F1 - Monaco Style

This weekend the Formula 1 'circus' moves to Monaco. The small principality nestles on the south coast of France and is home to the Grimaldi family.

Take this beautiful resort and add the high-octane excitement of Formula 1 and you are guaranteed a weekend to remember.

This year, the Formula 1 championship is wide open, with a new scoring mechanism, the drivers all vying to be the number one.  With reigning champion, Jenson Button, having settled into his new team (McLaren) very comfortably, there is everything to play for.  Last year, he won in the Mercedes powered Brawn GP.  Can he repeat his success?

What of the resort?  Nestling on the south coast of France, about 30 mins from Nice, Monaco is an independent principality; home to the Grimaldi family.  With it's sandy beaches, glorious marina and the famous Casino, all lend themselves to a picture-postcard view.

Map from F1Badger.com

This is the circuit layout, and it's twists and turns, the race through the tunnel, tight chicanes and not forgetting the armco barriers to stop the cars falling into the sea!!  The solid barriers also lend to the excitement, since the track is so narrow, there is absolutely no margin for error.

When the drivers line up on the grid, on Sunday (in which order we are yet to know), they do so in the knowledge that it is usual for whoever is on pole position has, in most cases, been the one to take the chequered flag.

I hope that the race on Sunday proves to be exciting, but with limited overtaking opportunities, it will be the strategy of pit stops that will help determine the finishing order.

Bright sunshine (hopefully) and throngs of people milling around; with spectators on the balconies of the apartments that overlook the circuit.

Monaco is an experience to behold.