The karts are set for another thrilling episode on the Monaco circuit
The 12th Monaco Kart Cup, organised by the Automobile Club de Monaco, will take place from the 17th to the 19th October 2008. The race circuit will use the lower part of the F1 circuit, which runs round the port, starting at Tabac, skirting Piscine (the swimming pool), and turning back at the Rascasse along Quai Albert 1er. This year the organisers are only holding three races, to ensure maximum flexibility in scheduling for the event.
The main attraction is the 3rd Junior Monaco Grand Prix – an international event, which appears in the FIA calendar, and brings together the world’s finest junior drivers. In addition, the ACM has entrusted AAD Conseil to organise the “Six Hours of Monte Carlo” endurance event and the third “4 Stroke Contest”, targeted at the latest generation of four-stroke karts.
Logistics for the whole event will be taken care of by the Automobile Club de Monaco, in terms of both equipment and personnel, including course management staff, stewards, doctors, judges and support vehicles. Fire and ambulance services, the Monegasque Red Cross, and the police will complete the security services. The ACM will control all races both from a sporting and from a technical standpoint.
A breeding ground for champions
All competitors racing in the 2008 Formula One Championship have previously taken part in the Monaco Kart Cup, in the headline events of the meeting.
Sebastien Vettel, winner of the 2008 Italian Grand Prix, took part in two consecutive Monaco Kart Cups, in 2000 and 2001. Lewis Hamilton, leading the 2008 F1 Championship, Kimi Raikkonen, 2007 World Champion, Heikki Kovalainen, Robert Kubica, the BMW Sauber prodigy, not to mention Nico Rosberg and Nelsinho Piquet, also all took part.
The list of participants who are now F1 test drivers is equally long: there is Luca Badoer, Ferrari test driver, Christian Klien, who drives for BMW Sauber, Romain Grosjean at Renault, Nico Hulkemberg at Willians, Sebastien Buemi at Red Bull and Mike Conway at Honda.
And let us not forget that the great driving champion Michael Schumacher, at a time when he already held two F1 World Championships (1994 and 1995), took part in the Formula A class and brought home a brilliant victory.
The Six Hours of Monaco also draws the finest talent
On the endurance side of things, many drivers from various disciplines across the world of motorsport have taken part in the Six Hours Of Monaco: Sebastien Bourdais, Nicolas Vouilloz, Stephane Sarrazin, Stephane Ortelli, Olivier Beretta, Luca Badoer, Giovanni Lavaggi, Michele Alboreto, Gabriele Tarquini, Mimmo Schiattarella, Andrea Montermini, Ivan Capelli, Pedro Diniz, Soheil Ayari and others.