Of course, it has to be said that both Spain in 2004 and Monaco in 2003 had significant layout changes.

When I'm 32

This Sunday Rubens Barrichello will hope to celebrate his 32nd birthday with a good result in the Monaco Grand Prix. While the Brazilian is the fourth oldest driver on the track, being 32 doesn't mean that a driver's too old to perform. No less than 355 of the 718 World Championship Grands Prix have been won by drivers who were 32 or older. Mario Andretti, Alberto Ascari, Jack Brabham, Juan Manuel Fangio, Giuseppe Farina, Damon Hill, Graham Hill, Phil Hill, Alan Jones, Nigel Mansell and Keke Rosberg all won their first World Championship after they had turned 32.

In his 32 years Barrichello has collected seven wins, 46 podium finishes, nine poles, eleven fastest laps and 369 points. Only nine drivers have scored more podium finishes than the Brazilian, and his points total ranks him an equally good tenth overall. Although Barrichello will likely remain in the shadow of his countrymen Ayrton Senna and Nelson Piquet, the Ferrari driver has achieved more than many other Formula One drivers.

Luck hasn't been on the Brazilian's side very often. His seven wins against 37 races led look a bit pale, and his history of retirements in his home Grand Prix is notorious. However, if the record of the over 32's is anything to go by, Barrichello might as well go into history with twenty wins and a World Championship.

If Barrichello should win his eight Grand Prix next Sunday, he will be the third driver in history to win a race on his birthday. James Hunt was the first to have a double celebration when he won the 1976 Dutch Grand Prix on his 29th birthday. In 1995 he was followed by Jean Alesi, who won his maiden victory in Canada on his 31st birthday.

This week in history

This week it's 22 years ago that one of the most extraordinary Monaco Grands Prix took place. At the first qualifying session nothing was exceptionally strange. Renault was fastest, as was the case in most qualifying sessions that year. Before Monaco both Rene Arnoux and Alain Prost had taken two pole positions, while Andrea de Cesaris was the surprising fastest qualifier at Long Beach. What was rather more surprising was Brabham driver Riccardo Patrese in third place. After having qualified fourth in Kyalami, the Italian had two mediocre and one downright bad qualifyings before coming to Monaco.

In the second session, the Brabham driver even moved up to second. The front rows of the grid were very colourful, as Renault were the only team with both cars in the top six. Arnoux grabbed pole, ahead of Patrese, Alfa driver Bruno Giacomelli, Alain Prost, Ferrari's Didier Pironi and Williams driver Keke Rosberg.

As the race started on Sunday Arnoux held on to the lead, and before the first lap was over both Giacomelli and Prost had made their way past Riccardo Patrese. Rosberg was another driver who had a troubled opening lap, falling behind de Cesaris and Alboreto.

After the fourth lap the Alfa of Bruno Giacomelli retired with technical problems leaving the top six Arnoux, Prost, Patrese, Pironi, de Cesaris and Alboreto. Arnoux was over six seconds clear of his teammate, who in turn had Giacomelli two seconds behind him. For the first part of the race the order remained unchanged. The Renaults were initially dominating, after which everyone kept the same pace, with Arnoux six seconds ahead of his teammate and Prost another six seconds ahead of the rest.

Just when the race started to look like a formality, Arnoux' Renault suddenly spun around near the swimming pool. The Frenchman stalled the engine in the middle of the track, unable to continue. With Arnoux out, Rosberg was back in the top six, but for the moment that was all that happened. However, Prost's lead over Patrese grew smaller and smaller as the Renault driver had trouble finding his way past the back markers. He kept his lead, and after 22 laps the only change in position was that Rosberg moved into fifth past Michele Alboreto in the Tyrrell.

Things stayed unchanged for a long time, and it looked as if this was going to end up as one of the most boring races in Monaco. Only Rosberg's fanatic attempts to find a way past Andrea de Cesaris were worth watching, until the Finn got too close and put his car in the barrier. This moved Derek Daly in the other Williams into the points, but also removed any excitement that was left. However, with eleven laps to go it all changed. While conditions had been overcast all day, it had remained dry until, with the finish looming, rain started to fall.

The last few laps became a whirlwind of spins, retirements and lead changes. Alboreto was the first to go when his rear suspension snapped. A lap later he was followed by Arrows driver Marc Surer, who had been tenth and last. Two laps later the second Tyrrell of Brian Henton retired, leaving just seven cars on track. The order was now Prost, Patrese, Pironi, de Cesaris, Daly, de Angelis, Mansell.

The grand finale was triggered as Alain Prost lapped Elio de Angelis' Lotus for the second time. The two collided and, while nothing serious happened at that moment, Prost lost control less than a lap later, sending his car violently into the barriers. The Frenchman retired on the spot and Patrese inherited the lead. A lap later the new leader also spun on the slippery surface at Mirabeau. Helped by a push start from the marshals and regaining speed in the following downhill section, the Brabham driver went after Pironi and de Cesaris.

The final lap then became one of the most incredible sights in recent years. First Andrea de Cesaris came to a stop as his Alfa ran out of fuel, giving Patrese second place, and with half a lap to go Pironi's Ferrari stopped with a dead battery, handing Patrese back the lead. Behind this spectacle, Nigel Mansell made a successful final jump past his teammate Elio de Angelis and Derek Daly, who also retired on the final lap.