Emerson Fittipaldi gives his Monaco GP Mount Rushmore featuring Senna, Schumacher and more

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With the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend, VegasInsider talked to F1 great Emerson Fittipaldi who talked about the glamour of the race and also gave us his Mount Rushmore of drivers of the Monaco GP.

Here’s a summary of what he had to say:

Monaco GP Mount Rushmore

“It’s difficult after so many years of racing in Monaco, but for sure Ayrton. He won so many times.”

“He always was very aggressive and determined with his driving. Monaco was his style.”

“I’d say another one who was very impressive was Graham Hill who by some reason always adapted himself to Monaco. He won the GP five times.”

“In my time, who I raced with, it was impressive to see Jackie Stewart drive in Monaco. For sure.”

“Niki was very good in Monaco too.”

“Then of course, the Schumacher era. He was very good. He won five times there. Very impressive.”

The glamour of Monaco is unmatched – I remember meeting Grace Kelly there in 1971

“I think the history of Monaco, the place of choice for jet-setting people, very international, the yachts, the marina, the royal family, they all give the glamour to Monaco.”

“I remember the first time I went there, when Prince Rainier III and Grace Kelly were Monaco, and I on a Saturday night they invited me to the castle, after qualifying for the first time in 1971.”

“There were cocktails for the drivers, for the sponsors, for the people involved in racing. 

“And then I remember talking to international people from all the world, famous people, glamorous people and then there was a big silence in the room. Everyone stopped talking and started looking – the whole hall, you could hear a fly – and the reason was that Grace Kelly walked in.”

“For us as racing drivers, it’s a lot of work in a good sense. You cannot walk, people ask, there’s a lot of demand.”

“But, it’s very glamorous. Monaco is unique in the world for sure.”

“I met so many celebrities in Monaco. For a few years, David Niven was in my pits. He was a true British gentleman. Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Lauren, Brigitte Bardot. I was a young guy at that time racing, and I went ‘my god, I’m in Monaco’.”

The race is getting less exciting because of the cars getting longer and bigger

“I think it is difficult to supersede Monaco because it has the charm and glamour of the marina, the yachts. People fly from all over the world to be there. Italian fans and the tifosi are there.”

“Monaco will always stay a part of F1 but it’s getting less exciting because qualifying is 95 percent of the result.”

“The cars are so long now and so big. And not just that but you only have one flying lap on the tires.” 

“Supposing I was driving in Formula 1 right now and I finish my flying lap and did my time, for sure I will go slower back to the pits. And then where do I put the car if someone wants to overtake me, coming faster on the qualifying lap.”

“I think there will be a lot of strange, critical situations in qualifying that can help or can damage people’s fast times. It could be luck, you know, to get a completely clear lap because you have no place to put your car if you’re slow and have to make space for the other guy. Nearly impossible.”

 

Thanks again to VegasInsider. You can find a link to the article here.

Adam Sinclair
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