Founded in 1995, the event was contested until 2010 by drivers in junior and senior classes. The kart circuit followed Port Hercules of the famous Formula One track, including corners such as Tabac, La Piscine and La Rascasse. The junior race was known as the Junior Monaco Grand Prix[a] from 2006 to 2010.
The 1997 edition saw Salignon add to his 1995 title by winning the senior class, becoming the only driver to win in both the junior and the senior classes at the Monaco Kart Cup. Gianluca Beggio secured his second consecutive ICC title, adding to his five World Championships and three European Championships. The gearbox class was discontinued after the 1999 edition, not returning until 2009.
Robert Kubica took back-to-back junior titles in 1998 and 1999, becoming the first—and to this date, only—driver to win multiple Junior Monaco Kart Cups. Jérôme d'Ambrosio ended his reign in 2000, beating Michael Ammermüller and Carlo van Dam to the title.
The 2002 Monaco Kart Cup saw the introduction of the 6 Hours of Monte Carlo, a six-hour endurance race around the Principality, held continuously until the final meeting in 2010. It was also the final year of the senior direct-drive FA class, with Benjamin Horstman successfully defending his 2001 title; Alexander Sims took the junior crown.
From 2003 to 2004, development work to the harbour at Port Hercules saw the cancellation of the event in those years.[1] The 2005 edition saw the introduction of the Monaco Four-Stroke Contest, using 250cc four-stroke engines. The one-off Monaco Rok Up was also contested that year, won by Swiss driver Antonio Ruggiero.
Junior Monaco Grand Prix and second cancellation (2006–2010)
The Junior Monaco Kart Cup was revived in 2006 as the Junior Monaco Grand Prix, now running as the primary class. Scott Jenkins beat compatriot Oliver Rowland, driving for Intrepid.
The all-star race returned in electric karts in 2007 as the one-off Monaco Elec-Kart Trophy, won by 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Stéphane Ortelli, becoming the first Monégasque driver to win an individual event at the Monaco Kart Cup. The junior class was contested under the newly-established KF3 regulations, won by Max Goff.
The senior gearbox class returned in 2009, replacing the four-stroke event and running the secondary KZ2 regulations. French driver Anthony Abbasse won the first KZ2 event, with Carlos Sainz Jr. winning the Junior Monaco Grand Prix.
2010—the final year of the event—saw hometown hero Charles Leclerc take the KF3 crown ahead of Dennis Olsen and Pierre Gasly. The KZ2 race was won by Norman Nato, driving for CRG. The 2011 edition was cancelled due to unspecified technical reasons, marking the end of the Monaco Kart Cup.[1]
The junior direct-drive class was held from the inaugural 1995 edition until its final 2010 edition. Until 2007, it was contested under ICA-J regulations, prior to the class being replaced by KF3 in international competition.
The secondary gearbox class Intercontinental C (ICC) was contested as a tertiary competition at the Monaco Kart Cup from 1995 to 1999. After a seven-year hiatus, the senior class returned in 2009 under KZ2 regulations, replacing FA.
Gianluca Beggio was the only driver to win multiple gearbox Monaco Grands Prix, winning back-to-back in 1998 and 1999.
From 2001 to 2002, the Monaco Stars Cup was held as an all-star race, contested again in 2007 as the Monaco Elec-Kart Trophy, or the VIP Electric Trophée, in electric karts.[11]
