits history part 7: 1971-74
• F1 circuits history part 8: 1975-78
• F1 circuits history part 9: 1979-84
• F1 circuits history part 10: 1985-89
• F1 circuits history part 11: 1990-93
• F1 circuits history part 12: 1994
• F1 circuits history part 13: 1995-98
• F1 circuits history part 14: 1999-2002
• F1 circuits history part 15: 2003-07
• F1 circuits history part 16: 2008 and beyond

Image (C) Mercedes

Two-time Monaco winner Alonso was fastest in first practice

Fernando Alonso put Ferrari on top in the first practice session ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix.

But Red Bull showed they aren’t far off the pace, with Sebastian Vettel lapping within one tenth of a second of Alonso’s time.

The McLaren drivers exchanged fastest times in the early moment of practice before being pegged back by Felipe Massa’s Ferrari.

Fernando Alonso had a sideways moment at the Anthony Noghes corner early in the session. But when he came out later on he progressively moved his fastest time out of the reach of his rivals – ending up half a second faster than Robert Kubica.

The Red Bull drivers waited until the second half before getting down to business, as did the Force India drivers.

It wasn’t until the last ten minutes that Sebastian Vettel showed his hand, getting within a tenth of a second of Alonso’s time.

Karun Chandhok only managed six laps before spinning the HRT at Massenet. He touched the barrier and his session ended there.

Monaco Grand Prix
practice in pictures

Another driver who did very little running was Nico Rosberg, who spent much of the session in the pits while the Mercedes mechanics worked on a problem on his car.

The track was busiest at the end of the session with 22 cars lapping at once, giving a taste of the difficulties to come in qualifying.

Kamui Kobayashi ended his first F1 practice at Monaco limping into the pits with bent suspension and no front wing. The damage was caused when he cut across the kerb at the swimming pool and hit the barrier on the outside of the corner.

2010 Monaco Grand Prix

• FIA admits "lack of clarity" and vows to change rules after Monaco controversy
• From the stands: David Entrican watches the Monaco Grand Prix at Monte-Carlo
• Schumacher's Monaco penalty will stand after Mercedes withdraw appeal
• 2010 Monaco Grand Prix - the complete F1 Fanatic race weekend review
• Should slower cars let the front runners pass when racing for position? (Poll)
• This time Vettel denies Webber a perfect result (Monaco GP stats and facts)
• Alonso's mammoth stint and McLaren's smart move (Monaco GP analysis)
• Monaco Grand Prix fastest laps
• The FIA's badly-written rules leave Formula 1 looking stupid once again
• Monaco Grand Prix in pictures

Ferrari last won at Monaco in 2001

Can Ferrari win their first Monaco Grand Prix since 2001 this weekend?

With the teams using softer tyres for the race – the same compounds used in Bahrain, where Ferrari won – this could be their best opportunity.

But with a chance of rain and hectic qualifying session in prospect, we could be in for some unpredictable racing this weekend.

F1′s toughest track

As new F1 circuits become ever more alike, three cheers for Monaco’s cramped, slow layout and punishing lack of run-off.

Many of its corners offer zero margin for error, so the chance of getting through qualifying and the race without red flag or safety car interruptions are low.

Changes to the track and the cars will make Monaco extra-tricky this year. The second kerbs at the harbour chicane and the exit of the swimming pool complex have been raised to discourage corner-cutting.

About one-third of the road which comprises the track has been re-surfaced since the last race. The new section runs from the first corner (Sainte Devote) up the hill to the left-hander at Massenet, then from Casino all the way to Portier.

Drivers may find the grip levels in these sections different to what they are used to. But Monaco is a circuit where track ‘evolution’ – how much grip varies during a race weekend – plays a significant role.

The track gets faster throughout practice, but as Monaco practice is held on Thursday instead of the usual Friday, by the time the F1 cars return to the track on Saturday morning the track if has often become more ‘green’ and less grippy.

Yesterday McLaren’s Martin Whitmarsh spoke of the increased challenge the drivers faced at turn one this year. With four more cars than last year and drivers carrying a full fuel load with cool tyres and brakes, threading the field through Sainte Devote will be harder than usual – and it only takes one driver to get it wrong for there to be a crash:

The really, really good drivers will manage it, some others will find it beyond their capability.
Martin Whitmarsh

The heavy fuel load should also make the fast right-hander in the tunnel more of a challenge. The bend was previously taken flat-out but with a high fuel load this may no longer be possible at the start of a race. It’s up to the driver to work out when he can tackle it without lifting – with a trip to the barriers waiting for anyone who tries it too soon.

Qualifying tactics

We all expected the front-running teams to whinge about how difficult qualifying will be in the run-up to the Monaco Grand Prix. Sure enough, they tried to push through a change to keep the slower teams out of the action.

Fortunately their complaints fell on deaf ears, leaving them to work out how to get the best lap time done in a 20 minute session featuring all 24 cars.

This is hardly unprecedented in F1 – back in 1992 30 cars took to the track for qualifying, the slowest of which was 6.2 seconds off the pace. Yes, they had a longer session to set a time in 1992, but track evolution was the same then as it is now and inevitably everyone hit the track in the dying seconds of qualifying.

So how will the teams tackle qualifying on Saturday? The usual practice of sending the cars out for separate runs may be dropped and instead teams could send their cars out with more fuel to do a series of laps. That would maximise their chances of getting a traffic-free run in.

Read more: Should Monaco qualifying be split? (Poll)

Who will have the best car?

After Red Bull’s crushing performance in qualifying at Spain their rivals will be hoping the RB6 doesn’t enjoy the same massive margin of superiority on such a completely different type of circuit.

Low-speed grip and traction are vital here – the high-speed downforce performance exhibited by the RB6 will count for little. McLaren have had some concerns over their low-speed performance and this track will be a serious test of how strong they are in this are.

This could present a major opportunity for Mercedes and Ferrari. Particularly the latter, who suspect their car may be better suited to the combination of tyres being used at Monaco this weekend – super-soft and medium. These have only been used at Bahrain this year, which is the only race Ferrari have won in 2010.

Complicating the picture even further is the threat of rain. There is rain in the area over the next few days and although at the moment Sunday looks likely to be dry, there is a chance of rain during qualifying.

Read more: Mixed weather forecast for Monaco

Drivers to watch

Four driver to keep an eye on this weekend. Name your top picks in the comments.

Felipe Massa – Has blamed his recent difficulties on having to use the soft and hard tyre compounds for the last four races. He’s looking forward to using softer tyres this weekend:

This weekend, even if there will be no major changes on the F10, I expect we can be more competitive, mainly because Bridgestone is bringing the Super Soft and Medium tyres here and I much prefer using this combination. We had the same tyre choices in Bahrain, where I was much happier than at the other races, in terms of the grip levels I found from the tyres.
Felipe Massa

Nico Hülkenberg – Had a mixed weekend in Spain – he crashed in second practice but bounced back to beat team mate Rubens Barrichello for the first time in a dry qualifying session. He was close to the Brazilian’s pace in the first stint before picking up car damage.

Let’s see if the reigning GP2 champion can deliver a little more of his potential on the most difficult track on the calendar.

Robert Kubica – Monaco is a circuit where the driver can make a difference and Kubica, despite not having a car capable of battling for wins, has driven brilliantly for Renault this year.

He shone in the wet race here in 2008, and he’s the driver the top four teams will fear most in qualifying.

Bruno Senna – Piloting the slowest car in F1 is an unenviable task in Monaco. Even more so for the nephew of the man who won this race five times in a row from 1989 to 1993.

After crashing out on the first lap in Spain, Senna needs to keep out of trouble and bring the car home this weekend.

The Monaco Grand Prix on F1 Fanatic

Join us to follow the action live throughout the Monaco Grand Prix weekend including the race, qualifying and all three practice sessions. Times here:

Before the race weekend starts look out for our unofficial race programme with quick links to all the important information.

We’ll have analysis of the times during Thursday practice and extensive coverage of qualifying and the race.

Remember to keep an eye out for our “rate the race” feature after every Grand Prix and don’t forget to enter our predictions competition to win great prizes including F1 tickets, DVDs, paintings and books.

Don’t miss any of our Monaco Grand Prix coverage. Get the latest articles from F1 Fanatic for free via Twitter, RSS or our email subscription service. Click here for more information.

Are you going to the Monaco Grand Prix?

If you’re heading to Monaco for this weekend’s race, please tell us about it. You can leave a comment below, email me or get in touch using Twitter.

You can also upload pictures and video to the F1 Fanatic drop.io.

2010 Monaco Grand Prix

• FIA admits "lack of clarity" and vows to change rules after Monaco controversy
• From the stands: David Entrican watches the Monaco Grand Prix at Monte-Carlo
• Schumacher's Monaco penalty will stand after Mercedes withdraw appeal
• 2010 Monaco Grand Prix - the complete F1 Fanatic race weekend review
• Should slower cars let the front runners pass when racing for position? (Poll)
• This time Vettel denies Webber a perfect result (Monaco GP stats and facts)
• Alonso's mammoth stint and McLaren's smart move (Monaco GP analysis)
• Monaco Grand Prix fastest laps
• The FIA's badly-written rules leave Formula 1 looking stupid once again
• Monaco Grand Prix in pictures

Behind Grosjean, Hülkenberg and Petrov are side-by-side

The stewards at the Monaco Grand Prix have set an important precedent ahead of Sunday’s Grand Prix by giving eight GP2 drivers 25-second penalties for cutting the first corner on lap one.

The tough penalty has played havoc with the finishing order of this morning’s feature race. Lucas di Grassi, Nico Hulkenberg, Javier Villa, Roldan Rodriguez, Edoardo Mortara, Luca Filippi, Kamui Kobayashi and Dani Clos all had 25 seconds retroactively added to their race finishing times.

Among other changes, di Grassi was relegated from third to fourth, Hülkenberg from fourth to fifth, and Javier Villa lost eighth place (and, with it, pole position for tomorrow’s sprint race).

The ruling is surprising for a number of reasons:

Although all the transgressions took place on the first lap, the penalties were not handed down until after the race.

At past Monaco Grands Prix stewards have conspicuously failed to penalise drivers for gaining an advantage by cutting the first corner. Two years ago Takuma Sato and Christijan Albers passed Anthony Davidson at the start by cutting the first corner, and went unpunished.

On this occasion it does not seem as though all the drivers implicated gained advantages by cutting the corner.

Autosport’s write-up of the story quotes Andreas Zuber saying: “I think Nico [Hülkenberg] took advantage because I was already side-by-side with him.” It certainly did not look that way from the video I saw of the race and the picture above shows Hülkenberg side-by-side with Vitaly Petrov, not Zuber.

Since the barriers at the inside of Ste Devote were removed six years ago we have seen fewer first-lap accidents at the corner but also more instances of corner-cutting. It seems to me that if a driver cuts a corner there is no need to punish him unless he gains an advantage.

And if he does gain by cutting the corner, the correct punishment should be to yield that advantage back, not an arbitrary 25-second penalty which makes a mockery of the finishing order of the race.

Once again the FIA’s race management procedures is found badly wanting. This problem isn’t confined to F1, it happens in other championships too.

There will be no uproar on this occasion because it ‘only’ involves GP2 drivers. But it could just as easily happen again with an F1 driver (probably Lewis Hamilton) and it’ll be ‘Spa-gate’ all over again…

• Hamilton and Raikkonen’s Fuji clash – the penalty they got wrong (Video)
• McLaren claims the FIA mis-represented its own steward in Lewis Hamilton trial
• Lewis Hamilton stripped of Belgian GP win – another asinine FIA decision
• Poor race stewarding isn’t confined to F1

Lewis Hamilton isn't likely to repeat his 2008 win

With a great sense of timing the F1 world, torn apart by rows over how much the teams should be allowed to spend, heads to round six at Monaco – where conspicuous consumption is a way of life.

Whatever F1 does to itself, the Monaco Grand Prix will hopefully always remain one of its great races. On a calendar of increasingly bland and interchangeable circuits, Monaco is narrow, slow, glamorous, dangerous and – best of all – unique.

Heading into the weekend one of the main questions is whether anyone can disrupt Jenson Button’s growing advantage in the drivers’ championship. Their best chance of doing that is by getting ahead in qualifying.

The qualifying trap

Monaco can turn the slightest mistake into a race-loser. (Very occasionally, as we saw last year, it can also do the exact opposite). To begin with the drivers will be desperate to avoid the Q1 trap, and find themselves stuck on the rearmost rows of the grid.

That trap has worked very well this year, claiming some big names:

Malaysia - Felipe Massa, Ferrari
China - Robert Kubica, BMW
Bahrain - Mark Webber, Red Bull
Spain - Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari and Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren

Will we see another big name have their race ruined early on Saturday?

Red Bull’s diffuser

More and more teams are adding their versions of the ‘double diffuser’ to their cars. Red Bull had set a target of the Monaco Grand OPrix as being the earliest time they could get one on their RB5.

The complication for the team and designer Adrian Newey is that the unusual pull-rod suspension configuration of the RB5 gives them little room to exploit the thinking behind the double diffuser.

It’s tempting to think that simply bolting the double diffuser design onto Newey’s already highly effective car will turn it into a Brawn-beater overnight. But it’s not likely to be quite as simple as that.

Tyres and KERS

At the Circuit de Catalunya Ferrari and McLaren were the only teams left still using KERS. Monte-Carlo’s longest flat-out section is just 510m – the shortest on the calendar – and as a result the maximum speed reached is 286kph (177mph), lower than at any other track. (Read more: 2009 F1 tracks compared)

KERS doesn’t even look likely to offer much of an advantage at the start here. The run down to Ste Devote is short and narrow, offering little opportunity for overtaking.

Unless KERS can give drivers enough of a boost to make overtaking possible into the harbour chicane, it’s hard to see why anyone would use it this weekend.

Monaco is also unusual in that it is the first event this year where Bridgestone are bringing two compounds of tyres that are adjacent to each other on their scale of hardness – the soft and super-soft tyre. The teams are likely to favour the super-soft, and once again preserving as many sets of those as possible through qualifying for the race will be crucial.

Drivers to watch

Sebastian Vettel – One way or another, he must finish ahead of Jenson Button.

Rubens Barrichello – One way or another, he must finish ahead of Jenson Button. A third consecutive strategy blunder would look decidedly dubious.

Lewis Hamilton – Has raced five times at Monaco, scoring four wins (1x F1, 1x GP2, 2x F3) and a second (F1). Can he drag the MP4-24 onto the podium (legitimately) here this year?

Jarno Trulli – Qualifying specialist with an affinity for Monte-Carlo – could add up to Toyota’s best chance to win a Grand Prix so far.

Read more: Championship standings after the Spanish Grand Prix

Which F1 race do you most want to see?

With the 2009 F1 season almost upon us fans will be sorting out their plans to go to a Grand Prix.

So how do you go about picking which race to go to? Here are ten ways to help make up your mind.

Geography

View Larger Map

Where you live can seriously restrict your choice of races. Europeans are spoiled for choice, but North American fans face a major expedition if they want to see live F1 action.

Also remember that some tracks are easier to get to than others. Valencia, Monte-Carlo and Singapore are all in urban areas. But Istanbul Park is two hours’ drive outside of the city it’s named after.

Spectacle

Some F1 races are more about the spectacle of the event than the quality of the racing.

If glitz and glamour is your thing, then Monte-Carlo should be your destination. For the unique thrill of night racing, head for Singapore.

Or if you want to soak up the atmosphere of a classic F1 race at a venue steeped in history, Monza and Spa-Francorchamps are the best places to head for. I’ve been to both, and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them.

Racing

If what draws you to F1 is the prospect of seeing wheel-to-wheel racing, some tracks are more likely to offer that than others.

Bahrain, for example, may not be the most inspiring venue, but you can usually expect a good race.

Weather

Hard to believe, but Silverstone in the wet isn't everyone's cup of tea

If you’ve got kids in tow, or you’ve cajoled a non-fan in coming along with you, they might not appreciate standing on the outside of Eau Rouge while their shoes fill up with water.

Statistically, your best bets if you’re looking for a dry race are Monza (last year was its only significantly wet race in 58 Grands Prix), the Hungaroring (one wet race out of 23) and Bahrain (erm, it’s in a desert).

On the other hand, hard-bitten F1 Fanatics know wet races equal maximum excitement. So pack your anorak and head for Spa-Francorchamps or Shanghai to increase your chance of seeing wet weather action.

Cost

If money’s a concern it’s worth knowing which races cost more to attend than others – and what can push prices up the most.

Some races are dearer to start with: Monaco for example. Travel distance is a big consideration when it comes to budgets, and if you’re heading abroad for a Grand Prix keep an eye on the exchange rates,

Once you’ve done your sums you may find it works out cheaper to head abroad to watch a race than stay at home. Historically Spa has been a good alternative to Silverstone for British fans, particularly those in the south, though the weakening pound may have changed that.

Another cost factor is whether you plan to watch all three days’ action or not. With this year’s engine rules there might not be much F1 running on Fridays, particularly at the races early on in the season. The good thing about Fridays is that, as they tend to be quieter, you have more time and space to have a walk around the track and see the action from all angles.

If you are thinking of doing all three days it’s also worth checking what other races are on during the weekend.

Support races

GP2 provides the wheel-to-wheel action F1 often lacks

One of the curses of modern F1 for the track side spectator is the large amount of unused track time built into the race weekend’s schedule. This is to prevent F1’s precious television broadcasts being delayed because of a pile-up in a support race.

Support races at Grands Prix are a bit of a mixed bag. GP2 offers fabulous entertainment, often providing the best of the weekend’s action, and most Grands Prix include two GP2 races. On the other hand, I usually go for a walk when the Porsche Supercup is on.

Formula BMW Europe joined the schedule at some F1 races last year, offering a chance to see the stars of tomorrow crashing into each other. This year Formula Masters and the new Formula Two championship will appear at some races.

For details of support races at each of this year’s Grands Prix, check the race information links at the bottom of the page.

Crowd size

A packed crowd means a good atmosphere, and you’re guaranteed one if you head to the likes of Monza, Interlagos or Silverstone. Both Spanish races these days get huge audiences too. But that also means you’ve got to act fast to get your tickets booked.

How much can you see?

There are two sides to this. First, how much of the track is visible from the grandstands? At Fuji you can see much of the circuit from the spectators’ stands along the main straight. But at Monaco you’ll probably only be able to see the corner in front of you – unless you know someone with a penthouse…

Then there’s the question of how many times the cars are going to come past. Spa’s 7km long lap means you’ll only see them 44 times in a race, but at Interlagos they’ll come by 70 times.

Video

Wherever you end up sitting at a Grand Prix it’s hard to avoid the risk of missing some crucial action. And if you’re not within sight of the pit lane, keeping track of who’s pitted can be difficult.

There are two solutions: either find a grandstand near to a video wall, or hire a Kangaroo TV screen for the weekend which shows the same pictures. You can pre-book Kangaroos before the race on their website.

Transport and accommodation

Finally, a word of caution. Tedious though it might be, if you don’t figure out the logistics of your Grand Prix expedition you could give yourself a real headache. The last thing you want is to be running towards the circuit gates while the cars are on their formation lap.

Figure out where you’re staying, how you’re getting there, and how you’re going to commute to the track. I can tell you from experience that staying at Thessaloniki in Greece is not the best way to take in the Turkish Grand Prix…

If you’re going for all three days of the weekend (remember Monaco is Thursday, Saturday and Sunday), striking a balance between finding somewhere near to the track and not getting ripped off can be tricky. Have a look at the information posted by F1 fans on the different circuits, and post questions if you’re looking for specific information:

Albert Park, Mebourne – spectators’ experiences
Sepang International Circuit – spectators’ experiences
Shanghai International Circuit – spectators’ experiences
Bahrain International Circuit – spectators’ experiences
Circuit de Catalunya – spectators’ experiences
Monte-Carlo – spectators’ experiences
Istanbul Park – spectators’ experiences
Silverstone – spectators’ experiences
Nürburgring (new, 1984-present)
Hungaroring – spectators’ experiences
Circuito Urbano Valencia – spectators’ experiences
Spa-Francorchamps – spectators’ experiences
Autodromo Nazionale Monza – spectators’ experiences
Singapore street track – spectators’ experiences
Fuji Speedway – spectators’ experiences
Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, Interlagos, Sao Paulo – spectators’ experiences

How do you pick which F1 race to go to? Are you going to a Grand Prix for the first time this year? Have your say in the comments.

Silverstone 2009 Meet & Greet

Heading to Silverstone for the British Grand Prix this year? Head over to the forum for details of the 2009 British Grand Prix F1 Fanatic Meet & Greet.

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Images (C) Red Bull / GEPA, Ferrari spa, GP2 Media Service / Alastair Staley

Bernie Ecclestone: business brain, team boss... racing driver?

A thread on the Autosport forum about Bernie Ecclestone’s brief racing career caught my eye.

Ecclestone dabbled in motorbike racing and Formula Three in the early 1950s. But his only entry in the F1 record books is for the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix – which he failed to qualify for. What’s the story behind the F1 commercial boss’s only appearance in the sport as a racing driver?

Formula Three

Ecclestone’s first step into the business world was as a motorbike salesman. The success of this foray can be gauged by the fact that the showroom he worked for changed its name from Compton and Fuller to Compton and Eccletone in 1951 – when he was 21 years old.

He invested the money earned selling bikes into racing them at Brands Hatch. But the young Ecclestone soon decided to switch from two wheels to four, reasoning it would be safer. He switched to competing in 500cc single-seater cars in the series that would later become known as Formula Three.

He raced on the day the modern world championship was born – in a support race for the 1950 British Grand Prix at Silverstone (enjoy the ironic thought of Ecclestone ‘supporting’ something to do with Silverstone). But in 1953 he suffered a serious crash at Brands Hatch where his car was launched into the air. He continued competing only occasionally before quitting in 1956.

Lewis-Evans and Connaught

The following year Ecclestone met up-and-coming British racing driver Stewart Lewis-Evans, who raced for Connaught. Lewis-Evans was contracted to switch to Vanwall in the 1958 F1 season, but Ecclestone was keen to make use of his talents in a business venture.

Connaught had run into financial difficulty and Ecclestone took the opportunity to buy two of their old chassis at auction – the B3 and B7. Ecclestone’s biographer Terry Lovell is at pains to point out Ecclestone did not actually buy the Connaught team, just two of its cars. His intention was to sell them on in Australia for a profit.

Ecclestone entered Lewis-Evans and Roy Salvadori in the New Zealand Grand Prix at Ardmore in January 1958. The drivers collected the money for starting the race but fared poorly, as Ecclestone sent just one mechanic to look after both cars. Ecclestone’s plan came unstuck, however, as Lewis-Evans was unable to find a buyer with a serious offer, and he returned home with the cars.

The two Connaughts were occasionally entered by Ecclestone during the 1958 season. At Monaco he entered one for himself and the other for Paul Emery.

Bernie Ecclestone, Grand Prix racer

There was little chance of either car making it as far as the race. The organisers admitted 30 entrants but the starting grid size meant only 16 could start. And 14 of those were likely to be the cars entered by factory teams Vanwall, BRM, Cooper, Ferrari, Lotus and Maserati.

But Ecclestone seems to have made little attempt to get his car in the race anyway. While Emery lapped at 1’50.8, within 0.3s of another Connaught, Ecclestone seems not to have set a lap time.

What was the reason for this less than committed attempt to start the Monaco Grand Prix? Was it another effort to sell the cars while bagging some useful prize money?

If so it must not have worked as the cars were back again at Silverstone. This time Ivor Bueb and Jack Fairman were the drivers, though Ecclestone was also named as a driver of the Fairman car in case he needed to take over the entry. He didn’t, and so the history books record a ‘Did Not Start’ for Ecclestone at the 1958 British Grand Prix.

That was the end of Ecclestone’s involvement in Grand Prix racing as a driver but merely the beginning of his lengthy career in the business of Formula 1.

After the death of Lewis-Evans in the final race of 1958 Ecclestone stayed away from the sport for several years. But he returned in charge of the Brabham team in 1972 and guided them to championship titles in 1981 and 1983 with Nelson Piquet. By then he had become vitally important to the business operation of Formula 1 via his role in the Formula One Constructors’ Association. That led him to the position he occupies today.

As team manager and head of FOM, amassing a wealth in excess of £2bn, he’s achieved rather more than he did behind the wheel of a racing car.

Read more

• “Bernie’s Game” – Terry Lovell
• The Nostalgia Forum – Ecclestone & the Monaco 1958 non-qualifiers
• F1 People – Bernie Ecclestone
• Picture of Ecclestone’s Connaught on Flickr

Silverstone was packed for the British Grand Prix

Did you visit a Grand Prix in 2008?

If so, please take a moment to share your opinions about the experience with other fans who’ve been to the same venues:

You can read other people’s experiencess of visiting the races on the Grand Prix calendar, share your own and pass on tips to other F1 fans via these links:

• Albert Park, Mebourne – spectators’ experiences
• Bahrain International Circuit – spectators’ experiences
• Spa-Francorchamps – spectators’ experiences
• Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, Interlagos, Sao Paulo – spectators’ experiences
• Shanghai International Circuit – spectators’ experiences
• Hockenheimring – spectators’ experiences
• Nürburgring – spectators’ experiences
• Silverstone – spectators’ experiences
• Hungaroring – spectators’ experiences
• Autodromo Nazionale Monza – spectators’ experiences
• Fuji Speedway – spectators’ experiences
• Sepang International Circuit – spectators’ experiences
• Monte-Carlo – spectators’ experiences
• Singapore street track – spectators’ experiences
• Circuit de Catalunya – spectators’ experiences
• Circuito Urbano Valencia – spectators’ experiences
• Istanbul Park – spectators’ experiences

The Chinese Grand Prix is now the third round instead of the 15th, and will be held in April. This means F1 will have visited the circuit twice within seven months, and next year’s Grand Prix may see different climactic conditions to what we have been used to.

At the end of the calendar the final race of the season, at the new Yas Island Marina circuit for the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, has been brought forward by two weeks, reducing the total duration of the season by the same amount. The Brazilian round has been moved forward two weeks and the Japanese round by one week.

There is no indication that the missing rounds at Montreal (Canadian Grand Prix) and Magny-Cours (French Grand Prix) may be reinstated.

Full updated calendar details here: 2009 F1 calendar