Formula 1 returns to glitz and glamour of Monte Carlo for the 2014 Monaco Grand Prix and Sky Sports F1 will be the only place to see one of motorsport’s most eagerly anticipated occasions.
Glamorous, thrilling and unlike any other race on the calendar, the Monaco Grand Prix is truly a race apart and this year also has the potential to be one of the season’s most fascinating as the season reaches the sixth round.
Set around the harbour in the principality, the world’s rich and famous have docked their yachts for what is a week-long event and the only race where bars spill out onto the circuit with tables and chairs in the evening.
Former world champion Nelson Piquet once claimed that winning the Monaco Grand Prix was worth two victories anywhere else and the principality’s streets provide one of the most challenging and dangerous circuits in F1.
Such is its prestige, many consider the race to form part of an unofficial triple crown alongside the Indy 500 and the Le Mans 24-Hour, with Graham Hill remaining the only driver to have achieved this feat.
Nico Rosberg took the chequered flag at last year’s race, with the German leading from start to finish in an incident-packed race that saw a red-flag waved following a collision between Pastor Maldonado and Max Chilton, and the safety car making two appearances.
The Mercedes driver will be hoping for more success in 2014 with his team having made a flying start to the season.
So far this year, Mercedes has proved to be the dominant team with its car in the hands of Rosber and current championship leader Lewis Hamilton outstripping its rivals by a margin in terms of outright pace.
In Monaco, however, that advantage could be reduced with the circuit featuring the lowest average speed of the season, which is likely to level the power playing field and give some competitiveness back to the Silver Arrows’ rivals.
Their ability to take the fight to Mercedes will rest to some degree on their ability to meet the circuit’s need for high downforce and the teams will therefore bring one-off developments to this race in a bid to obtain maximum grip for a quicker lap time.
Monaco’s bumpy streets makes car set-up tricky and cooling could be another point of interest, with heat having been an issue at several races this season and Monaco may offer little respite, with cooling opportunities hard to come by on the tight streets of the Principality.
These are just some of the variables at play this weekend. Add in how the new power units respond to the low-speed nature of the track, the closeness of the barriers and the risk of costly driver error and this year’s Monaco Grand Prix could turn out to be one of the most unpredictable for some time.
Follow all the action from the sixth round of the 2014 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season live on Sky Sports F1, or by watching extended free-to-air highlights of qualifying and the race on BBC One.
SOTB’s viewing guide to the 2014 F1 Monaco Grand Prix below:
OFFICIAL F1 WEBSITE TRACK GUIDE LIVE TIMING
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FORMULA 1 2014 ON SKY SPORTS F1 HD
The 65th Formula 1 season continues with the Monaco Grand Prix on the streets of Monte Carlo and Sky Sports F1 is the only place to see all the action as it happens at arguably the most famous race of them all.
The race will be shown live and uninterrupted on Sunday afternoon, along with the qualifying and practice sessions, with the latter being held on Thursday as is the tradition in Monaco.
Simon Lazenby will anchor Sky Sports F1′s live coverage throughout the weekend where he will be joined by regulars Damon Hill, Martin Brundle and Johnny Herbert.
Ted Kravitz and Natalie Pinkham will provide the latest news and reports and from the pit lane, while commentary on all sessions comes from David Croft.
Martin Brundle will join Croft in the commentary box for both qualifying and the race, with Anthony Davidson calling the practice sessions, as well as providing his unique insights via the Sky Pad during the weekend.
As it is Monaco, there will be two special editions of The F1 Show live from the pits which build up to the race weekend on Thursday and Friday evenings, hosted by Simon Lazenby and Natalie Pinkham.
During the race, a host of interactive additions, including on-board cameras, pit-lane feeds, the latest race stats and much more available via the red button and the Sky Sports for iPad app.
For those who won’t be at home, every second of the action can be seen via computers, laptops, mobiles and tablet devices on Sky Go.
Further information, news and video content can be found at skysports.com/f1, and viewers are encouraged to interact with the live programmes via Twitter – @SkySportsF1, #SkyF1.
In addition, Sky Sports F1 will also screen the GP2 Series races in Monaco with the qualifying sessions and races live over the weekend. Commentary is led by Will Buxton.
Thursday 22nd May
Free Practice 1 – Start: 09:00
LIVE: 8.45am-11.00am Sky Sports F1
Free Practice 2 – Start: 13:00
LIVE: 12.45pm-3.00pm Sky Sports F1
The F1 Show
LIVE: 5.00pm-6.00pm Sky Sports F1Friday 23rd May The F1 Show – Monaco Special LIVE: 5.00pm-6.00pm Sky Sports F1 Saturday 24th May Practice 3 – Start: 10:00 LIVE: 9.45am-11.15am Sky Sports F1 Qualifying – Start: 13:00 LIVE: 12.00pm-2.45pm Sky Sports F1 Sunday 25th May Monaco Grand Prix LIVE – Race Start: 13:00 Track Parade: 11.30am-12.00pm Sky Sports F1 RACE LIVE: 12.00pm-3.30pm Sky Sports F1 Paddock Live: 3.30pm-4.15pm Sky Sports F1 Highlights: 6.00pm-7.00pm Sky Sports F1
The BBC will broadcast free-to-air TV highlights of the 2014 Monaco Grand Prix from Monte Carlo.
Suzi Perry presents all the action from the famous street circuit alongside regular analysts David Coulthard, Eddie Jordan and Allan McNish, who will all provide their unique take on proceedings from the pit lane and paddock.
Extended highlights of both qualifying and the race will be shown in primetime on BBC One over the weekend.
The qualifying session will be broadcast on BBC One on Saturday teatime at 5.25pm, followed by a 90-minute race highlights show on Sunday at 5.05pm.
Commentary on qualifying and the race comes from Ben Edwards and David Coulthard, with Tom Clarkson providing regular updates from the pit-lane while Lee McKenzie is on hand to conduct interviews with the drivers and team personnel.
McKenzie will also host Inside F1 on BBC News Channel on Friday and Saturday evenings, which will preview the weekend’s action.
The BBC Sport website will have live streaming of BBC TV’s broadcasts, as well as additional video content including highlights of practice sessions, qualifying and the race, plus interviews and analysis.
All of the BBC’s TV coverage will be available to view shortly after transmission on BBC iPlayer.
BBC Radio 5 Live will also have live audio commentary of every on-track session from Monte Carlo with James Allen and Jennie Gow.
Saturday 24th MayMonaco Grand Prix – Qualifying Highlights: 5.25pm-6.40pm BBC One Sunday 25th May Monaco Grand Prix – Race Highlights: 5.05pm-6.35pm BBC One
