Both Golf and Tennis have Grand Slam tournaments, in each case four a year. These are events that have a long history and garner more support from competitors and spectators than other tournaments on the calender.
How do we determine a Grand Prix Grand Slam of four races that hold more importance than the other events on the F1 calender? In Formula One, all teams are obliged to race a whole season and unless there are unforeseen circumstances their driver line-up will remain the same for the whole year. We are not able then to distinguish one race from another by the entry it attracts. Also all races are roughly the same distance and they offer the same points. The only way we can really choose a Grand Slam of Formula One Grand Prix is by looking at their history.
Three quarters of the four events I would choose for a F1 Grand Slam are probably pretty obvious. The British Grand Prix at Silverstone has been an almost permanent fixture on the Formula One calender since it hosted the first round of the Formula One World Championship in 1950. The only exceptions have been when Aintree hosted the British GP in the 1950's and when Brands Hatch alternated as host with Silverstone from the 1960's until the mid 80's. Silverstone always attracts a good crowd and it is also the 'Home' circuit for a lot of the Formula One teams, who have their headquarters close to the Northamptonshire track. So in my opinion Silverstone is firmly entrenched as a Grand Slam event.
Another event that unquestionably should be regarded as a Grand Slam event is the Monaco Grand Prix. The playground of the rich and famous has held a Grand Prix around it's streets every year since 1929, except a break for World War II. The Monaco GP is such an integral part of the Formula One calender it is unimaginable not having it.
Monza is another circuit that few would argue against being a Grand Slam event. It has hosted Grand Prix races since the 1920's and since the Formula One World Championship started in 1950 it has hosted the Italian Grand Prix every year except 1980 when Imola hosted the event. Monza also has the most fanatical crowd on the calender, the Tifosi worshipping their beloved Ferraris.
The fourth and final Formula One Grand Slam event should be the French Grand Prix. The very first Grand Prix motor race was held at Le Mans in 1906 and starting even before that and continuing till today France is one of the superpowers of motor sport. The sports governing body, the FIA, are based there and the country has produced many top drivers and manufacturers. There are a number of reasons why it shouldn't be a Grand Slam host though. Firstly the most recently used Grand Prix circuit in France, Magny Cours, only started hosting Formula One races in 1991. The historic circuits that hosted races in the 50's & 60's such as Reims, Rouen & Clermont Ferrand are all consigned to the history books. The closest the French could get to having a race with a bit of history behind it is having it at Paul Ricard, a track that hosted the French Grand Prix intermittently from 1971 until 1990. Secondly, and more critically, there hasn't been a French Grand Prix since 2008. The prospects of there being one in the near future look bleak so this is one event that can't achieve the Grand Slam grade.
The Nurburgring in Germany could also be considered but the current Grand Prix circuit shares only its location with the classic 14 mile Nordschleife, it also only hosts a Grand Prix every other year since it started alternating with Hockenheim. These days it's an average track with lousy weather.
The final Grand Slam event would have to be the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. Like Monza, Grand Prix races have been held there since the 1920's, though then the race was run on a much longer version of the circuit. The old long track was abandoned by Formula One on safety grounds in the early seventies and it wasn't until 1983 that Grand Prix cars returned to a shorter track that retained many of the classic parts and more importantly the charm of the original circuit. Spa is one of the few last remaining links with pre and post war Grand Prix racing. The track used to be entirely made up of public roads, the present layout retains some of these which gives it a unique character and sets it apart from the modern designer circuits that litter the modern Grand Prix calender.
So there we have it, my Grand Prix Grand Slam would consist of The British Grand Prix at Silverstone, The Monaco Grand Prix, The Italian Grand Prix at Monza and the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa Francorchamps.
How do we determine a Grand Prix Grand Slam of four races that hold more importance than the other events on the F1 calender? In Formula One, all teams are obliged to race a whole season and unless there are unforeseen circumstances their driver line-up will remain the same for the whole year. We are not able then to distinguish one race from another by the entry it attracts. Also all races are roughly the same distance and they offer the same points. The only way we can really choose a Grand Slam of Formula One Grand Prix is by looking at their history.
Three quarters of the four events I would choose for a F1 Grand Slam are probably pretty obvious. The British Grand Prix at Silverstone has been an almost permanent fixture on the Formula One calender since it hosted the first round of the Formula One World Championship in 1950. The only exceptions have been when Aintree hosted the British GP in the 1950's and when Brands Hatch alternated as host with Silverstone from the 1960's until the mid 80's. Silverstone always attracts a good crowd and it is also the 'Home' circuit for a lot of the Formula One teams, who have their headquarters close to the Northamptonshire track. So in my opinion Silverstone is firmly entrenched as a Grand Slam event.
Another event that unquestionably should be regarded as a Grand Slam event is the Monaco Grand Prix. The playground of the rich and famous has held a Grand Prix around it's streets every year since 1929, except a break for World War II. The Monaco GP is such an integral part of the Formula One calender it is unimaginable not having it.
Monza is another circuit that few would argue against being a Grand Slam event. It has hosted Grand Prix races since the 1920's and since the Formula One World Championship started in 1950 it has hosted the Italian Grand Prix every year except 1980 when Imola hosted the event. Monza also has the most fanatical crowd on the calender, the Tifosi worshipping their beloved Ferraris.
The fourth and final Formula One Grand Slam event should be the French Grand Prix. The very first Grand Prix motor race was held at Le Mans in 1906 and starting even before that and continuing till today France is one of the superpowers of motor sport. The sports governing body, the FIA, are based there and the country has produced many top drivers and manufacturers. There are a number of reasons why it shouldn't be a Grand Slam host though. Firstly the most recently used Grand Prix circuit in France, Magny Cours, only started hosting Formula One races in 1991. The historic circuits that hosted races in the 50's & 60's such as Reims, Rouen & Clermont Ferrand are all consigned to the history books. The closest the French could get to having a race with a bit of history behind it is having it at Paul Ricard, a track that hosted the French Grand Prix intermittently from 1971 until 1990. Secondly, and more critically, there hasn't been a French Grand Prix since 2008. The prospects of there being one in the near future look bleak so this is one event that can't achieve the Grand Slam grade.
The Nurburgring in Germany could also be considered but the current Grand Prix circuit shares only its location with the classic 14 mile Nordschleife, it also only hosts a Grand Prix every other year since it started alternating with Hockenheim. These days it's an average track with lousy weather.
The final Grand Slam event would have to be the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. Like Monza, Grand Prix races have been held there since the 1920's, though then the race was run on a much longer version of the circuit. The old long track was abandoned by Formula One on safety grounds in the early seventies and it wasn't until 1983 that Grand Prix cars returned to a shorter track that retained many of the classic parts and more importantly the charm of the original circuit. Spa is one of the few last remaining links with pre and post war Grand Prix racing. The track used to be entirely made up of public roads, the present layout retains some of these which gives it a unique character and sets it apart from the modern designer circuits that litter the modern Grand Prix calender.
So there we have it, my Grand Prix Grand Slam would consist of The British Grand Prix at Silverstone, The Monaco Grand Prix, The Italian Grand Prix at Monza and the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa Francorchamps.
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