The Best Racers On The Rock
The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the most storied races in the history of Formula One. Held annually in late May or early June, the Monaco Grand Prix has been won by many racers throughout its 81-year history, but only a select few racers have won multiple Monaco Grand Prix. Let's go over some of the greatest drivers on one of F1's most challenging tracks.
The History Of The Monaco Grand Prix
Beginning in 1929, the Monaco Grand Prix was conceived by Antony Noghés under the direction of Prince Louis II of Monaco, who at the time was the President of Automobile Club de Monaco. This was done as part of ACM's bid to be upgraded to an automobile club with national status. This meant creating a race that was challenging and could draw in the crowds.
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The Legendary Louis Chiron
Louis Chiron was a Monégasque driver who is widely considered one of the greatest in the world. With a racing career that began in 1923 and lasted until the 1950s, he was one of the principal drivers (literally and figuratively) behind the Monaco Grand Prix.
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Louis Chiron (Cont'd)
Louis Chiron is the oldest driver to enter a Formula One race, having entered the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix at the age of 58, and was the oldest driver to have started a Formula One at the 1955 Monaco Grand Prix. Chiron was forever immortalized by Bugatti, who named their 2016 Bugatti Chiron after him—an homage to his impact on motorsport.
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The Course At Monaco
With a total track length of 2,074 miles, the Monaco Grand Prix is the only track in Formula One that doesn't adhere to the 190-mile minimum race distance for F1 races. Held on the narrow streets of Monaco over 78 laps, the course is among the most prestigious of the most difficult courses in the sport.
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The First Grand Prix Is Held
The first ever Monaco Grand Prix was held on April 14, 1929 and was won by British racing driver William Grover-Williams. Unfortunately for Monaco, the race's champion, Louis Chiron, had already agreed to participate in the Indianapolis 500. Although Maserati and Alfa Romeo didn't send their drivers, Bugatti and Mercedes sent drivers and cars to the new race.
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A Strange Competitor
One of the strangest occurrences of this brand-new race happened right before the start, when a strange entrant racing under the pseudonym "Georges Philippe" pulled up at the start line. Racing in a Bugatti Type 35B, the competitor was none other than Georges Philippe de Rothschild—that's right, from the Rothschild banking family.
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The Success Of The First Race
Despite Maserati and Alfa Romeo pulling out of the race and poster child Louis Chiron unable to make it, the race drew 16 racers and a grand prize of 100,000 francs. In beautifully dry weather, covering 100 laps of 197 miles per-lap, Monaco's crowds turned out in the hundreds. The first race went smoothly and the Monaco Grand Prix was born.
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The Multi-Time Winners Of Monaco
As one of the most important races in the entire F1 calendar, winning the Monaco Grand Prix is a pretty big deal. Until 2024, Louis Chiron had been the only Monagésque driver to win the event—but Charles Leclerc's 2024 victory entered his name into the history books. There have only been 17 repeat winners of the Monaco Grand Prix. Let's explore who they are, and some of their most famous wins.
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Two-Time Winners
The following racers have all been victorious in Monaco twice. The most recent win was in 2023, when Max Verstappen claimed his second Monaco Grand Prix victory.
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Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen is a Dutch-Belgian racing driver who won four Formula One Driver's Championships consecutively, between 2021 and 2024, when racing with Red Bull. Verstappen has won 63 Grand Prix races across his 10 seasons behind the wheel. Beginning kart racing at the age of 13, Verstappen quickly established himself and would sign with Red Bull at F1 in 2015, aged only 17. He was the youngest professional driver in racing history.
Max Verstappen At Monaco
It didn't take long for Max Verstappen to win his first Monaco Grand Prix. As part of that historic run from 2021 to 2024, winning four F1 Driver's Championships in a row, Verstappen would win the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix with a time of 1:38:56. In 2023, Verstappen repeated the feat, covering 78 laps 10 seconds slower, at 1:48:51.
Sebastien Vettel
Competing for 16 seasons at the pinnacle of the sport, German racing driver Sebastien Vettel dominated much of the 2010s, but began his career in kart racing at just eight years old. He would win 53 Grand Prix across 16 seasons in F1, making his debut at the 2007 US Grand Prix at the age of 20. Vettel retired in 2022 with the third-most podium finishes in F1 history, finishing on the podium a stunning 122 times.
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Sebastien Vettel At Monaco
Like Verstappen, it didn't take long for Vettel to win the Monaco Grand Prix. Just four years after his debut in the US, Vettel would achieve victory at the Monaco Grand Prix in 2011, finishing the 78 laps in 2:09:38. His next victory would come in 2017, when he completed another rout at Monaco, finishing in 1:44:44.
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Mark Webber
One of few F1 drivers from outside of Europe, Australian Mark Webber only competed for 12 seasons in F1, racing from 2002 to 2013. Like other drivers, Webber came from a karting background that began when he was 12. Webber made his F1 debut in 2002 at the age of 26. Winning nine titles across 12 seasons, he's Australia's most famous and most accomplished racing driver.
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Mark Webber At Monaco
One year before Sebastien Vettel had conquered Monégasque roads, it was Australian Mark Webber's turn in 2010. Although Mark Webber emerged victorious in Monaco, he didn't enter the race as a favorite. Racing for Red Bull-Renault, Webber finished the 2010 Monaco Grand Prix in just 1:50.13. Webber would repeat the feat in 2012 in 1:46.06.
Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso was the first Spanish winner of the Monaco Grand Prix and is one of the most successful Spanish racing drivers to ever hit the tarmac. He began kart racing at the age of three and and won regional and national karting titles throughout his youth and teenage years. Alonso won his first championship in F1 at 2003 and was the youngest race winner in F1 history at the Hungarian Grand Prix that year.
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Fernando Alonso At Monaco
2006 and 2007 were huge years for Fernando Alonso. He would win consecutive titles at Monaco. Looking to build on podium finishes in three of the previous six races, Alonso would win the 2006 title in 1:43.43. In 2007, Alonso would beat out Mercedes-McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton to win in 1:40.29, just four seconds ahead of Hamilton.
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David Coulthard
David Coulthard was one of the most successful British drivers of the early 2000s. Born and raised in Scotland, Coulthard began kart racing when he was 11-years-old, he began his Formula One career in 1994, racing with British team Williams Racing at the age of 25. Coulthard won 13 Grand Prixs across 15 seasons, before retiring in 2008.
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David Coulthard At Monaco
His first race at Monaco was in 1996 in wet conditions, finishing second overall. It would take until the early 2000s before Coulthard would find a first-placed finish at Monaco, as he would win the 2000 Monaco Grand Prix in 1:49:28, 15 seconds ahead of Brazilian Rubens Barrichello. The Brit would win again in 2002, winning in 1:45:39.
Jody Scheckter
The only South African racing driver to win the Monaco Grand Prix and the last active South African racing driver in Formula One. Jody Scheckter began his career in 1972 after moving from South Africa to the United Kingdom. His early career's racing style had him labelled as "fast but borderline reckless". That style seemed to serve him well, as he won the Swedish Grand Prix in 1974.
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Jody Scheckter At Monaco
Three years later, the South African racer would win at Monaco in 1977, winning the race in 1:57:52, beating out one of Formula One's greatest racers, Niki Lauda, by less than a second. In 1979, Scheckter would win again, with a time of 1:55:52.
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Niki Lauda
Niki Lauda is one of the most famous Formula One drivers ever, most commonly known for his tense rivalry with British driver James Hunt. Beginning his career in his early teens and taking his career full-time in 1972, debuting with a podium finish for Ferrari, Lauda won the Spanish Grand Prix just three races later. He was seriously injured in the 1976 German Grand Prix, suffering severe burns.
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Niki Lauda At Monaco
Niki Lauda would win his maiden Monaco Grand Prix title in 1975, leading for almost the entire race. He won with a time of 2:01:21, giving Ferrari its first win at Monaco in 20 years. During his rivalry with Hunt in 1976, Lauda would win the 1976 Monaco Grand Prix with a time of 1:59:51.
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Maurice Trintignant
Maurice Trintignant was a French racer active from 1950 to 1964, winning two Grand Prix across 15 seasons of competition. He also won the 24 Hours At Le Mans race with Ferrari in 1954. Beginning his racing career at the age of 19, he won the 1939 Grand Prix des Frontières, before racing in France was interrupted by World War II. During the war, Maurice's Bugatti car was stored in a barn for the entirety of the conflict.
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Maurice Trintignant At Monaco
Maurice Trintignant was one of the first French victors of the Monaco Grand Prix and was one of the first victors of the Grand Prix in post-war Europe. Winning the first title in 1955 in 2:58:09. He would win his second title three years later at the 1958 Grand Prix, finishing with a time of 2:52:27.
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Juan Manuel Fangio
Known as "El Maestro" to his compatriots and fellow racers, Juan Manuel Fangio was an Argentine Formula One racer active between 1950 and 1958. He won five Formula One World Championships and is the only Argentine racer to have won the World Driver's Championship and the Argentine Grand Prix. He also holds the highest win percentage in F1—winning 46.15% of his races, or 24 out of the 52 he entered during his career.
Juan Manuel Fangio At Monaco
The only Argentine to ever win the Monaco Grand Prix, Fangio claimed his first victory in 1950 as part of the Alfa Romeo team, with Ferrari's first-ever race in Formula One netting them a second-placed finish with driver Alberto Ascari. Fangio finished the 1950 Monaco Grand Prix in 3:13:18. He would wait seven years for his next Grand Prix, winning that in 3:10:12.
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Three-Time Winners
The following racers have all won the Monaco Grand Prix three times, with Stirling Moss of Britain being the first racer to win a trifecta of races when he claimed the titles consecutively in 1960 and 1961.
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Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton is one of Britain's greatest racing drivers in the 21st century and one of the greatest racers of all time. Beginning in racing as a teenager, Hamilton now holds seven World Formula One titles (tied with the great Michael Schumacher) and holds records for the most wins, podium finishes, and pole positions.
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Lewis Hamilton At Monaco
Despite only starting his F1 career the year before, Hamilton would win the 2008 Monaco Grand Prix, finishing in just over 2 hours, three seconds ahead of Robert Kubica of Poland. His next two titles would come in 2016, finishing in 1:59:29 and finally in 2019, when he emerged victorious with a time of 1:43:28.
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Nico Rosberg
Nico Rosberg is a German racing driver who competed in Formula One for 10 years, between 2006 and 2016. He began competitive kart racing at just six, before moving onto car racing as a teenager. He made his F1 debut at 21 in 2006. His father, Keke Rosberg, also races in Formula One.
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Nico Rosberg At Monaco
In the early to mid-2010s, Nico Rosberg dominated the Monaco Grand Prix. Whether it was his favorite course or not, we don't know, but he won the Grand Prix in 2013, just as his father done in 1983. He then followed that up with wins in 2014 and 2015, one year before his retirement from the sport.
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Jackie Stewart
Jackie "The Flying Scot" Stewart is a British racing legend. Winning three titles in his nine seasons in the sport in the 1960s, he also almost won the Indianapolis 500 on his first try in 1966.
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Jackie Stewart At Monaco
In the same year that he missed out on the Indianapolis 500 title, Stewart would win the Monaco Grand Prix, before following that up with wins in 1971 and 1973, much to the chagrin of chief British rival, Graham Hill.
Stirling Moss
Stirling Moss may have been one of the most seasoned veteran racers in all motorsport. Competing in 212 official races across the sport and around the world, he first got his start in equestrian. He used his winnings to buy a race car and never looked back.
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Stirling Moss At Monaco
Stirling Moss is the final entrant on our three-peat list, winning the Monaco Grand Prix in 1956, 1960, and 1961. The year before his first Monaco win, he'd humiliatingly finish runner-up in the British Grand Prix to Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio.
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Four-Time Winner: Alain Prost
The only person to win the Monaco Grand Prix four times is Frenchman Alain Prost. A darling of French racing throughout the 1980s, Prost was one of the best in the world. He won the Monaco Grand Prix for three consecutive years between 1984 and 1987, bowing out the 1987 Grand Prix due to engine failure with only three laps to go. He would win the race again in 1988.
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Five-Time Winners
Only two racers have won the Monaco Grand Prix five times and they're from completely different eras. One, a Brit from the 1960s. The other, one of the greatest German F1 racers in history.
Graham Hill
Graham Hill was the chief rival of Jackie Stewart and Stirling Moss in British racing throughout the 1960s and one of the world's greatest-ever racers. Hill not only excelled in Formula One, he also won the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, making him the first (and only) person to win the Triple Crown Of Motorsport.
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Graham Hill At Monaco
Graham's first appearance was on the losing end at the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix, but just five years later, Graham would win the 1963 Grand Prix before winning five more titles between 1963 and 1969, missing out only in 1966 to Jackie Stewart.
Michael Schumacher
Is Michael Schumacher the greatest Formula One driver of all time? He's certainly up there. Beginning in 1991 through 2006, then again between 2010 and 2012, Schumacher and Ferrari dominated the late 1990s and early 2000s, winning seven Championship Titles and putting a struggling Ferrari team back on the podium. Schumacher retired in 2012.
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Michael Schumacher At Monaco
Part of his reinvigorating of Ferrari began with the 1994 victory at the Monaco Grand Prix, before winning the 1995, 1997, 1999, and 2001 Grand Prix on his way to world-beating superstardom at Formula One.
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The Tragic Six-Time Champion Of Monaco
Only one racer has ever won the Monaco Grand Prix six times. His name is infamous across F1, as his passing was one of the most tragic in the history of motorsport.
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Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna was one of the greatest racing drivers of all time. The Brazilian dominated the late 1980s and early 1990s in Formula One, winning multiple Formula One championships and races. Debuting at the Brazilian Grand Prix in 1984, his first win was in the 1985 Portuguese Grand Prix. He never looked back.
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Ayrton Senna's Greatest MGP Performance
Ayrton Senna won the Monaco Grand Prix a record-setting six times. Winning first in 1987, before winning five races in five consecutive years between 1989 and 1994. He completely dominated the field throughout those years and was well on his way to becoming one of the greatest racers in the history of the sport when tragedy struck.
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The Tragic End At San Marino
At the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, Ayrton Senna was involved in a high-speed crash that ended his life. A high-speed corner of the event, known as Tamburello corner, is where Ayrton Senna's car left the track, travelling at 192 mph, and impacted an unprotected concrete barrier at 131 mph. It was all over in seconds and Senna was pronounced deceased at a local hospital after being removed from the car and airlifted from the track in the minutes following the collision. That weekend at San Marino saw some of the darkest days in Formula One history.
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