What's so Special about Monte Carlo?
		by Karl Ludvigsen, England

Award-winning writer Karl Ludvigsen writes about the Monte Carlo street circuit and its contribution to modern Formula One Grand Prix Racing It was educational to hear what the various drivers had to say about the circuit on the streets of Monte Carlo. Winner David Coulthard said: "the Monaco race is the most technically challenging of the lot for a driver." "It is not a normal procedure for us to be driving that close to barriers," said Michael Schumacher. "You're just so close to the barrier, and you are into a rhythm which is an extra pleasure compared to certain other circuits [where] there is not the extra risk of touching the barrier. You don't want to touch the barrier - you want more run-off. Mistakes not only cost you time, but they usually mean an accident. But it gives you an extra kick." Neither David nor Michael is much into history, as we know. But we can remind them that not all that long ago most racetracks were like Monaco. Starting at the end of the 1960s they were lined with Armco barriers, at least through all the tricky bits. This was done as a result of the safety campaign led by Jo Bonnier and Jackie Stewart. The idea behind the barriers was first of all to protect the spectators, because the racing world was well aware that all we needed was a huge death toll of spectators to close down the sport entirely. The barriers did their job. When the wings failed on their Lotuses in May 1969, both Jochen Rindt and Graham Hill spun out of control on Barcelona's hilly Montjuich Park circuit. Without the barriers the spectator toll would have been gruesome. With barriers surrounding the critical turns of most circuits for many years, Formula One drivers had to consider many more of them than today to be "technically challenging". This meant that they had to be ultra-precise in planning their lines and in adjusting their cars to make the best fist of each track. It may be no coincidence that Jackie Stewart, one of the most technically proficient drivers, scored his three championships in the Armco era. With runoff areas galore and scarcely a barrier in sight, today's drivers seldom face a similar challenge. They tangle with their rivals in ways that racers in previous decades simply could not contemplate. The penalty of hitting the barrier or the scenery was just too great. At Monte Carlo the list of drivers who crashed out against one barrier or another included Messrs. Frentzen, Verstappen, Zonta, Ralf Schumacher, Diniz, Wurz and Mazzacane. That's a pretty high count, something like one-third of the field. I'm not proposing a return to full-circuit barriers. The barriers also helped kill some drivers, including Rindt at Monza in 1970 and Cevert at Watkins Glen in 1973. Today's tracks are designed to help both drivers and spectators survive, and that's certainly a good thing. But looking back at the drivers who have been successful at Monte Carlo, I think this one barriered circuit has a lot to tell us about the drivers who really know their stuff, who could race and win in any era. Fangio and Moss were multiple Monaco GP winners, as was Stewart. Graham Hill, Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher have all placed their stamp on the race with multiple wins. What's so special about them? My conclusion is that experience made the difference. And more than that, these drivers not only had experience; they were capable of learning from experience. Believe me, that's not true of every racing driver, even at the top of the sport. Knowledge gained from experience helped them conquer the quirks and peccadilloes of this most demanding of tracks. Maybe in the future we'll be able to add David Coulthard to that list. *   *  * Side note: many thanks to all who responded with comments on my column on the points system, written after the race at the 'Ring. With your help I may come back to this topic in the future

Karl Ludvigsen	© 2000 Kaizar.Com, Incorporated.
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Karl Ludvigsen's resume extends throughout the international automotive industry: he was Vice President of Ford of Europe, also responsible for Ford's European motor sports activity; He was the Vice President of Fiat Motors of North America; He was senior public affairs official with General Motors and previously a GM designer, where he planned experimental front-drive prototypes. In publishing and journalism, Mr. Ludvigsen has held editorial positions for several motoring publications. His work as author, co-author or editor of 17 books has won numerous awards. Among his books: "Juan Manuel Fangio" (1999), "Jackie Stewart: Triple Crowned King of Speed" (1998), and "Stirling Moss - Racing with the Maestro" (1997).

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