The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the most prestigious races in the motorsport calendar and part of the triple crown. Its circuit, winding through the principality's streets and its tight and twisty layout presents a unique challenge to drivers, requiring precision and skill down to a millimeter. Its glamorous setting amongst the French Rivera showcasing yachts, and places like the Monte Carlo Casino combined with its rich history makes it the race to win.
Drivers dream of being amongst the winners of Monaco.... One in particular, Charles Leclerc, the hometown hero. Charles has dreampt of winning his home race for years, not just to be added to an elite list of drivers, but to honor his father and godfather and late driver Jules Bianchi.
This was the year, the year he would become that hometown hero and the first Monegasque in 93 years to stand on that top step. When the Ferrari crossed the line the yacht horns filled the area, soon church bells joined, Marshalls and locals alike in tears out of pure joy, an experience I will never forget.
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I am always excited when we start the descent into Nice, France, Nice is the closest airport to Monaco and boy does it come with a view. The landing strip is on the ocean with a backdrop of Nice, Monaco, Antibes and Cannes. Nice is a small airport and so easy to travel through and, being Europe, public transportation is elite. Pick up your luggage and hop on the train straight to where you are staying.
Monaco is very small and can be quite pricey especially during Grand Prix weekend. The trick is to stay in a surrounding area and take the train into Monaco everyday. It is super easy, and you can’t get lost because there will be 1000 other people doing the same. Look for accommodations in places like Nice, Beausoleil, Menton, Cap d’ Ail, all will provide you easy access to Monaco!
Next and important tip everyone leaves to the train right after the race please don’t do this as you will be herded into a very long line that could take an hour, Instead, stay in Monaco, get dinner, enjoy the vibes and take the train later or hire a car or a taxi. You can also take an uber into Monaco, but you cannot get an uber out of Monaco.
As a veteran attending the Monaco Grand Prix I always suggest you make a vacation of it especially if you’re not from Europe. You are literally bordering France and Italy and make the most of it! Also, get to Monaco a few days early to get some once in a lifetime experiences.
In Monaco you can walk pit lane and the paddock while they set up and tear down- this offers greater opportunities to run into drivers. Many drivers live in Monaco so will already be out about so you may just be lucky enough to have lunch or dinner with a driver in view. Now, as long as you promise to be kind, respectful and patient… I’m going to spill my biggest secret .. visit Fontvieille. Yes, it is away from the circuit but everyone getting to a yacht including drivers, team principals, celebrities and even royalty will have to come through here 95% of the time unless it's late and the yachts are pulled up to the track.
Your next hot spot is going to be around Café de Paris and the Casino. Want to see all the fabulous cars Monaco has to offer? You won’t miss them as Monaco has the biggest supercar population in the world. The best of the best will be parked out front of the Monte Carlo Casino and Hotel Hermitage (my personal fave for cars)!
Just arriving in Monaco is worth it... but seeing it come to life with motorsports fans is another level. Take a trip to the fan zone which is just north of the track, and it will be packed with fans. The best thing about the fan zone is no ticket is required, so you could literally come to Monaco with no tickets and hang out in the fan zone to enjoy the whole weekend.
Take advantage of team interviews in the area over the weekend! People will start arriving at 6am just to claim a coveted spot up front to try to get pictures and autographs. The fan zone is just as fun after quali and race day as the drinks are flowing, and you can test your own skill in a simulator or grab any merchandise you could want. Want a free souvenir? Order a beer in the fan zone and they put it in a Monaco GP cup! Or be classy like me and order a round of champagne! When they go to put it in glass flutes ask for the beer cup! No shame when it comes to free F1 swag!
Monaco is the only track that doesn’t meet FIA standards, that being said you can literally be on the track before and after every race, not only that but you can make reservations at a track facing restaurant and literally be so close you could almost touch the car. Check out places like Crazy Pizza, La Rascasse and Amazonico for track viewing reservations.
In the past, Friday has always been a slower day and not as busy in Monaco. This year was completely different... Friday was sold out, even on the yachts. As the sport grew we saw an influx of fans and attendees. There was also a new idea around this year where attendees decided to come Friday and Saturday and leave Sunday morning to save money.
Friday is just a good day to take in your surroundings and enjoy a small teaser of what the weekend has in store. There are many supporting series in Monaco, you can catch F3, F2 and Porsche cup before Free Practice! Don’t feel pressured to get merch this day if you don’t want to there are so many merch stands all around Monaco you won't miss out! Take a walk to Formula 1 store; it's my favorite as it carries everything including used autographed race suits.
Everyone knows the importance of Quali in Monaco, due to the tight track it is extremely difficult to overtake meaning you put yourself on pole for quali and you most likely already won yourself the race. Treat Saturday like race day if you’re a die-hard fan, make your way from the train station and make yourself at home wherever you are watching from and take it all in. Due to a major work perk I made my way in early and caught a tender to our yacht which just so happened to be across from Charles' family's home with a terrace full of his family and friends. A very special place to be when he qualified on pole!
I suggest getting into Monaco early as Sunday will be the busiest day of the weekend. Grab some breakfast and immerse yourself in the vibes of race day. There are a lot of food stands around throughout the grandstands. If you are sitting at pit lane there isn’t much around so you’ll have to come prepared or walk down to the other side of K grandstands. Sunday’s spot had views of Turn 1 and coming out of turn 12 into the pool area. I loved having the view as I saw multiple areas of the track.
Although people at home are saying the race was boring... lap 1 led to so much anticipation as Checo crashed and the whole area went silent as the red flag was out. There was a point we all heard the ambulances, and I don’t think anyone took a breath just hoping he was ok. When they finally showed him walking on the screens the whole area started clapping. Being so early into the race they called a restart which led to confusion as Carlos received a free place back into third. The race continued and everyone was just holding their breath that the Monaco curse wouldn’t come back for Charles; every lap was a win. Come towards the last few laps we knew Charles was going to bring it home with all of Monaco on their toes in anticipation. The emotions, the tears, the sounds of parties, the flags waving and seeing the emotional win for Charles and all of Monaco will remain with me for years!
This isn’t like another race where you only have 1 or 2 options in parties; there are so many you can’t not find yourself at a party. Track parties are the most accessible and very affordable to attend. Who doesn’t want to party on the track!
You have your clubs like MK and Sass Café (most likely to see drivers here), La Rascasse, Sunset, yacht parties($600+), APM Monaco (Charles Leclerc is contracted with them so will make appearance’s), and Amber Lounge (expensive but will have a couple drivers). Jimmy Z's is the big money party that is nearly impossible to get into without a massive price tag, but you will be partying with drivers!
Also, non-race day if you want a casual party in the street with a DJ, I highly recommend Slammers! The Monaco GP is the land of celebrities. It's the place to be whether you know anything about F1 or not - so the celebrities will be out in full force. I’ve already dropped my secret place to run into them, BUT don’t be surprised If you don’t run into any either as they know the fans are ALSO out in full force. The key to celebrity and driver sightings is to be respectful of their time... they’re more likely to stop if you respect them.
You come to Monaco for the experience, not just a race, take in the history, the views, the glamor, the sounds and smells of car exhaust, and burning rubber. You can go as big as you want, there is no limit to access if you want to pay. Many people think Monaco isn’t accessible, but I promise you it is for any price point!
My BIGGEST Monaco tip to save money? Stay in Nice, only get Sunday tickets, and enjoy the rest of the weekend in the Fan Zone and surrounding areas! You can make Monaco work for you and I promise you won't regret it!
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