For the first time since 2019, the famous football match prior to the F1 Monaco Grand Prix, which has historically always taken place at the Luis II Stadium, owned by AS Monaco from Ligue 1, was played last Tuesday, May 24, as act prior to the Montecarlo race.
In the event, as usual, a team made up of drivers from Formula 1, motor racing and other motor sports faced off against another group created by stars from other sports.
The team of drivers, trained by Oscar Damiani , an Italian ex-soccer player and agent, was attended by some top-flight talents such as Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, Valtteri Bottas, Max Verstappen, Pierre Gasly, Carlos Sainz, Esteban Ocon, Daniel Ricciardo, Giancarlo Fisichella, Felipe Massa or Charles Leclerc.
While in the rival team, with Claudio Ranieri and Didier Deschamps at the controls, some of the best known faces were those of Prince Albert II himself, Ludovic Giuly , Daniil Kvyat, Max Biaggi, Stefanos Tsitsipas , Nico Rosberg or the legendary Francesco Totti .
The match itself delighted the fans present, the vast majority of them fans of motor sports and more specifically of Formula 1, a category that visits the principality this week to play the seventh round of the 2022 calendar.
As usually happens in these matches, the goals were the main protagonists of a game that did not stand out precisely for its high tactical level. The score, tied at three at the end of the game, left everyone happy after enjoying a curious and historical spectacle, as well as fun.
The great protagonist of the afternoon at the Luis II Stadium was Carlos Sainz , the Spanish Ferrari driver was the best player in the drivers’ team, scoring two goals when the group made up of sports stars was with a two-goal advantage ( 3-1).
Thanks to these two goals, the man from Madrid won the prize for the best player of the match, receiving an award in the form of a tire, similar to the one that Formula 1 gives to the driver who achieves pole position during a grand prix in the highest category of motorsport.
The funniest action of the match was performed by Pierre Gasly when, while trying to play a ball that came from behind, he sent the ball into the Monaco sky, losing all reference and spinning around. Play that, if not for the rival goalkeeper, would have meant an impressive hat-trick for Sainz .
The images of the F1 charity match prior to the 2022 Monaco GP
