People sometimes think only somebody who has a few screws loose would want to be a racing driver. Well, those individuals probably would assume all 20 Formula One pilotsĀ have completely lost their minds if they saw the track that’s used for the Monaco Grand Prix.
The Circuit de Monaco is a 2.073-mile street circuit that’s so narrow, cars practically can touch both barriers at certain parts of the track. Unless you’ve driven the circuit for yourself, however, it’s hard to appreciate just how challenging it is for drivers to race on — that’s where Felipe Massa comes in.
The Brazilian driver is set to compete in his 15th consecutive Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday, soĀ he’s one of the people most qualified to speak to the difficulties of racing in Monte Carlo. And apparently, he prepared the perfectĀ analogy to do just that.
MAS: "Racing around Monaco in a car is a bit like trying to ride your bike in the kitchen" š #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/reO3KwbOMz
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 24, 2017
Despite how demanding the shortest race on the calendar is, Massa, like most drivers, looks forward to it everyĀ year. He reportedly is glad his “retirement” only lasted a few weeks, so he can participate in this year’s Grand Prix, rather than watch it from his apartment window.
MAS: "It's a big challenge to race here in Monaco. I was thinking last year [when he 'retired'] that I would miss it" #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/iPYDExYfCc
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 24, 2017
Massa interestingly isn’t the only person who didn’t think they’d be on the grid for this year’s race. Jenson Button is taking a year off from F1, so if Fernando Alonso weren’t racing in the Indianapolis 500, he said he would have been drinking champagne during the race instead of driving.
