Practice: This year the so-called “skirts” are introduced. These extended the body almost to the ground and thus reduced the amount of air under the car, creating a vacuum and sucking the car to the ground. The Cosworth V8 - 3-liter engine is at the end of its development delivering nearly 500 hp and everyone is keenly looking at the development of the 1500cc twin turbo Renault engine. The Ste-Devote chicane is modified again to reduce speed. 25 cars were allowed for qualification. Alan Jones and Carlos Reutemann make the Williams team, Clay Regazzoni moved to Ensign, Ickx quits and Pironi fills the space at Ligier and Tambay at McLaren is replaced by a little guy from F3 by the name of Alain Prost… No English driver has found a seat! The LigierTeam of Pironi and Lafitte were the quickest, pushing the time down less than 1’25”.
voices: Jackie Stewart and Phil Hill
Starting Grid
25 Pironi 1’24.81”
28 Reutemann 1’24.88”
Ligier C
Williams Cosworth
27 Jones 1’25.20”
5 Piquet 1’25.36”
Williams Cosworth
Brabham Cosworth
26 Lafitte 1’25.51”
2 Villeneuve 1’26.10”
Ligier Cosworth
Ferrari
22 Depaillier 1’26.21”
23 Giacomelli 1’26.23”
Alfa Romeo V12
Alfa Romeo V12
3 Jarier 1’26.37”
8 Prost 1’26.84
Tyrrell Cosworth
McLaren Cosworth
29 Patrese 1’26.83”
4 Daly 1’26.84”
Arrows Cosworth
Tyrrell Cosworth
9 Lammers 1’26.88”
12 de Angelis 1’26.93
ATS Cosworth
Lotus Cosworth
30 Mass 1’26.96”
15 Jabouille 1’27.10”
Arrows Cosworth
Renault Turbo
1 Scheckter 1’27.18”
20 Fittipaldi 1’27.49”
Ferrari Flat 12
Fittipaldi Cosworth
Race Pironi had a good start and following were Reutemann, Lafitte and Depailler who moved up quite some places.
When the pack arrived at the Ste-Devote, Daly forgot to brake, touched Giacomelli and his car is lifted by the rear wheels of the Alfa and catapulted over the pack of cars, taking with him Jarier, while poor Prost had to abandon also.
The commissaires had some work to do to clean up the mess and managed this within 2 laps!
Up front Ligier and Williams battled. Jones challenging Pironi until lap 25, when he had to give up with missing gears. Reutemann in the second Williams went for the challenge and took things coolly, not risking to take Pironi until in lap 55, when Pironi’s Ligier slipped a gear in the Casino square, hit the rail and bend his left front suspension.
Lafitte in the second Ligier was losing power and thus unable to challenge Reutemann.
Towards the end some rain fell, making the circuit with the accumulated rubber on the tarmac a slippery skate park. No one was able to overtake and Reutemann carefully steered to his Monaco win.
THE MONACO GRAND PRIX LIBRARY BY ROY HULSBERGEN
Practice: This year the so-called “skirts” are introduced. These extended the body almost to the ground and thus reduced the amount of air under the car, creating a vacuum and sucking the car to the ground. The Cosworth V8 - 3-liter engine is at the end of its development delivering nearly 500 hp and everyone is keenly looking at the development of the 1500cc twin turbo Renault engine. The Ste-Devote chicane is modified again to reduce speed. 25 cars were allowed for qualification. Alan Jones and Carlos Reutemann make the Williams team, Clay Regazzoni moved to Ensign, Ickx quits and Pironi fills the space at Ligier and Tambay at McLaren is replaced by a little guy from F3 by the name of Alain Prost… No English driver has found a seat! The LigierTeam of Pironi and Lafitte were the quickest, pushing the time down less than 1’25”. 
