Monaco mantra: Start in front, finish in front

If history is any yardstick, the winner of the Monaco Grand Prix will be decided not during the race on Sunday afternoon but during the seco...

If history is any yardstick, the winner of the Monaco Grand Prix will be decided not during the race on Sunday afternoon but during the second qualifying in the morning. Because those who start out in front usually finish in front, making this as predictable a race as it is picturesque.

Sixty-one races since 1929 (staged uninterrupted since 1955) have seen just seven drivers defy the tradition of the winner coming from the first two rows. And five of those occasions were when the drivers on pole failed to finish.

One main reason for that, of course, is the circuit itself, a 3.34-km whirl around the streets of Monte Carlo peppered with road markings, drains and manhole covers. And the narrow track that makes overtaking virtually impossible — something that Jenson Button will never forget after his fruitless pursuit of Jarno Trulli last year.

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As the popular phrase goes, ‘in Monaco if you’re not brushing wheels against the barriers, you’re not trying.’ A risky proposition; those willing to try it out could impact against a hard metal barrier. That’s what happened to Aryton Senna in 1988, handing the win to his team-mate and arch-rival Alain Prost.

‘‘With no run-off areas, concentration levels need to be two hundred per cent’’, says Narain Karthikeyan.

In 1994, Nigel Mansell was on course for his first GP win when, in atrocious conditions, his Lotus got away from him on the painted white lines and allowed Prost to cruise through to the first of four victories in the Principality.

That’s not all. High barriers block a drivers’ view of the apex, and the many twists and turns require deft handling of the wheel and gears. Indeed, gear shifts alone makes Monaco the severest test of the year. ‘‘In just one race, the driver will make 3,600 gear changes which is about 20 per cent more than the lowest gear change circuit which is Monza,’’ explains Ferrari gearbox specialist, Diego Loverno.

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So it’s no coincidence that the greatest and most talented drivers tend to consistently feature in Monaco’s roll of honour. The legendary Ayrton Senna won the race six times, Michael Schumacher currently ranks alongside Graham Hill with five wins, Alain Prost has four victories and Stirling Moss three.

And that’s why Monaco — like Lord’s is to cricket — is one race every driver dreams of. ‘‘It’s worth a million dreams’’, says Karthikeyan. ‘‘Live it as long as it lasts.’’Mo