Why do practice sessions start on Thursday at the Monaco Grand Prix?

Founded in 1929 by the Automobile Club of Monaco at the request of Prince Louis II, the Monaco Grand Prix is the most prestigious Formula 1 race in the championship and the only one that starts on a Thursday and lasts four days.

When the streets of Monaco were closed for the first time for a car race, it wasn't just the roar of engines that echoed through the principality, but also the clamor of disgruntled shopkeepers protesting the loss of customers. Their complaints, lodged in the early 1950s, led to a scheduling experiment that would forever change the Grand Prix calendar. In 1950, the first Formula 1 season had scheduled the Monaco Grand Prix for May 21, Ascension Day, a public holiday that already extended the weekend. However, local merchants were quick to point out that the barriers and grandstands erected for the race blocked traffic and kept potential customers away from their stores. In response, the Automobile Club de Monaco (ACM) moved the first practice session to the previous Thursday, transforming a one-day event into a four-day spectacle. This decision proved to be a win-win for everyone. Visitors now arrived a day earlier, boosting tourism, while shopkeepers regained a normal Friday, cushioning the economic blow. The success of this trial established Thursday's practice session as a Monegasque tradition, even when the race no longer fell on Ascension weekend. Today, as the 78th Monaco Grand Prix takes place on May 21, 2021, free practice will once again begin on Thursday, echoing a decision made more than seven decades ago. The origins of the race date back to Prince Louis II who, after the 1911 Monte Carlo Rally highlighted the small size of the principality, called on the ACM to launch the first Grand Prix in 1929. William Grover-Williams won that first victory on April 14, and the event quickly gained worldwide renown.

Since its inclusion in the first Formula 1 championship in 1950, Monaco has remained the only Grand Prix that spans four days. Modern logistics have changed the Friday schedule: while the streets are open to normal traffic in the afternoon, the morning is now reserved for the GP2 series, allowing the circuit to remain lively with competition before the main event. This blend of heritage, commerce, and sport continues to make the Monaco race weekend a unique event on the F1 calendar.