23/05/2019
NEWS STORY
The Monaco Grand Prix is once again just around the corner and given it's arguably the most prestigious circuit in the race calendar we're going to take a look back in time and review five times the course - or at least events on it - took our breath away.
5 - 2016 - Down in the Pits
Daniel Ricciardo had got his weekend off to a flying start as he landed his first ever pole position and his weekend looked to be getting even better as Sunday's race progressed with his Red Bull firmly on course for a triumphant win - and then the pit stop came. Ricciardo followed team orders as he came in for a tyre switch but as he pulled up no tyres were prepared, and his team headed to the garage as quickly as possible.
By then it was too late, and Ricciardo was left bemoaning his team instructions stating that he felt his second-place finish 'sucks' during the podium interviews. Kind of a sore loser... maybe, if this was horse racing, Ricciardo could have made a trifecta bet, so he could cash in some money with his second place!
4 - 1984 - Mansell Madness
The track was sodden wet as the racing got under way - eventually after a 45-minute delay. The first corner caused a smash up between Renault drivers Derek Warwick and Patrick Tambay with the latter suffering a broken leg. However, Nigel Mansell was progressing nicely after his second place start and took his first career lead when he overtook Alain Prost and began to open up a lead.
Despite being relatively early on, Mansell was nailed on for victory if he could maintain his driving but it all went horribly wrong when he span out of control under no pressure just a few laps later and saw his gold and black motor crash into the barriers, leaving him with no choice but to retire.
3 - 1993 - Senna Sets Record
Ayrton Senna went into the 93 race having won the last four knowing that a five streak would give him six overall - that would break the record set by Graham Hill in 1969. The race itself was far from a classic as the amazing Senna capitalised on a Schumacher technical fault to cruise home to victory, but six wins on one circuit is worthy of a place in our top five moments. Sadly, the Brazilian legend passed away in a fatal crash one year later, otherwise his record might very well have extended.
2 - 2006 - Failure to Turn
Michael Schumacher and Formula One go together like bread and butter but the qualifying campaign for Monaco 2006 wasn't his finest moment. He was heading for pole position, which is a huge benefit around the tight street circuit, but a young Fernando Alonso was on his tail and looked set to pip him; Schumacher veered off at a right-hand bend causing the yellow flags to come into play.
Alonso - nor anyone else - could finish his final laps and Schumacher stayed on pole. It hardly worked out though as Schumacher was sent to the back of the grid, Alonso triumphed, and Schumacher faced questions on his lack of integrity and even suggestions of cheating as many felt his move was a deliberate manoeuvre.
1 - 2004 - Flipping Heck
Just a few short laps into 2004s grand prix and fans had their heads in their hands and their fingers crossed all at once. Takuma Sato's BAR-Honda suffered engine failure sending smoke billowing across the track. David Coulthard came to a stop, an unsighted Giancarlo Fisichella hit Coulthard's rear wing at near on 100mph and was sent catapulting through the air. Thankfully, Fisichella was okay - although out of the race - and fans could enjoy the carnage.
There you have it, five moments that have it all - controversy, crashes, failures and a sprinkling of magic. Here's to the next race creating some more moments to last a lifetime.