Brutal Monaco Grand Prix caused 'blood to pour' from F1 drivers as Brundle reveals agony

Martin Brundle and Nico Rosberg at the Monaco GP talking into Sky mics by the harbour — Photo: © IMAGO

Monaco Grand Prix

Brutal Monaco Grand Prix caused 'blood to pour' from F1 drivers

Martin Brundle previously raced in F1

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Saturday 30 May 2026 18:51

F1 legend Martin Brundle has revealed quite how brutal the Monaco Grand Prix is for drivers.

Monaco has been on the F1 calendar consistently since 1955, but made its debut appearance in the first ever season of the sport back in 1950. The actual race itself dates right back to 1929.

It is one of the most iconic motor races in the world, with the cars racing around normally public roads, right on the harbour front next to the multi-millionaires' yachts.

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Its tight, winding corners provide drivers with a huge test of their skills just to keep the car on the track and in the race, even though the race itself has become a little bit of a procession in modern day F1.

The cars are so wide these days that it's extremely hard for drivers to overtake around the narrow streets.

Now, Brundle has revealed the pain a driver goes through during the course of the race around the streets of Monaco, hinting that it was even more extreme in his day.

Brundle raced in F1 between 1984-1996, having a best result of second in the principality, achieved at the 1994 Monaco GP.

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Brundle reveals physical toll of Monaco Grand Prix

"In those days it was hugely physical," Brundle told Sky Sports F1. "And we changed gear about three thousand times in the race.

"You used to have blood pouring out of your hands. We'd tape our hands with tank tape to try to help it, or some plasters or something like that.

"But the cars, we didn't have power steering or anything like that, so the cars were super physical, you'd be going in the race just thinking 'this is tough, it's relentless'.

"One mistake and you're out of the grand prix. And then you'd come past the pits and they'd show you a board that said 50 laps to go.

"And you're like, 'you are kidding me, I thought we were halfway there already'. It was tough back then."

F1 Martin Brundle Monaco Grand Prix Sky Sports F1