Prepare for Monaco's 70th Grand Prix

The Monaco Grand Prix has always been the sport's glittering prize, and while it is stressful for the drivers and mechanics who are used to working out of large, modern garages and not the temporary pits the harbour offers, it is still the most glamorous and colourful race on the calendar.

More than 10 of the drivers in this year's Championship live in the principality, so many think of it as a home race, and enjoy the fact that they can sleep in their own beds and walk to work.

Last year, defending World Champion Mika Hakkinen took a comfortable win from Giancarlo Fisichella and Eddie Irvine.

But apart from that and Olivier Panis' victory in 1996, race wins here over the last 15 years have been split between three of the greatest drivers the F1 has seen.

From 1984-1993, victory here bounced back and forth between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, who won it six and four times each respectively.

Michael Schumacher broke Senna's run of five successive wins when he triumphed in 1994 and 1995, and the German also claimed an outstanding rain-soaked win two years ago.

If the ex-world champion wins again on Sunday, he will equal Alain Prost's record of four Monaco victories, with only Graham Hill, who won five times, and Ayrton Senna six, ahead of him.

Schumacher is also the only driver lining up on the grid to have won at Monaco more than once, though Mika Hakkinen and Olivier Panis will know what a win feels like here.

Schumacher has said that he is so confident of a 1999 Monaco win that he would bet on himself, but don't rule out the McLarens of Hakkinen and David Coulthard.

The Scot will be anxious to make a good impression, after a disastrous start to his season.

Mika Salo, filling in at British American Racing for the injured Ricardo Zonta, is also known as a good bet at Monaco. Despite racing in sub-standard cars for Arrows and Tyrrell, in the last three years he has claimed two fifth and a fourth place here.

The race starts at 1300 GMT on Sunday, with qualifying on Saturday at 1200 GMT.