Diamond steering wheels, F1 footballers and lots of yachts – Monaco in pictures

Posted on

| Written by

The F1 paddock has arrived in Monaco
The F1 paddock has arrived in Monaco

What are the F1 teams and drivers getting up to in the run-up to the Monaco Grand Prix?

Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button collected diamond-encrusted helmets and steering wheels to use this weekend. And a host of F1 drivers including Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel joined in a charity football match.

Check out pictures from the build-up to the Monaco Grand Prix below.

2010 Monaco Grand Prix

Browse all 2010 Monaco Grand Prix articles

Images (C) Ferrari spa, Renault/LAT, www.mclaren.com, Getty Images/Red Bull, Force India F1 Team

Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

Got a potential story, tip or enquiry? Find out more about RaceFans and contact us here.

47 comments on “Diamond steering wheels, F1 footballers and lots of yachts – Monaco in pictures”

  1. SonyJunkie
    12th May 2010, 21:15

    Those diamonds on Lewis & Jensons steering wheels and helmets are just ridiculous!!

    Just shows that Monaco is only on the calendar for the money and not the racing!!

    Booooo!!!!

    1. S Hughes
      12th May 2010, 22:38

      Don’t be so po-faced. They do this every year and then the helmets are auctioned for charity.

      1. Mike
        13th May 2010, 4:12

        I agree they are a little ridiculous, but this is F1, and that’s how it is.

        I disagree about the Monoco bit though. 50 years of racing and counting!

        1. dsob
          14th May 2010, 7:27

          “50 years of racing and counting!”

          Well, more like 80 years, actually. The first Grand Prix held in Monte Carlo was in 1929. Was won by “W. Williams”, the alias used in driving by William Grover-Williams. He drove a Bugatti35B to beat Mercedes’ Rudolf Caracciolo to the checker. His Bugatti was painted green, in the shade later to be known as “British racing green”.

          If you’re ever passing through Surrey, stop by the Brookwood Memorial to pay homage to “W. Williams”–Grand Prix driver, SOE agent and British expatriate who died in the liberation of France in WW II.

    2. José Baudaier
      13th May 2010, 5:50

      Actually I consider the helmet very cool. If I had the money I’d definately buy one of them.

    3. SiY
      13th May 2010, 11:51

      Hamilton’s helmet, as shown there, isn’t his real Monaco lid: (1) the one he used this morning had a roulette wheel painted around the top and (2) it is, or is based on, an Arai SK5, a karting-spec helmet. The vents give it away. Button’s replica helmet does at least have HANS posts, but also looks like a plastic promotional job.

      Not sure about the steering wheels either – they don’t look hugely like McLaren’s normal wheels, but I stand open to correction on that one.

  2. matt88
    12th May 2010, 21:20

    Monaco has always been in the calendar for glamour and money, this is not a surprise. But it’s also where a driver can really prove to be a real driver. One mistake and you’re out, there aren’t any tarmac runoffs to save you.

  3. Becken
    12th May 2010, 21:58

    mmmm… interesting. Alonso is the Captain of the F1 team.

  4. Wesley
    12th May 2010, 22:01

    Monaco to me is like the Superbowl here in America…lots of bling and advertising with plenty of people there just to be seen.At least there are people who show up in Monaco that appreciate racing.Thats more than I can say for couple of other venues.

    @ matt88…is that avatar “The Dude”?

    1. matt88
      12th May 2010, 22:41

      yeah, i love coen brothers’ movies, especially “the big lebowski”. :)

  5. Bendana
    12th May 2010, 22:13

    The question no-one seems to be asking: what was the score in the football match?

    1. LookingSpiffy
      12th May 2010, 22:16

      The drivers won 4-2.

      1. Bendana
        12th May 2010, 22:17

        Cheers dude. Better than the other footy results this evening at least!

      2. BasCB
        13th May 2010, 8:10

        I also read Alonso scored 2 times in the match, with Vettel and Massa both scoring once to win the match.

        I suppose the superior fitness of these F1 drivers did the Monaco team in.

  6. sato113
    12th May 2010, 22:31

    i think having the monaco gp straight after another gp takes away the tension and excitement before it.

  7. fred schechter
    12th May 2010, 22:38

    Soo,, I guess Schumi doesn’t play in the charity footie match anymore?

    & yes Wesley, I get the same super bowl feeling about Monaco (even though it’s during our slightly beloved 500).

    Monaco, still my favorite f1 track, and can’t wait!!

    1. Profile Photo

      Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
      12th May 2010, 23:40

      After his motorbike accident he might be worried about picking up an injury. To be honest I’m surprised any of them are allowed to play given their contracts and insurance. It’s good that they are – but I bet the others are warned about rough tackles.

      1. Mike
        13th May 2010, 4:48

        I thought Schumi was getting pretty good, so it’s a shame i think ^^, but he has to look after himself now I guess

    2. mfDB
      13th May 2010, 3:53

      fred, for the first time in a long time, the 500 is not the same weekend as monaco…it’s May 30th instead

  8. Siv
    12th May 2010, 23:06

    Why do the McLaren boys have 08 and 09 on their helmets? Shouldn’t it be 01 and 02?

    1. matt88
      12th May 2010, 23:09

      it’s the year they won the championship, i suppose.

      1. Scribe
        12th May 2010, 23:18

        or the years they won at Monaco, OR SECRETLY BOTH!

      2. Glenn
        12th May 2010, 23:19

        also the years they won Monaco.

  9. Kapow32
    12th May 2010, 23:13

    the diamonds remind me…

    wasn’t there a car at monaco with a diamond imbedded in the nose that crashed and the diamond was never found? what year/car was that?

    1. Profile Photo

      Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
      12th May 2010, 23:35

      If memory serves me right it was Christian Klien’s Jaguar in 2004…

    2. Icthyes
      12th May 2010, 23:52

      Well remembered! It was Christian Klein’s Jaguar in 2004.

  10. Profile Photo

    Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
    12th May 2010, 23:39

    Comment from BeyondThePale moved here

  11. Bartholomew
    12th May 2010, 23:42

    Monaco looks like a over-developed mass of buildings crammed between the mountain and the ocean. Its the last place I would want to live in.
    I would rather live in Liverpool, even if I paid more in taxes, or in Ireland or the Isle Of Man.
    Cheers !

    1. Woffin
      13th May 2010, 1:35

      Good man! Quite a good place to live as well, there’s apparently going to be a street demonstration and F1 display in Liverpool soon.

  12. schooner
    12th May 2010, 23:51

    Monaco may not be the best F1 event in terms of pure racing, but it’s ALWAYS fun to watch. The vibe, and the sights and sounds there are unlike any other venue.

  13. Rob Gallagher
    13th May 2010, 0:44

    While Monaco may offer little overtaking if any at all it does bring with it the toughest test of the year for the drivers. It also has the ‘glamour’, history and prestige of being the track drivers most want to win and thats including their home GPs.

    Question… Who were thr drivers playing against?

    1. BasCB
      13th May 2010, 8:12

      I think they were playing against a team put up by the prince of Monaco. It probalby had some (retired) pro football players in it.

  14. wasiF1
    13th May 2010, 2:51

    Kimi Raikkonen was suppose to attend the Monaco GP, is he there or will he attend??.

    1. KNF
      13th May 2010, 3:43

      More importantly, who’s hosting him and do they have Coke, Magnums and a pimp yacht?

      I’m thinking if he shows up, he’s going to be seen hanging around RBR and their Energy Centre, rather than Ferrari or McLaren…

    2. IDR
      13th May 2010, 6:42

      Look for a Gorilla dress and you will find him!!!

      1. BasCB
        13th May 2010, 8:13

        Riding in on his power boat!

  15. Richard in Hong Kong
    13th May 2010, 3:27

    Hey Keith,

    How come whenever you mention Lewis Hamilton his name is linked to your excellent bios and pictures of him, but Jenson Button never gets the same?

    Cheers!

    1. Profile Photo

      Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
      13th May 2010, 8:18

      The links to all the driver profiles are at the bottom of the page. Sometimes they’re added in the articles as well but it’s not done for every mention of every driver in every article because the sheer number of links would be distracting. Here’s an example of an article that has links to lots of driver profiles:

      http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2010/05/11/hamilton-denies-webber-a-perfect-result-spanish-grand-prix-facts-and-stats/

  16. W-K
    13th May 2010, 3:45

    A video of the Rascasse corner on Wednesday, provided by the New York Times.

    http://formulaone.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/12/arriving-in-the-monacos-work-in-progress/

    1. dsob
      14th May 2010, 7:48

      Imagine. All those cars on Rascasse and nary a red Ferrari parked anywhere. :)

      Seriously, though, this may be of interest to some http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXha6Pr-ZQY&feature=player_embedded

      Moss winning in ’61

  17. J
    13th May 2010, 6:52

    I always look forward to the Monaco race. I love the bling!

  18. Nixon
    13th May 2010, 8:19

    Great pictures Kieth, although i would have enjoyed it more if you put some information on the soccer match.

    1. Profile Photo

      Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
      13th May 2010, 8:28

      Hey it’s bad enough to have pictures of football on the site, I’m not writing about it as well :-)

      1. dsob
        14th May 2010, 7:34

        “Your comment was a bit too short. Please go back and try again.”

        This was the original:

        roflmao :)

    2. BasCB
      13th May 2010, 12:50

      Adam Cooper did write a little bit more about that match here http://adamcooperf1.com/2010/05/12/goal-hero-alonso-the-star-as-f1-drivers-win-monaco-football-match/

  19. f1yankee
    13th May 2010, 8:43

    oh man, someday i’ll go there.

  20. Conrad
    13th May 2010, 18:02

    I swear Loris Capirossi is on the other team… I wonder who else made it!

Comments are closed.