Magneti Marelli Checkstar at the Monaco F1 Grand Prix

The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the most anticipated events of the Formula 1 season due to its very special atmosphere. On the occasion of the race weekend, the Magneti Marelli Checkstar Dutch workshops had the unique opportunity to be invited to an incentive trip organized together with the Magneti Marelli Parts & Services Dutch distributor Buren Hallum. During the weekend, they were not only able to share an adrenaline-filled experience with the Magneti Marelli Checkstar team, but also to strengthen the bond with the company.

The three-day trip (from 25 to 27 May) began on Saturday in Nice with a typical Côte d’Azur dinner, overlooking the beach of the French town. On Sunday, all the attention went to the main event, the race, that participants could enjoy seated in front of Port Hercule. This point offers a great view of the Monaco Harbour sector and overlooks one of the most challenging parts of the circuit, the Tabac Turn. The guests had the chance to seat in the highest section of the grandstand, which allows for a wider view of the entire area.

The excitement and adrenaline of the participants grew as the start of the Grand Prix approached. After all, the Monaco GP is one of the toughest races of the season, in which the drivers graze and often ‘kiss’ the guard-rails that mark the narrow strip of asphalt. They say that a victory in Monaco offers as much prestige as a success in the entire championship. In fact, its roll of honour includes the names of some of the greatest champions ever, from Nuvolari and Fangio, to Lauda and the unforgettable Gilles Villeneuve. But other stars shone bright on the twisty roads of Monaco: those of Ayrton Senna, six times winner of the race, and Graham Hill and Michael Schumacher, paired with five victories. 

From their exclusive viewing point, the Dutch guests were able to witness the triumph of Charles Leclerc and Ferrari, which came at the end of a very intense race that was initially suspended due to a spectacular accident.

A special visit

The busy programme of this incentive trip did not end with the Grand Prix.  On Monday, the guests had a private visit to the Cars Collection of H.S.H. the Prince of Monaco, located in the heart of Monaco.

The space hosts around a hundred cars, collected since the late 1950s by Prince Rainier III, father of the reigning Prince Albert II. It is a collection worthy of the utmost interest, ranging from the oldest car (a 1903 De Dion Bouton) to the Chrysler Imperial used in the parade held during Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly's wedding, from Nigel Mansell's 1989 Ferrari 640 F1 car to Charles Leclerc's SF90 Stradale, and even the special Lexus with a glass rear end, built in 2011 for the wedding of Prince Albert II and Charlène Wittstock.

The Incentive trip organised by Magneti Marelli Checkstar for its workshops came to an end after an eventful weekend in which speed and history were the main elements, the same that characterise the Grand Prix and the town that hosts it.

The whole team would like to thank all the participants for their passionate involvement and exchange of experiences, which are essential for a mutual enrichment aimed at offering more valuable initiatives tailored to Magneti Marelli Checkstar workshops.

‘Monte Carlo is a mountain track with a town around it’.

Gilles Villeneuve, winner of the 1981 Monaco Grand Prix with Ferrari