Italian Gabriele Mini, one of the main contenders in Formula Regional Europe by Alpine, opened the ball in style Thursday afternoon by posting the best time in the one and only free practice session for the small and very agile single-seaters in the streets of the Principality : 1:30.585 for the young Art Grand Prix driver (17), currently 3rd in the championship, so slightly better than two Dutchmen, Kas Haverkort (Van Amersfoort Racing) and rookie Laurens van Hoepen, also entered by ART GP.

The best Frenchman in this session could have been Hadrien David, who took 3rd and 4th last year on the same Circuit de Monaco, in the same category. But he damaged his car by hitting the back of a slower car at la Piscine, on his last flying lap, and had to leave the honor of best Frenchman to Victor Bernier, one of the two French drivers of FA Racing, the team sponsored by Fernando Alonso. Bernier, a Formula Alpine rookie, took 6th place in this session behind Mini, Haverkort, van Hoepen, Estonian Paul Aron and Swede Dino Beganovic, the detached leader of the championship after two wins and two second places in the first four races. of the year.

Over 35 single-seaters took to the track, approximately one every 100 meters, and half were driven by beginners in the Principality, so some made mistakes and hit the rail, at the Portier turn or the Swimming pool S, or pulled straight at Sainte-Dévote. Fortunately, the Automobile Club de Monaco (ACM) marshals were vigilant, as usual, and very little time was lost in this session due to the excessive enthusiasm of the young guns, some not yet old enough to pass their driving licence.

The field will be divided into two groups on Friday morning for the one and only qualifying session on the weekend menu, which will inevitably be very intense. There will be two races this weekend, one Saturday morning and one Sunday morning, 30 minutes each.

It’s a battle royale that promises to take place in the streets of the Principality for the 79th edition of Monaco F1 Grand Prix, with four ace drivers spread in three top teams: Max Verstappen, the reigning world champion and new leader of the 2022 World Championship, at Red Bull Racing, Charles Leclerc, the local hero, in his Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell for Mercedes.

One cannot expect any other driver to bother these top drivers who have accumulated 131 wins in F1, including 103 alone for the seven-time British world champion, 24 for the Flying Dutchman and 4 for the Monégasque. This 79th edition is more enticing than ever, between Sir Lewis and three spearheads of the new generation. Only Russell has never won in F1 but he has just finished in the Top 5 six times in a row this year, although he did not drive, by some length, the best single-seater on the grid.

To decide between the stars of modern F1, a little more eco-responsible and much less expensive for the teams, with a capped budget, a new format has been set up this year in Monaco: three days of F1, all inclusive, counting Friday morning for media duties and Friday afternoon for two free practice sessions, crucial to prepare for qualifying on Saturday afternoon.

It is indeed an extraordinary 79th Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco that is scheduled, in front of fully booked grandstands and VIP boxes, after two years of coronavirus, masks and sanitary constraints. It is also the beginning of a new era for Formula 1, in Monaco and elsewhere, around Verstappen, Leclerc and Russell, but also Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo in their McLarens, and two former world champions who could reconnect any time with their past glory, Fernando Alonso (Alpine) and Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin), thanks to their huge experience: 340 Grands Prix contested (32 wins) for the popular Spaniard, crowned in 2005 and 2006, 283 GPs (and 53 wins) for the German four-time world champion.

On the French side, Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) and Esteban Ocon (Alpine) will again be on the lookout if an opportunity arises, as in Monza or Hungary during their one and only success in F1, to date. The first two wins for a French driver in F1 since Olivier Panis in 1996… in Monaco!

On Sunday, talent, strategy and a bit of luck, an essential ingredient in the Principality, will determine the name of the winner. It will be much the same recipe for the supporting races, with a particularly exciting menu: the future champions of Formula 2, the young wolves of the Formula Regional Europe by Alpine and the overpowered coupes of the Porsche Supercup, ready to delight, one more time, lovers of old-fashioned thrills.

In this new-format Monaco Grand Prix, support races will be the only stars on track on Thursday. With a handful of famous surnames for young drivers who want to make a name for themselves: Enzo Fittipaldi, Eduardo Barrichello, Sebastian Montoya, Jack Doohan, Liam Lawson, Marino Sato. One thing is certain, even if the format has changed, it will still be very hot on track, all along this very special weekend, in the streets of the Principality!

In figures, 675 volunteers will work this year. Among them, 125 have been trained in fire control. 51 will be dedicated to the Technical Commission.

Finally, let us note the presence of 49 women, including 13 new ones. Our Marshals will receive in a few days their equipment that they will wear during the 3 Spring events this year.

With almost a month to go before the start of the “circuit events”, the entire Corps of Marshals is mobilising this weekend for the traditional Training Camp. Between learning the right gestures for the newcomers and general revisions for the more experienced, the 650 volunteers present are preparing with rigour and professionalism for the three upcoming events (Monaco E-Prix – 30 April / Grand Prix de Monaco Historique – 13-15 May / Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco – 26-29 May).

Founded 50 years ago by the will of the President of the Automobile Club de Monaco, Me Michel Boéri, the Marshals Training Course, offers to all the teams about 10 workshops (First Aid / Pre-video / Intervention / Post-video / Rail + Cric workshop / Electrical Risks / “Gazelle” timed course / Flags and signaling circuit / Fire).

A warm and studious atmosphere reigned under the mild spring sunshine offered for the occasion by the Principality of Monaco. Familiarising oneself with the new procedures and reworking what has been learned were the watchwords of the weekend. Founded 50 years ago by the President of the Automobile Club de Monaco, Me Michel Boéri, the Marshals Training Camp offers all the teams a couple of several workshops (First Aid / Pre-video / Intervention / Post-video / Rail + Jack Workshop / Electrical Risks / “Gazelle” timed course / Flags and signaling circuit / Fire).

The objective is to test the reflexes, physical and reasoning skills of each candidate. Accustomed each year to the famous fire intervention and extraction of the driver, the Commissaires were able to rework the right gestures to gain in efficiency and control, with the precious and efficient advice of the Monaco Fire Brigade.

This spectacular workshop, which has been part of the course programme for the past 15 years, underlines the importance of working on fire control and driver evacuation procedures in a very short time. In May, our Commissaires will in particular be subjected to the control of fire resulting from methanol, a fuel present in the petrol of certain Historic Grand Prix cars and invisible to the naked eye. The use of specific extinguishers is therefore required.

What’s new in 2022?

The Marshals have been given theoretical and practical training on the electrical risks involved with single-seaters in Formula 1 and Formula E. In order to get as close as possible to the conditions they will be confronted with during the race, LED lights have been installed on one of the test cars. The aim here is to reproduce the colour system (green/red/blue) used on the single-seaters, which informs the intervention personnel about the danger or otherwise of the electrical risk in the event of a problem.

Another novelty this year: the installation of a new plate, with the aim of simulating as well as possible an extraction of the car on track by the flat bottom.

Finally, it should be noted that the entire course is now computerised by a team of developers from the Corps of Marshals, in order to have a complete overview of each workshop (accounting and assessment of the volunteers on each post).

Handling the flags

On Sunday, the last highlight of the weekend was the flag handling under the Chapiteau de Fontvieille. In this workshop, different race scenarios are studied in order to work specifically on the application of the rules of signalling on the track. rules on the track.

In figures

In 2022, the Automobile Club de Monaco’s Corps of Marshals will mobilise nearly 650 people on each of the three circuit events. Among them, there will be 72 new candidates, 52 technical stewards and nearly a hundred people in charge of the management.

See you on April 12 for the General Meeting organised at the Espace Léo Ferré, then on the weekend of April 23 & 24 for the handover of equipment, one week before the 5th Monaco E-Prix (April 30).

How to become Marshal?

All the conditions for applying are specified in the following document:

https://acm.mc/corps-des-commissaires-2/devenir-commissaire-de-lacm/

Registration for the 2023 track events will begin on Monday 05 September 2022.

For further information, please contact the Secretariat of the Corps of Marshals by phone at (+377) 93 15 26 16

Since February 25th, the Principality’s nights have been punctuated by the repair of the asphalt on the roads used by the Monaco Circuit.

In 2022, many sectors are concerned : Pitlane, Avenue d’Ostende, Boulevard Albert 1er, Avenue des Spélugues, Tunnel Louis II, Darse Nord / Route de la Piscine, Rascasse and Antony Noghès Corners.

In total, almost 2/3 of the circuit will be equipped with new asphalt. In figures, this represents more than 2754 tonnes of asphalt laid.

The objective is to give a new tarmac to the streets and the track, to offer a surface in line with international standards, with the particular challenge to use roads exposed to the Principality’s traffic all year round.

At least 2 nights are necessary per sector. Carried out by teams from the Direction de l’Urbanisme and SIVIA’M, the work is divided into 2 phases: planning of the upper part of the asphalt, and application of the new asphalt the following night.

This work is necessary in order to be in time for the Spring events (Monaco E-Prix, Grand Prix de Monaco Historique, F1 Grand Prix de Monaco). End of the work scheduled for March 16^th.

Let’s have a look on the pictures of the asphalt repair work on the Monaco Circuit.

Copyrights : Direction de la Communication – Michael Alesi

Contact : +377 97 77 95 70 – [email protected] 

Contact :  +377 97 77 30 14 – [email protected]

In the context of the 5th Monaco E-Prix (30 April 2022), 13th Monaco Historic Grand Prix (13 to 15 May 2022) and 79th Monaco Grand Prix (26 to 29 May 2022), the Automobile Club de Monaco would like to inform you of the Opening of the “Resident Access” Office, located in Square Gastaud, from Monday 7 March 2022.
The office will be open to residents, companies and VTCs from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm, for the issue of passes only.

Registrations must be made in advance on the dedicated website: https://riverains.acm.mc/

Contact : +377 97 77 95 70 – [email protected]

For specific “Boat Access” requests, documents will be issued directly at the SEPM (Société d’Exploitation des Ports de Monaco), located at 30, Quai l’Hirondelle, from 25 April to 29 May, from 9am to 1pm and from 2pm to 5pm.

Contact : +377 97 77 30 14 – [email protected]

Zane Maloney, a native of Barbados, won Race 2 of the Regional Formula by Alpine at noon on Sunday, starting in pole position and leading from start to finish a race interrupted several times by red or yellow flags. The first major incident was a pile-up a few seconds after the start, at the beginning of Lap 1, when all 28 cars went up towards the Casino. The red flags came out and all drivers went back to the pits. Maloney, whose model in life is Lewis Hamilton, of Grenada’s origins, another island in the Caribbean, was the British F4 champion in 2019 and is the next British motor racing hopeful, just like Lando Norris and George Russell before him.

Maloney finished ahead of a couple of French drivers: Isack Hadjar, 16, a member of the FFSA Academy and winner of Race 1 on Saturday, who put pressure on him throughout the race and finished only half a second behind him, with best lap as a bonus; and Hadrien David, who perfectly managed his start on the second row of the grid and contained the assaults of Paul Aron until the Estonian, 2nd of the series before Monaco and closely followed by Mercedes, hit the barriers at Sainte-Dévote and had to retire.

Defending Porsche Supercup champion Larry ten Voorde left it to no other driver to open, in style, the 2021 edition of this very spectacular series, this morning in the streets of the Principality. Starting from pole position, the Dutchman won without knowing the slightest concern, ahead of New Zealander Jaxon Evans, a talented member of the Porsche Junior Team, and Frenchman Dorian Boccolacci, an ex-Formula 2 driver, who completed the podium of his very first Supercup race.

This race was interrupted a few seconds after the start by a red flag following a big pile-up between Sainte-Dévote and the Casino, which forced the marshals of the ACM to do, once again, a big job of evacuation of the most damaged car, then sweeping debris on the track, while adding special sawdust to the traces of oil. After a handful of minutes, the race started again and the logic of qualifying on Friday morning was respected, until the end, with the top 3 qualifyers on the podium and three French drivers in the Top 10: Boccolacci, Florian Latorre (5th) and Steven Palette (10th).

There will be 8 Supercup rounds again this year, still raising the curtain on F1, and still in Europe. The Porsche Supercup was created in 1993 and was then ruled by Jost Capito, who went on to rally, as Ford’s big boss in the WRC, and who is now the new Williams F1 Team Principal.

Liam Lawson (Hitech GP) has been disqualified four hours after winning Race 2 on the Formula 2 schedule, early Saturday morning, and Briton Dan Ticktum (Carlin) has been declared the winner, ahead of Australian Oscar Piastri (Prema), Estonia’s Juri Vips (Hitech GP) and Frenchman Théo Pourchaire (ART GP) who will start from pole position at the end of the afternoon (5.15pm) for Race 3.

« A defined throttle pedal progressivity map programmed in position 1 of the steering wheel throttle map rotary knob must be used during all formation lap starts and race starts until the car speed reaches 50 km/h. Car 07 used a different throttle map at the race start » : this is the official explanation given by the Race Direction after examining all the data of Lawson’s car.

Ticktum is the most experienced of the F2 drivers, entered in his 4th F2 season. He never managed to pass Lawson but finished ahead of Piastri who then managed to resist the assaults of Vips until the end of the race. Pourchaire had not even tried to resist Vips, preferring instead to continue accumulating experience in preparation for the Main Race, late Saturday afternoon.

China’s Guanyu Zhou (Uni-Virtuosi), the leader of the championship when arriving in Monaco, made history by winning Race 1 on Friday. He therefore started 10th (inverted grid) equipped with rain tyres, just like all of his comrades, because the track was wet. He then made a daring bet by switching on super-soft tires shortly before half-race, on a track which was gradually drying out. But a failed bet, so he returned to the pit to put on some wet tires again and then wisely decided to give up, with no hope of taking any points.

Race 3 is scheduled for Saturday afternoon, at 5:15 pm, for 40 laps. A Frenchman will start on pole position, Théo Pourchaire, and he will do everything he can to succeed the late Anthoine Hubert on the winners list.