29th May 2003
Monaco!
Three years ago this weekend, I watched Thursday practice for the Formula 1 GP of Monaco from the Rascasse. I watched qualifying from an apartment across the street from the pits, and the race from a grandstand overlooking the harbor.
Monaco, in racing terms, is a total anachronism. Heinz-Harald Frentzen has compared it to “trying to ride a bicycle in your living room”. Guardrails are over your head. It’s like driving through a canyon. The pits are very cramped. There’s hardly any place for overtaking.
The streets are narrow and bumpy.
But most would have it no other way. The atmosphere is electric! You can check the SpeedTV listings to see when to set up TiVO or a VCR to record qualifying/race (hint: 5:00 am PST…)
If you ever get the chance, go! I can heartily recommend Grand Prix Tours. We stayed in Nice, FR, and took the crowded trains with many true Tifosi. It’s fun, hot, happy, and so much to see that is unlike any other event - a swirl of glitterati, personal helicopters, lots of great food and swag on the street, and tons of fans coming off trains from France and Italy.
