The first Monaco Grand Prix took place on 14 April 1929. The principality's first Grand Prix was organised in 1929 by Antony Noghès, under the auspices of Prince Louis II, through the Automobile Club de Monaco (ACM). The ACM organised the Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo, and in 1928 applied to the Association Internationale des Automobiles Clubs Reconnus (AIACR) to be upgraded to full national status. Their application was refused due to the lack of a major motorsport event held wholly within Monaco's boundaries.
To attain full national status, Noghès proposed the creation of an automobile Grand Prix in the streets of Monte Carlo. He obtained the official sanction of Prince Louis II and the support of Monégasque Grand Prix driver Louis Chiron. Chiron thought Monaco's topography was well-suited to setting up a race track. The first race, held on 14 April 1929, was won by William Grover-Williams, driving a works Bugatti Type 35B.
The Monaco Grand Prix was included in the new Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1950. The race provided future five-time world champion Juan Manuel Fangio with his first win in a World Championship race. Louis Chiron also scored third place, his best result in the World Championship era, at 51 years old. The Monaco Grand Prix returned in 1955 as part of the Formula One World Championship, beginning a streak of 64 consecutive years in which the race was held. In the 1955 race, Maurice Trintignant won in Monte Carlo for the first time, and Chiron again scored points, becoming the oldest driver to compete in a Formula One Grand Prix at 56.
Graham Hill won the race five times in the 1960s and became known as "King of Monaco" and "Mr. Monaco". Ayrton Senna won the race more times than any other driver, with six victories, including five consecutive wins between 1989 and 1993. In the 82 editions of the Monaco Grand Prix, only two Monégasque drivers have won the race: Louis Chiron in 1931 and Charles Leclerc in 2024.
The Grand Prix takes place on the Circuit de Monaco, which traverses the narrow city streets of Monte Carlo and La Condamine alongside Monaco's harbour, Port Hercules. It has hosted the Grand Prix every time it has been run since 1929. The race circuit has many elevation changes, tight corners, and a narrow course that requires millimetre accuracy, making it one of the most demanding tracks in Formula One racing. The circuit includes a tunnel, presenting challenges not faced elsewhere as drivers adjust their vision when emerging from the tunnel at the fastest point of the track and braking for the chicane in daylight.
The Monaco Grand Prix is organised each year by the Automobile Club de Monaco. From 2026, the race will be held on the first weekend of June, and will therefore no longer clash with the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. The erecting of the circuit takes six weeks, and the removal after the race takes three weeks.
The Monaco Grand Prix is widely considered to be one of the most important and prestigious automobile races in the world. The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) characterised the Monaco Grand Prix as contributing "an exceptional location of glamour and prestige" to motorsport. Monaco is a tax haven and is home to many millionaires, including several Formula One drivers. The Grand Prix attracts many celebrities each year.
In the 21st century, several commentators and F1 drivers have called the Grand Prix the most boring race of all circuits, both to drive and to watch as a spectator. Criticism has been directed towards how few overtake attempts are performed, as well as how frequently the driver who sets the pole position wins. The 2024 Monaco Grand Prix was considered particularly dull, with the top ten drivers in qualifying finishing in the exact same order and no successful overtakes.
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