FORMULA WHY: The reasons why street tracks are the ultimate challenge for F1 drivers

The Monaco Grand Prix is this weekend, the famous street circuit that is synonymous with Formula 1. It is a weekend the drivers all look forward to, and winning here puts you into the history books. But why is this street circuit often deemed the ultimate challenge?

The Formula Why podcast, hosted by Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill, will see the pair answering ‘why?’ questions each week, with the aim to give fans more knowledge about how Formula 1 works.

This week, their goal is to find out why street tracks are such a demanding challenge for the drivers. Is it the speeds reached, the set-ups required, or the ever-present threat from the looming barriers?

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The duo are joined by former world champion and winner in Monaco back in 1998, Mika Hakkinen. The Finn took victory in this iconic race in his first championship-winning season, so he knows what it takes to put lap after lap together around this unique mix of corners.

But he was also in the field in 1996, the year only three drivers managed to finish on the lead lap in a chaotic race won by Olivier Panis.

Also joining the podcast is former Aston Martin strategist Bernie Collins. She discusses just how difficult this race is from the point of view of the team, with any mistakes in the pit stops proving more influential than at other tracks.

Formula Why joins in-depth interview podcast Beyond The Grid and race analysis show F1 Nation in the official F1 podcast line-up, and you can listen to the latest episode in the player above or click here to listen.

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If you want to get involved in Formula Why, you can suggest a question for the podcast to answer by recording a voice note and emailing it to Why@F1.com.