The glamour of Monaco

Monaco and Formula 1 are the perfect match. They can be described using the same adjectives - rich, glamorous and colourful - and once a year the two are brought together for a mad dash through the Principality's streets.

"We need Monaco more than it needs us," says F1's Bernie Ecclestone.

There has been an F1 race in Monaco every year since 1955 and, compared to other tracks on the F1 calendar, it has changed remarkably little during that time. It's been lengthened by only 0.1 miles and retains a lot of the original corners.

"Monaco is a different kind of challenge," says Hisao Suganuma Technical Manager Bridgestone Motorsport. "We take our softest compound of the year to the race because the speeds are slow and the track surface is smooth. The circuit is unlike anywhere else we race, so it's difficult to test for it."

Average lap speeds in the dry are 100mph, which has many technical implications for the teams.

"You have to treat Monaco differently," says WilliamsF1 Technical Director, Sam Michael. "You need to get as much downforce on the car as possible, and we try various different things in the wind tunnel in the lead-up to the race in order to do this.

"There are other things to consider too, like spare cars. We take an extra spare car to the race, just in case the drivers damage their own ones during practice."

For many of the drivers, Monaco is a home from home. Of the current grid, 10 rivers live in Monaco, which makes the race something of a home GP.

"Contrary to what a lot of people think," says Takuma Sato, "Monaco is a very nice place to live. The climate's good, you've got the sea and there are the mountains nearby. It has a bit of everything, and it's also very central which is useful for getting around Europe."

Nice airport is 11 miles to the west (or 10 minutes in a helicopter if you're an F1 driver) and the Italian border is just a short drive to the east.

To give you an idea of distance, many of the Monaco-based drivers travel by road to the Italian and San Marino Grands Prix.

Eighty percent of the people that live in Monaco are residents rather than citizens, owing to its tax free status. However, they do get some security for their money: there is one policeman to every 11 people living in the Principality.

But for all the idiosyncrasies of the place, Monaco's 2.075-mile track is one of the greatest challenges on the F1 calendar.

"It's a very exciting place to race," says Ferrari star Felipe Massa. "The barriers are never far away and it is a great challenge. No other race track is like Monaco and it's a place where you get a real sense of speed."

Such is the prestige connected to the race that it's the one that all the drivers want to win more than any other.

"If you're quick at Monaco," says Mark Webber, "you know you're doing a good job."

Michael Schumacher has won the race five times - but will he take a record sixth victory this time around?