Sidepodcast - All for F1 and F1 for all

1929 and the first Monaco Grand Prix - Archive footage from the dusty streets of Monte Carlo

Published by Mr. C

Joe Saward shared a video on Facebook over the weekend that I hadn't seen before and absolutely did not want to lose.

Pathé Newsreels, one of the oldest names in the motion picture industry, launched a YouTube channel last year and have been uploading all manner of archive clips ever since. This month they dug out a 2 minute vignette of the inaugural Grand Prix in Monaco, founded by Anthony Noghes.

The 1929 race featured 15 drivers and lasted 4 hours, and looked as insane to tackle in a racing car back then as it does today. The beauty of running a contemporary series on a circuit as steeped in history as Monaco is that so many of the landmarks are clearly recognisable to even the most casual modern day fan - the tight St. Devote corner, the climb to the Casino, the tunnel and more.

Enjoy this truly classic piece of footage and keep in mind the amount of dust visible off the racing line when drivers complain about marbles in the modern era.

The race was won by William Grover-Williams, a name fans of Joe's book Grand Prix Saboteurs will be more than familiar with. If you haven't read the book yet, be sure to grab yourself a copy.