Join us behind the scenes of Formula 1: our reporters were present at every Grand Prix in 2025, including Monaco. We write about our experiences not only online but also in our magazine. Part 8 of 24: Bas Holtkamp on stars.
In Monaco, everything is on a grand scale: the yachts, cars, parties, you name it. The gridwalk is also part of this list. Nowhere else on the F1 calendar will you stumble over as many stars and VIPs as here.
The poor checkpoint staff have their hands full checking all the passes and special stickers of the large procession of stars, journalists, photographers, and team personnel making their way to the stairs of the bridge on their way to the grid. Not everyone turns out to have the correct admission ticket in the chaos, much to the annoyance of a number of noisy ‘but I am very important’ types.
Bodyguards
The grid is packed to the brim and you can literally walk over the heads. I come face to face with superstars like Kylian Mbappé, Dua Lipa, Zinédine Zidane, and Patrick Dempsey. The many bodyguards do everything they can to safely guide them across the grid, while the camera crews tumble over each other to catch a glimpse of them.
You would almost forget that a Formula 1 race is about to start from this place in a few minutes. The mechanics are holding their breath and are standing in a circle around the expensive cars that have been worked on with so much care and dedication. It remains remarkable that no one with a bit too much bubbly in their system has ever stumbled over a front wing of one of those cars that are so horribly in the way. Because let’s face it, that’s not what we’re here for, is it?
