Formula One / Thomas Cowie / 20 May 2009 / Leave a comment

Formula One heads to Monte Carlo for the oldest, most prestigious and most glamorous race of the season this weekend. Jenson Button has a poor record at Monaco but, after his Spanish victory last week, he will be more than confident of improving his fortunes in the Principality, writes Tom Cowie.

Monaco and F1 are true soul mates. This 76 square mile tax haven has wealth, glamour and excess coursing through its' veins. For four days, corporate moguls will rub shoulders with rock stars, Hollywood actors and sporting icons - usually aboard one of the numerous multi-million pound gin palaces moored in the harbour.

For team owners and drivers alike, this is the one you want to win. If you are the former, it's because the CEO of your title sponsor is in town - if you are the latter it's because winning here will see your name pass in to F1 folklore.

The Monaco GP represents a showcase for the best driving talent of each generation. Graham Hill, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher won 20 Monaco GP's between them. It is no coincidence that they also collectively won 16 World Championships.

When asked to describe how it felt to drive an F1 car in Monaco, three time World Champion Nelson Piquet famously compared it to trying to ride a bicycle round your living room. Success here certainly owes more to human than mechanical endeavor.

Monaco represents a unique driving challenge - nowhere else is a driver's concentration tested to the same degree. There is no respite - no long straight to relax momentarily. Lose concentration here - snatch a brake or miss an apex, and you will be heading in to retirement against the unforgiving Armco barriers.

The track is made up entirely of public roads, meaning that car control is at a premium, as the cars twitch nervously over the manhole covers and central cambers, not to mention the road markings, which become lethally slippery in the wet.

Due to the lack of overtaking opportunities, qualifying is critical. Get it wrong on Saturday, and your chances of success on Sunday are virtually nil.

Last year, Lewis Hamilton stamped his Championship credentials on the sport by winning here in treacherous conditions. The Briton will be praying for rain and a decent grid slot to stand any chance this year. If his wishes are granted, his [17.5] price could become very attractive indeed.

The misery at Marranello continues however. Now embroiled in a clash with the FIA over their future participation in the sport, Ferrari's nightmare season is going from bad to worse. At [15.0] and [17.0] respectively, Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen may struggle to halt the Scuderia's alarming fall from from grace this weekend.

Toyota locked out the front row of the grid in Bahrain. If they can do the same here, with a better race strategy, they will be in good shape. At [40.0], Timo Glock is a long shot, but at ]21.0], former Monaco winner Jarno Trulli could be one to watch.

However, the market suggests a two way battle between second favourite Sebastien Vettel, currently trading at [4.4], and this year's resident pre-race favourite Jenson Button at [3.8].

The Monaco Grand Prix makes up one third of Motorsport's Triple Crown, along with the Indy 500 and the Le Mans 24 Hours. Victory for Jenson Button in the history strewn streets of the Principality could prove to be a sign of things to come for F1's heir apparent.