Crashes in the tunnel, track-blocking pile-ups and huge engine blow outs. Here’s a list of every time that the Safety Car has been deployed at the Monaco Grand Prix!
The Safety Car did not make an appearance at the Monaco Grand Prix until 2003. However, course cars made headlines before that in Monaco. Most notably, after Saturday’s practice session at the 1995 Monaco Grand Prix, the Safety Car had been taken out for a demonstration lap by rally driver Jean Ragnotti. Through the Piscine complex, the car collided with the rear of Taki Inoue’s Footwork, which was being towed back to the pits after the Japanese driver stalled the car in practice. Inoue remained in the cockpit at the time of the Safety Car’s impact. He suffered a slight concussion in the incident and was taken to The Princess Grace Hospital Centre for medical check. As a precaution, he was not allowed to take place in the qualifying session.
Meanwhile, ahead of Saturday practice at the 2000 Monaco Grand Prix, Alex Ribiero crashed the Medical Car in the Tabac area of the circuit. The crash left his passenger, Professor Sid Watkins, with three broken ribs.
2003 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 2
The first Safety Car appearance at the Monaco Grand Prix came in 2003. Heinz-Harald Frentzen crashed at the Swimming Pool, his car coming to a stop in the middle of the track.
2004 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 4
A massive engine blow out for Takuma Sato in the early stages of the 2004 Monaco Grand Prix resulted in a smokescreen across the circuit. In the resulting carnage, Giancarlo Fisichella’s Jordan flipped after hitting the back of David Coulthard’s McLaren. Coulthard made it back to the pit lane but retired with rear wing damage. The Safety Car was used while the incident was dealt with, despite a marshal on the main straight erroneously waving the red flag just after the incident.
2004 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 42
Going off line in the tunnel to lap Ralf Schumacher’s Williams, Fernando Alonso made contact with the barriers. His car came to a stop at the exit of the tunnel, just before the chicane and the Safety Car was called while it was cleared away.
2005 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 24
The track became momentarily blocked before the hairpin after Christijan Albers spun in the 2005 Monaco Grand Prix. David Coulthard narrowly avoided contact with the Minardi, but Michael Schumacher lost his front wing after hitting the back of the Red Bull.
2006 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 49
Mark Webber’s engine expired just after Turn 1, at the exit of the pit lane. The Safety Car was called while the disappointed Williams driver’s car was cleared away.
2008 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 8
Aquaplaning at the top of the hill near the casino, David Coulthard hit the barriers. Sebastien Bourdais then collided into the stopped Red Bull, losing control at the same point.
2008 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 60
Nico Rosberg crashed through the Swimming Pool complex. The Safety Car was out for eight laps while the mess was cleared up.
2010 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 1
Nico Hulkenberg crashed in the tunnel on the opening lap of the 2010 Monaco Grand Prix. This was the first time that the Safety Car was called out on Lap 1 in Monaco.
2010 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 31
Rubens Barrichello crashed near the Casino, at the top of the hill. The strange incident was explained when it became clear that a drain cover had come loose, breaking the Williams driver’s suspension.
2010 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 43
The loose drain cover which caused Rubens Barrichello’s earlier accident was fixed under a Safety Car period.
2010 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 75
In the closing stages of the 2010 Monaco Grand Prix. Jarno Trulli and Karun Chandhok collided at La Rascasse, with the Lotus ending up on top of the HRT.
2011 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 34
Felipe Massa made contact with Lewis Hamilton at the hairpin and crashed out later around the lap in the tunnel after further contact with the McLaren driver. Michael Schumacher also stopped at entry to the pit lane after the Safety Car had been called out.
2011 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 69
A multi-car incident saw a number of cars eliminated through the Swimming Pool complex. The incident was kick-started by Adrian Sutil running slowly, causing the cars behind to bunch up. The Toro Rosso of Jaime Alguersuari hit the rear of Lewis Hamilton, while Vitaly Petrov crashed into the barriers. This incident subsequently brought out the red flags.
2011 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 72
The Safety Car led the drivers around to the grid for a rolling restart at the 2011 Monaco Grand Prix.
2012 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 2
Pastor Maldonado stopped at the hairpin after crashing into the barriers, following contact earlier in the lap. Romain Grosjean was also out at Turn 1 on the first lap, his car still being cleared away as the drivers passed at the start of Lap 2.
2013 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 31
At the start of Lap 30, Felipe Massa crashed out at Ste Devote, having had an almost identical crash at the same point in qualifying on the previous day.
2013 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 47
A collision between Pastor Maldonado and Jules Bianchi blocked the track and the red flags were immediately shown, instead of a Safety Car. However, after the barriers were repaired, the Safety Car led the drivers around to a rolling restart.
2013 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 63
Romain Grosjean crashed into the back of Daniel Ricciardo at the exit of the tunnel. Grosjean continued despite needing a few front wing, while Ricciardo retired down the escape road.
2014 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 1
Sergio Perez spun on his way to the hairpin after being tagged by another car on the opening lap of the 2014 Monaco Grand Prix. Hitting the barriers, the Safety Car was called while his Force India was cleared away.
2014 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 26
Adrian Sutil crashed at the exit of the tunnel and was lucky to slow the car before crashing into the barriers. Debris on track from the Sauber’s front wing contributed to the Safety Car call out.
2015 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 64
When attempting an overtake, Max Verstappen crashed into the back of Romain Grosjean’s Lotus at Ste Devote, prompting the first ever Virtual Safety Car period in Formula 1. This then became a full Safety Car period after only 30 seconds. The switch from a VSC to full Safety Car caught Mercedes out and Lewis Hamilton lost the race as a result of pitting.
2016 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 1
In wet weather conditions, the 2016 Monaco Grand Prix began behind the Safety Car. It stayed out until the end of Lap 7.
2016 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 8
Just after the Safety Car came in, Jolyon Palmer crashed out on the main straight leading to a VSC period.
2016 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 35
Max Verstappen crashed at Massenet midway through the 2016 Monaco Grand Prix. The VSC period to clear his car away lasted around two and a half minutes.
2016 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 50
A clumsy incident between Sauber team-mates Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson. The pair collided at La Rascasse just after Nasr had been told to let his team-mate by. The VSC period lasted 90 seconds.
2016 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 68
Debris – some kind of cover from the balconies above – blew onto the main straight. The VSC was out for less than a minute while the debris was cleared away.
2017 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 60
On his final Grand Prix appearance, Jenson Button collided with Pascal Wehrlein before the tunnel, sending the Sauber driver sideways into the barriers at Portier. Button retired down the escape road after the tunnel.
2018 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 72
A brake failure caused Charles Leclerc to crash into the back of Brendon Hartley at the exit of the tunnel. A VSC was called as Leclerc retired down the escape road, while Hartley returned to the pits with a broken rear wing.
2019 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 11
After picking up a puncture when attempting to overtake Nico Hulkenberg, Charles Leclerc scattered debris on track. The Safety Car was called to clear it up.
2022 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 3
After a delayed start due to wet weather conditions, the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix began behind the Safety Car. After two laps, the race was red flagged as a result of even heavier rain.
2022 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 3
Following the red flag period, the Safety Car led the drivers back around for a rolling restart.
2022 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 27
Mick Schumacher had a heavy crash through the Swimming Pool complex, splitting his car in half. The VSC was called initially, which became a full Safety Car after two minutes. The race was then red flagged five minutes later.
2022 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 31
The Safety Car led the drivers around for another rolling restart following the second red flag period.
2024 Monaco Grand Prix, Lap 2, Safety Car
Following a red flag period on the opening lap of the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix – the result of a collision between Sergio Perez and the two Haas drivers – the second formation lap was completed under Safety Car conditions.