Monaco aan de Maas
Encyclopedia
Monaco aan de Maas is a Formula One
demonstration and a parade of international racecars and racing drivers, held on the streets of Rotterdam
, the Netherlands. In 2006 the event was renamed to Bavaria City Racing, also sometimes referred to as Bavaria City Racing Festival.
, Le Mans
and the Paris-Dakar rally
, such as Formula One drivers Christijan Albers
and Robert Doornbos
, who comes from Rotterdam. The Dutch Chinese driver Ho-Pin Tung
had to retire after a few minutes due to problems on his car.
In the centre of Rotterdam, the track found its way along the Mariniersweg, the Blaak, the Coolsingel and the Hofplein. Though it was not possible to have a real race, it was a great opportunity to show the cars to the public.
Access to the event was mainly free. Only for the stands at the Coolsingel, and entrance to the paddock
and the VIP-village, a fee was required.
The first edition was a big success. While the founders of the event, Robert Heilbron and Herman Vaanholt, expected 300,000 visitors, half a million race fans found their way to this unique event.
The Rotterdam-Rijnmond police arrested two male and one female suspect this day, who had sent a bomb threat by e-mail. Though the police had searched the centre for bombs before the event, none were found. In December 2005, the suspects were sentenced to 13 days in jail.
is now also added to the course. The piers of the bridge at the Noordereiland-side will be the start/finish. Via the Verlengde Willemsbrug, the Blaak and Coolsingel, the 2 kilometer long track will lead to Hofplein and back.
The event was once more mainly free to access. The stands this year are found at the Verlengde Willemsbrug. On the Willemsbrug and a small part before city hall on the Coolsingel, will be VIP stands.
Formula One driver Christijan Albers
returned this year, and showed off his Midland Formula One car with his teammate Tiago Monteiro
. Williams F1 also attended the event with their driver Nico Rosberg
. A1 Grand Prix
was there with former Formula One drivers Jos Verstappen
in the A1GP Team The Netherlands
car and Jan Lammers
in the black multi-flagged A1GP World Cup of Motorsports car. Besides Formula One and A1 Grand Prix, there were also shows from Formula Three
, Formula Renault
, a parade of Historic Grand Prix
race cars and demos from the Nuna 3
and Formula Zero. Dutch Formula 1 reporter Olav Mol and pitreporter Jack Plooij provided commentary for the public.
The pre-show once again featured the Drive for Kids, with Christijan Albers
, Ho-Pin Tung
and Nicky Pastorelli
. In this parade the seats next to the drivers were sold, all proceeds went to KidsRights.
Dutch Formula One driver Robert Doornbos
did not attend this year's event.
The ING Renault F1 Team
participated and brought their drivers Nelson Piquet, Jr. and Heikki Kovalainen
, while Minardi Team USA driver Robert Doornbos
drove the old Lola ChampCar-chassis with 2007 Minardi Team USA livery. The charity ride Drive for Kids also returned in 2007, once more with all proceeds for KidsRights.
New in 2007 was the RaceSalon, an interactive exhibition which was organised on the two days preceding Bavaria City Racing. This exhibition took place in Ahoy Rotterdam on 17 and 18 August.
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
demonstration and a parade of international racecars and racing drivers, held on the streets of Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, the Netherlands. In 2006 the event was renamed to Bavaria City Racing, also sometimes referred to as Bavaria City Racing Festival.
First edition - Monaco aan de Maas 2005
On 7 August 2005, the first edition of Monaco aan de Maas saw top Dutch racing drivers from classes as Formula OneFormula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
, Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
and the Paris-Dakar rally
Dakar Rally
The Dakar Rally is an annual rally raid type of off-road automobile race, organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation...
, such as Formula One drivers Christijan Albers
Christijan Albers
Christijan Albers is a Dutch racing driver. After success in the DTM he drove in Formula One from until the 2007 British Grand Prix, shortly after which he was dropped by his Spyker F1 team...
and Robert Doornbos
Robert Doornbos
Robert Michael Doornbos is a Dutch racing driver. He has been test and third driver for the Jordan and Red Bull Racing Formula One teams, as well as driving for Minardi and Red Bull Racing in 2005 and 2006. Doornbos then drove for Minardi Team USA in the 2007 and final season of the Champ Car...
, who comes from Rotterdam. The Dutch Chinese driver Ho-Pin Tung
Ho-Pin Tung
Ho-Pin Tung is a Chinese-Dutch auto-racing driver who races with a Chinese license.-Career:Tung started kart racing in the Netherlands in 1997 before graduating to single-seaters. He won the 2003 Formula BMW Asia series and was rewarded with a test drive with the Williams F1 team.In 2004 he joined...
had to retire after a few minutes due to problems on his car.
In the centre of Rotterdam, the track found its way along the Mariniersweg, the Blaak, the Coolsingel and the Hofplein. Though it was not possible to have a real race, it was a great opportunity to show the cars to the public.
Access to the event was mainly free. Only for the stands at the Coolsingel, and entrance to the paddock
Paddock
A Paddock is an enclosure for horses. It may also refer to: People*Algernon Paddock , American politician*Charlie Paddock , American athlete and actor*Del Paddock , American baseball player...
and the VIP-village, a fee was required.
The first edition was a big success. While the founders of the event, Robert Heilbron and Herman Vaanholt, expected 300,000 visitors, half a million race fans found their way to this unique event.
The Rotterdam-Rijnmond police arrested two male and one female suspect this day, who had sent a bomb threat by e-mail. Though the police had searched the centre for bombs before the event, none were found. In December 2005, the suspects were sentenced to 13 days in jail.
Second edition - Bavaria City Racing 2006
In 2006 500.000 visitors again found their way to the event on 20 August. For the second edition, the event has gotten a name change because of a new sponsor; the evenement is now called Bavaria City Racing. The track has also been changed: the Willemsbridge across the river MaasMeuse River
The Maas or Meuse is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea...
is now also added to the course. The piers of the bridge at the Noordereiland-side will be the start/finish. Via the Verlengde Willemsbrug, the Blaak and Coolsingel, the 2 kilometer long track will lead to Hofplein and back.
The event was once more mainly free to access. The stands this year are found at the Verlengde Willemsbrug. On the Willemsbrug and a small part before city hall on the Coolsingel, will be VIP stands.
Formula One driver Christijan Albers
Christijan Albers
Christijan Albers is a Dutch racing driver. After success in the DTM he drove in Formula One from until the 2007 British Grand Prix, shortly after which he was dropped by his Spyker F1 team...
returned this year, and showed off his Midland Formula One car with his teammate Tiago Monteiro
Tiago Monteiro
Tiago Vagaroso da Costa Monteiro is a Portuguese racing driver. He drove for Jordan, Midland and Spyker MF1 teams—all different iterations of the same team as it was bought by new owners during a two year stint as part of the Formula One paddock...
. Williams F1 also attended the event with their driver Nico Rosberg
Nico Rosberg
Nico Erik Rosberg is a racing driver for the Mercedes GP Formula One team. He races under the German flag in Formula One, although he competed for Finland earlier in his career...
. A1 Grand Prix
A1 Grand Prix
A1 Grand Prix was a 'single make' open-wheel auto racing series. It was unique in its field in that competitors solely represented their nation as opposed to themselves or a team, the usual format in most formula racing series. As such, it was often promoted as the "World Cup of Motorsport"...
was there with former Formula One drivers Jos Verstappen
Jos Verstappen
Johannes Franciscus "Jos" Verstappen nicknamed "Jos the Boss" is a Dutch racing driver. He is the most successful Dutch Formula One driver, and has also won races in A1 Grand Prix and Le Mans Series LMP2 races...
in the A1GP Team The Netherlands
A1 Team The Netherlands
A1 Team Netherlands is the Dutch team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :A1 Team Netherlands' owner is former Formula One driver and Le Mans winner Jan Lammers...
car and Jan Lammers
Jan Lammers
Johannes "Jan" Lammers, , is a racing driver and team principal from the Netherlands. He participated in 41 Formula One Grand Prix races, debuting on January 21, 1979. He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1988 and later participated in the race with his own team Racing for Holland...
in the black multi-flagged A1GP World Cup of Motorsports car. Besides Formula One and A1 Grand Prix, there were also shows from Formula Three
Formula Three
Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...
, Formula Renault
Formula Renault
Formula Renault is a class of formula racing founded in 1971. It is popular in Europe and other countries. Regarded as an entry-level series to motor racing, it is a respected series where drivers can learn advanced racecraft before moving on to Formula Three, World Series by Renault, GP2 or...
, a parade of Historic Grand Prix
Grand Prix motor racing
Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...
race cars and demos from the Nuna 3
Nuna
Nuna is the name of a series of manned solar powered vehicles that won the World solar challenge in Australia four times in a row, in 2001 , 2003 , 2005 and 2007...
and Formula Zero. Dutch Formula 1 reporter Olav Mol and pitreporter Jack Plooij provided commentary for the public.
The pre-show once again featured the Drive for Kids, with Christijan Albers
Christijan Albers
Christijan Albers is a Dutch racing driver. After success in the DTM he drove in Formula One from until the 2007 British Grand Prix, shortly after which he was dropped by his Spyker F1 team...
, Ho-Pin Tung
Ho-Pin Tung
Ho-Pin Tung is a Chinese-Dutch auto-racing driver who races with a Chinese license.-Career:Tung started kart racing in the Netherlands in 1997 before graduating to single-seaters. He won the 2003 Formula BMW Asia series and was rewarded with a test drive with the Williams F1 team.In 2004 he joined...
and Nicky Pastorelli
Nicky Pastorelli
Nicky Pastorelli is a Dutch race car driver.-Euro Formula 3000:In 2003 Pastorelli participated in Euro Formula 3000 for Scuderia Fama. He finished on the podium twice and placed 5th in the season championship....
. In this parade the seats next to the drivers were sold, all proceeds went to KidsRights.
Dutch Formula One driver Robert Doornbos
Robert Doornbos
Robert Michael Doornbos is a Dutch racing driver. He has been test and third driver for the Jordan and Red Bull Racing Formula One teams, as well as driving for Minardi and Red Bull Racing in 2005 and 2006. Doornbos then drove for Minardi Team USA in the 2007 and final season of the Champ Car...
did not attend this year's event.
Third edition - Bavaria City Racing 2007
On 19 August 2007, the third edition of the event took place, attracting more than 500,000 people. For the first time since its organization, the weather stayed clear and without rain. The track remained the same as in 2006, but because of changing city plans the next event will have a different parcours.The ING Renault F1 Team
Renault F1
Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking...
participated and brought their drivers Nelson Piquet, Jr. and Heikki Kovalainen
Heikki Kovalainen
Heikki Johannes Kovalainen is a Finnish Formula One racing driver who spent the 2008 and 2009 seasons with British based team McLaren and the 2010 and 2011 seasons with Team Lotus....
, while Minardi Team USA driver Robert Doornbos
Robert Doornbos
Robert Michael Doornbos is a Dutch racing driver. He has been test and third driver for the Jordan and Red Bull Racing Formula One teams, as well as driving for Minardi and Red Bull Racing in 2005 and 2006. Doornbos then drove for Minardi Team USA in the 2007 and final season of the Champ Car...
drove the old Lola ChampCar-chassis with 2007 Minardi Team USA livery. The charity ride Drive for Kids also returned in 2007, once more with all proceeds for KidsRights.
New in 2007 was the RaceSalon, an interactive exhibition which was organised on the two days preceding Bavaria City Racing. This exhibition took place in Ahoy Rotterdam on 17 and 18 August.