In the E-Series (F1 single-seaters built between 1973 and 1976), dubbed the “Niki Lauda” race, England’s Stuart Hall, who started from pole position, triumphed with an all-white 1973 McLaren M23 carrying the Y of the Yardley cosmetics brand. In the end, he came out on top against two compatriots, very well-equipped like himself, Nicholas Padmore (Lotus 77) and Michael Lyons (McLaren M26, ex-James-Hunt). But he didn’t need to beat Marco Werner because the very experienced German, a three-time winner of Le Mans 24 Hours, was forced to retire in his Lotus 76 from the 1974 season (ex-Ronnie Peterson). This is already Stuart Hall’s 4^th win in the Principality, after the inaugural one in 2016 and two more in 2022. And it may not be the last, with two more F1 races scheduled for Sunday afternoon.

The D-Series race, sponsored by Sir Jackie Stewart (12 laps) was exclusive to F1 cars from the 1966 to 1972 seasons, equipped with naturally-aspirated 3-litre engines. Michael Lyons, who started from pole position, looked set to resume his winning ways in the Principality, at the wheel of a pretty 1971 Surtees TS9, but a mechanical problem at the Rascasse forced the Englishman to return to the pits, passing the lead to Katsuaki Kubota (Lotus 72). The 62-year-old Japanese driver, who had already won here in 2014, was very emotional after passing the finish line: “I think a lot about my father today, because he passed away at the end of April. He helped me a lot to become a driver“, said the winner before climbing onto the podium, like Ronnie Peterson in the same car, in Monaco, in 1973 (3^rd). He was joined on the podium by Britain’s Matthew Wrigley (March 721), who started on the second row, and ‘Mr John of B’, in a superb Matra MS120 with a V12 engine. A special mention goes to Adrian Newey, the brilliant engineer from Red Bull Racing, who finished a superb 4^th, just off the podium, in a red 1968 Lotus 49B built ten years after he was born. Time flies…

Five wins in Monaco. Just like the late Graham Hill, who lends his name to this B-Series at the 14^th Grand Prix de Monaco Historique, Andy Middlehurst has won again in the Principality. And this for the 5^th time: 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018 and now 2024, in a 1962 Lotus 25 which won several Grands Prix in the hands of the great Jim Clark. It’s a well-born single-seater whose record of achievements continues to grow. In this series reserved for F1 cars from the early 1960s, with 1500cc engines, Middlehurst, who started from pole position, had to hold off ‘Joe’ Colasacco, a winner here in 2004 and 2022, until the 10^th and final lap. Thanks to the qualities of his 1964 Ferrari 1512 (ex-John Surtees and Lorenzo Bandini), the American got off to an excellent start, jumped from the second row of the grid and then kept up the suspense right to the end, finishing only 7 tenths behind the winner. The podium was completed by another Briton, Mark Shaw, in another Lotus, ahead of the venerable Brabham BT7 of Lukas Halusa and the Cooper T71/73 of Christopher Drake. This did not look like a B-Series at all!

Sunday’s second race, in the “Louis Chiron” A1 Series, pitted pre-war Grand Prix cars and voiturettes, Starting from pole position after dominating free practice on Friday, Irishman Paddins Dowling did everything right to make his dream come true and pass the chequered flag in the same position: “It’s a privilege to drive here, in these cars, although I’m far less talented behind the wheel than the drivers who raced here, before the war“, reacted the happy and modest winner of the day, in a 1936 ERA R5B. A car that had belonged to Prince Bira, a gentleman driver of the past century. The now-defunct British firm even managed a one-two finish, with 2^nd place going to Canadian Brad Baker, in an ERA R10B that once belonged to Nick Mason, the former drummer of Pink Floyd. The princely podium was completed by England’s Michael Birch (Maserati 4CM), in the same order as on the starting grid.

The first win of the 14^th Grand Prix de Monaco Historique, Sunday morning in the A2-Series, went to Claudia Hürtgen, who had already won in 2022. In addition to a laurel wreath and an original “Antoine le Pilote” figurine representing Juan Manuel Fangio, the highly experienced German driver was welcome on the podium by Ruben Fangio, son of the five-time Argentine world champion.

It was a race for front-engined Grand Prix cars built before 1961, and at the wheel of her 1960 Ferrari 246 Dino, entered by Methusalem Racing, the former F3 and GT driver gave no chance or hope to the big guys following her. “I got off to a very good start and then focused on not making any mistake”, she explained. After nine laps, Claudia Hürtgen finished 20 seconds ahead of Marino Franchitti (brother of three-time Indy 500 winner Dario), in a Maserati 250F, and Anthony Wood (Tec-Mec). Belgian actor Stéphane de Groodt took an excellent 6^th place and the other female driver in the race, Niamh Wood, finished mid-table in 14^th place.

The line-up for this 14th Grand Prix de Monaco Historique is made up of extremely varied profile. There are, of course, the former professional drivers, those who entered some races in Formula 1, Endurance, IndyCar or other categories. And then there are the public figures, whom spectators have already seen in other circumstances. The versatile Stéphane de Groodt is one of them as he is rekindling an old passion this weekend by driving a 1958 Maserati 250F. Competing in the A2 Series named after Juan-Manuel Fangio, the Belgian actor, film-maker and comedian will be taking eighth place on Sunday’s grid.

Our second guest is not entered in any series, but took to the track to open the weekend in style, on Friday, in a Porsche 911 as part of a promotional operation. Patrick Dempsey is no stranger to the racetrack, having finished 2nd in the 24 Hours of Daytona in the GT category and 3rd in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LME GT Am category. The American actor swapped his Doctor Shepherd white coat for the steering wheel of the German beauty wearing the famous colours of TAG Heuer, partner of the event, for a few laps with Eddie Irvine in the passenger seat. “It’s just so great to see these cars you grew up watching, you’ve read about or you’ve seen in classic films to be out on the track”, enthused Patrick Dempsey on Saturday from the terrace of the fabulous Garage 1. “It’s a great way to honour the legacy.” There’s no doubt about it, on the Circuit de Monaco, they are not acting it, they are true passionate.

On Saturday, the Circuit de Monaco hosted a very special parade in honour of the great Brazilian champion. A spectacular line-up recalling the major stages that led him to his greatest successes, at the pinnacle of Formula 1. 

One go-kart and four single-seaters that have gone down in legend. What they all have in common is that they all passed through the hands of the master driver, Ayrton Senna. This parade in tribute to his career was made possible thanks to the work of teams from the Automobile Club de Monaco (ACM), in close liaison with the Instituto Ayrton Senna, Lotus Héritage and the McLaren Academy.

At the wheel of these machines from another era, renowned and up-and-coming drivers took to the track for a few laps, much to the delight of the many spectators who stayed in the grandstands at lunchtime so as not to miss a crumb of this exceptional spectacle. Young people were also involved in this tribute, as two members of the McLaren Drivers Academy, Gabriele Bortoleto and Cristina Gutiérrez, were invited to drive the Brazilian legend’s 1977 go-kart and a Formula Ford Van Diemen RF82.

Moved to tears, Eddie Irvine savoured every moment of his few minutes in the Ralt RT3 of the 1983 Macau Grand Prix. Then came the F1 years! Starting with the Toleman TG184 in which Ayrton Senna made his debut in the sport, driven by Stefan Johansson, while Thierry Boutsen flourished in the 1985 Lotus 97T in which Ayrton Senna won his first two Grands Prix, in Portugal and Belgium.

And how could you organise a parade in tribute to this ace driver without lining up a McLaren on the track? Wearing an evocative helmet in the colours of Brazil, Bruno Senna, the nephew with 46 F1 starts to his name, revved up the engine of this MP4/5B from 1990, at a time when Ayrton Senna shared the McLaren garage with Gerhard Berger. “It’s an incredible car, I had a lot of fun driving it, and with the noise of its Honda V10 engine, I think the spectators were very happy,” said Bruno Senna in the pits after the parade.

This commemorative moment was punctuated by the presence on the starting grid of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco. A souvenir photo taken for the occasion will live long in the memory. Other big names in the sport, such as Zak Brown and Monegasque Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, also attended this moment suspended in time.

In the “Gilles Villeneuve” F-Series, contested by F1 cars from 1977 to 1981, Michael Lyons once again put his Hesketh 308E through its paces, as he had done in free practice on Friday. With a time of 1:32.079, he got the better of his compatriots Miles Griffiths, in a yellow Fittipaldi, and Stephen Shanly, in a 1980 Tyrrell 010 entered by the French AGS Racing team. It was a 1-2-3 for British drivers, ahead of an excellent Jonathan Cochet in another Fittipaldi “100% made in Brazil”. That means two pole position starts on Sunday for Michael Lyons, as well as Stuart Hall, who also doubled up in the G-Series.

This G-Series carries the “Ayrton Senna” label throughout the weekend, with single-seaters built between 1981 and 1985, all powered by naturally-aspirated 3-litre engines. As a supreme privilege, these 28 cars can stay permanently in the F1 pits all weekend long. And just like Saturday morning, Stuart Hall made his presence felt in a March 821. With a time of 1:30.762, he pushed Marco Werner (Lotus 87B) one second and a half back, and Michael Lyons (Lotus 92) almost two seconds back. He too will start from pole position twice on Sunday.

Saturday also saw a number of F1 stars visit the paddock, starting with Charles Leclerc, the driver from Monaco, and Lando Norris, who won his first F1 Grand Prix in Miami last Sunday in a McLaren. On Friday, Fernando Alonso was spotted on Quai Antoine 1er, visiting his former boss at McLaren, Zak Brown, entered in a Williams FW07 of the F-Series. Other famous Monegasque residents may be there on Sunday, as F1 takes a break this weekend. One thing is for sure: there will be 8 top-class races between 8am and 6pm, in glorious sunshine.

The C-Series of the 14^th Grand Prix de Monaco Historique is the only one devoted to two-seater sports cars, provided they have a front engine and were built between 1952 and 1957.

There were 38 competitors at the start on Friday, and it was hard to make any predictions about pole position or the race, given the strength of the field: a dozen Maseratis, several Ferraris, Jaguars, Aston Martins and Lotuses, as well as Listers, Frazer-Nashes and Connaughts, a Kieft, an Osca and an Allard. Brands that have now disappeared, but that are still very much alive in the Principality, every two years. They are all in a perfect state of preservation, because their owners, mostly gentlemen drivers, are deeply in love with them, and ready to make any sacrifice to give them eternal youth.

There was a short break in the session, after 7 minutes, then the dance resumed and the match between Italy and Great Britain was won by the British Belles: Fréderic Wakeman’s Cooper-Jaguar T38, who broke the 2-minute per lap barrier (1:59.770), will be on pole position on Sunday, same as in 2022, with the superb Jaguar D-Type of Austrian Niklas Halusa on his side. Behind them, in the hunt for a podium or more, will be the Maserati 250S of Richard Wilson and the Lotus MKX of Max Smith-Hilliard.

The end of Saturday morning was rather noisy in the streets of the Principality, with the “Jackie Stewart” D-Series and the “Niki Lauda” E-Series, contested by F1 cars from the 1966 to 1972, then 1973 to 1976 seasons. These are perfectly preserved single-seaters, equipped with 3-litre engines that are particularly pleasing to nostalgic fans, because they make a lot of noise. One of the favourites was the insatiable Michael Lyons, entered in all four series of the most recent cars. In the D-Series, the Englishman posted a very fast lap (1:34.006) in a 1971 Surtees TS9. This was enough to relegate his main rival, Japan’s Katsuaki Kubota (Lotus 72), to one and a half second, just ahead of another Briton, Matthew Wrigley (March 721), in 3rd place. In a slightly older Lotus, a 49B in superb red livery, dating back to 1968, Adrian Newey, Red Bull Racing’s star engineer, took an excellent 8th place.

At the end of this session, interrupted by a red flag with a minute to go, Lyons jumped into the seat of a McLaren M26 (ex-James Hunt) in famous red and white livery. But another car from Woking, a 1973 M23 driven by Stuart Hall in the colours of Yardley cosmetics, dominated this E-Series qualifier. In the end, it topped the Automobile Club de Monaco (ACM) results sheet with a time of 1:31.629. Enough to start from pole position on Sunday, with Nicholas Padmore’s Lotus 77 alongside him. On the second row, there will be another Lotus, the 76 from the 1974 season (ex-Ronnie Peterson), driven by Marco Werner, and the M26 of Lyons, who then took the time to rest a little. He will be back in the afternoon for qualifying in Series F and G. As for local hero Frédéric Lajoux (Surtees TS19), an excellent driver turned honourable family man, he took an excellent 8th place on the grid.