On April 14, 1929, the first race, which was already given the status of a Grand Prix, took place in the Mediterranean principality of Monaco, although there was no Formula 1 or even a European championship in those days.
But from 1931 they began to hold the continental championship, and from 1936 the Monaco Grand Prix was included in it as one of the stages, and in total until the end of the 1930s it was possible to hold nine races on the city circuit , which has generally retained its configuration to this day.
In 1938 the race did not take place due to financial problems, then the Second World War started and in the first post-war years there was no time for motor racing. The Grand Prix resumed in 1948, but that’s another story. And today the Automobile Club of Monaco celebrates the 95th anniversary of its famous race, the victory of which is considered one of the highlights of world motorsport – comparable to the Indy 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Let’s return to the events of April 14, 1929. The Monaco Grand Prix was organized at the initiative of tobacco magnate Anthony Noguez – by the way, it was he who, even before the First World War, was one of those who changed the history of another legendary race started: the Monte Carlo Rally. And it was he who suggested giving the checkered flag at the finish, so his contribution to history is difficult to overestimate. It is no surprise that the final corner of the Monaco circuit bears his name.
At the end of the 1920s, the principality had a completely favorable situation for the development of motor racing: firstly, the then ruler of Monaco, Louis II, supported the idea of Anthony Noguez and his friends, activists of the local car club; secondly, the fame of the Monegasque Louis Chiron, who had already achieved many victories in races, including the Grand Prix, thundered throughout Europe.
Chiron used his authority to make Noguez’s idea a reality, although he himself did not participate in the very first Monaco Grand Prix, but won this race a few years later with a Bugatti.
From the very beginning, these motor racing competitions were considered prestigious, if only because of the impressive prize money of the time: the winner of the race received 100,000 francs. There were 16 racers at the start, representing 6 European countries and racing cars from six different brands, half of which were produced by Bugatti. But there were also three Alfa Romeos, a pair of Maseratis, one Mercedes, as well as equipment from the now almost forgotten French brands Delage and Corre la Licorne, the names of which are remembered only by experts in the history of the world automotive industry. .
The race, the distance of which was 100 laps, was won by the British William Grover-Williams, who drove a Bugatti Type 35B with a 138 hp strong 8-cylinder in-line engine with a displacement of 2.3 liters, already equipped at the time with a turbocharger. It took him almost 4 hours.
His main rival, by the way, was the German Rudi Caracciola in a Mercedes with a huge 7-liter engine, and in the first half of the race he and Grover-Williams alternated in the lead, but the Mercedes of course had much higher fuel consumption, which made it refueling took longer. As a result, Caracciola finished third and only managed to win the Monaco Grand Prix in 1936 – and that too in a Mercedes.
Of the sixteen cars that started, only nine reached the finish, and all of these events took place on a circuit whose configuration has not changed much since then. The changes were mainly related to the development of the road network in the principality. When they say that this city ring is not suitable for modern Formula 1 cars, it is of course difficult to argue with that. But if the Monaco Grand Prix is ever excluded from the World Cup calendar, it will be extremely sad because it is not just any race: it is one of the symbols of world motorsport.
Today the Automobile Club of Monaco shared a small selection of photos, with a very short comment: “95 years ago the very first Monaco Grand Prix took place.”
And on May 26, 2024, this race will be held for the 81st time.
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
