John Chisholm and his wife, Sophia, had visited Monaco as tourists, and they liked the atmosphere. Still, in 2024, they expanded their interests in the beautiful Mediterranean Principality by attending the Grand Prix de Monaco for the first time.
John is Vice President for Dealer Solutions Mergers & Acquisitions Canada (DSMA), which brokers their clients’ dealership sales in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. He has attended IndyCar races, including the Indy 500 and NASCAR, but never an F1 race.
“I was never really a big follower of F1; I was always NASCAR more than anything else,” John told me. “I was always a left-turn guy. Then I started watching Drive to Survive on Netflix, and I got hooked on it. I started binge-watching it while working out. After six seasons and 60 episodes, I knew the next step had to be a trip to the Grand Prix de Monaco. It was time to feel and experience F1 firsthand
“That whole series makes you feel like you know everybody – you know all the teams, which team is struggling with their human, physical and financial resources, which driver is struggling in the points and who will have the best new car and driver next year.
“So I said I want to go to that F1 race that every F1 driver wants to win. Obviously they want to win every one of them, but Monaco is at the top of their list. It’s the most prestigious in their mind. I thought if it’s going to be my first one, I’m going to go there.
“Monaco, with all it’s glitz and glamour, is where the elite of racing comes together – and the place is spotlessly clean and organized. No one is shoving and pushing or over serving themselves. The Cannes Film Festival is the week before the Grand Prix, so many of the stars that are F1 fans naturally stick around for the weekend. It was really nice.”
From the time he and his wife touched down in Nice, about 25 minutes from Monaco, it was apparent by the signage of the sponsors and the vibe of the city that this was a race of importance.
After settling in for a couple of days they attended the Friday night F1 Experience Yacht Party in the Harbour and then qualifying on Saturday, which he described as amazing, starting with the drivers taking a couple laps to warm up the tires, and then pushing their cars as fast as possible for P1 on the Grid Race Day.
“The cars are just flying, and there’s lots of cars out there and they have to qualify in traffic, so it’s pretty interesting,” he said.
He said it was much different than IndyCar qualifying because of the fans, coupled with the race taking place on the streets of a city instead of inside an enclosed stadium.
“You know how passionate soccer fans are in Europe? F1 fans are just as passionate about their teams,” he said. “They bring Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull flags. Then you’ve got the tire companies, and the yachts and the people, it’s just so different than a track. And don’t forget, this track is in the city streets people drive on and walk on normally.
“The first time I went to the Indy500, I sat in the turn four infield grandstand. I had a great seat, but the cars were flying by 210 miles an hour, and my head (was spinning). By mile 475, only your eyes are moving back and forth.”
At the Grand Prix de Monaco, John, Sophia and friends from Monaco sat in what is known as the K1 grandstand at the very top. They had views of the cars coming off the starting grid and heading up the hill towards Hotel du Paris and the Monte Carlo Casino. They also had views of the cars coming off the bottom of the hills through the chicane, down a straightaway along the marina, and then a sharp left turn in front of it.
“It’s all there in front of you,” he said. “You’ve got people sitting on chairs at the Hotel de Paris who have paid $6,000 Euros to watch qualifying and $10,000 Euros to watch the race. Our tickets were nowhere near that cost.”
He said the pre-race emotion begins when the cars are brought onto the track and ice packs are used to cool the brakes, creating a dry ice effect. He added that it is followed by the drivers adjusting their steering wheels and going through various things, like a pilot going through a pre-flight checklist. Then, the track is cleared as the teams take their place in the pit.
He said the experience became even more special because Monaco native Charles Leclerc had the pole position and won easily.
He said people should “absolutely” experience the Grand Prix de Monaco at least once.
“No question in my mind,” he said. “If you can do it, you don’t want to miss it. You’ve got boats in the harbour that are 250-450 feet long. The 250-footers are lined up like cordwood. And the cars you see there – models of Ferraris and Lamborghinis, Aston Martins –roll out the latest, greatest, and most incredible concepts, driving around on the streets. It’s off the charts.
“It exceeded my expectations. I’m pretty sure I’ll go back next year. I’m told it goes to the next level every year. I want to see it again because there are so many things we didn’t do.”
Through bought passes for the F1 yacht party in the harbour on Friday night on a 300-foot yacht and through connections were, attended the exclusive Monaco Yacht Club Pool Party the night after the race.
“It was just a really special weekend,” he said. “It’s a whole experience, a different experience that’s a must to see and experience, once in a lifetime.
Perry Lefko is the Content Manager of The Car Magazine. He can be reached at [email protected]. Feel free to forward any story suggestions or comments.
