The Monaco Grand Prix was the epitome of Formula One’s extravagance. Millionaires, billionaires, yachts, champagne-fueled parties, supercars, supergirls and streets that preached no mercy. That’s probably why the F1 circus hasn’t skipped the principality for 65 years.
Although the Covid-19 pandemic brought that run to a screeching halt, Ferrari wasn’t about to let the partially setup circuit go to complete waste.
In the spirit of the iconic 1976’s C’était un Rendez-Vous run through the streets of Paris, Maranello got the same director to put together a tribute to the classic film with a little more power, less sketchiness and some royalty.
While the original was shot under the radar; which itself depicted an element of delinquency, with a Mercedes-Benz 450SEL dubbed with the soundtrack of a Ferrari 275GB, this sequel is pure Ferrari with a 986hp SF90 Stradale and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc behind the wheel. Ferrari even managed to get the same director, Claude Lelouch, to helm the production.
The opening credits roll with some forbidding tunes that depicts a florist with no actual link to the movie but as you’ll figure out at the end, the storyline wasn’t given much thought. If you’re wondering, the florist is Rebecca Blanc Lelouch, granddaughter of the director.
Anyways, the real VIP is a masked Prince Albert II of Monaco, who’s very happy to get a taxi ride with his fellow Monégasque Leclerc. Still, you know what’s a sign that you’ve made it in life? It’s not giving a prince a taxi ride in a Ferrari, it’s having said prince take a photo of you after that. You’ve done well Leclerc.
Facemasks are worn by everyone although social distancing is practiced as much as the speed limit is adhered to. Nonetheless, the masks are a strong foreboding of the “new norm” we’ll have to get used to in the future.
Leclerc rips around the streets of Monaco, tracing what would’ve been lined up as the Grand Prix course. It’s pretty neat to see how the circuit layout looks like on a regular day although F1 fans will be able to project the actual layout from the footage.
Ferrari claims the streets were closed for the shoot but you do get an element of felony as workers and residents line the streets pretty close to the SF90 Stradale.
Footage from the car are as expected of a professional production, spot on. Bumper-mounted cameras truly project the speed and ferocity of the SF90 as its unleashed. As much as we miss the sounds of F1 on the streets of Monaco, the twin-turbo V8 coupled with the electric whine of three electric motors from the SF90 make a fine substitute for the year.
