One of the more prestigious races on the Formula One calendar is the Monaco Grand Prix. Undoubtedly, every year when the historic race rolls around there is mention of the motorsport Triple Crown. It is considered by many fans to be the unofficial peak of achievement in motorsport. In fact, the Triple Crown is an achievement so rare that only one driver in history has ever completed it.

What is the Triple Crown?

The Triple Crown of motorsport is an unofficial motorsport achievement that consists of winning three particular motorsport events:

• Monaco Grand Prix
• Indianapolis 500
• 24 Hours of Le Mans

Each of these three events represents a unique challenge that tests a driver’s abilities. The Monaco Grand Prix tests a driver’s precision, the Indy 500 tests a driver’s speed and racecraft, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans tests a driver’s endurance. An alternative definition of the Triple Crown that is sometimes used substitutes the Monaco Grand Prix with the Formula One World Championship.

Why is it so hard to complete?

While each event that comprises the Triple Crown is prestigious on its own, the deeper challenge comes from how different the three disciplines are from each other. Finding success in F1 doesn’t necessarily translate to IndyCar or endurance racing, and vice versa.

Success in the Monaco Grand Prix heavily favours both technical precision and qualifying performance, since the narrow track makes overtaking more difficult than at other circuits.

In contrast, the Indy 500 benefits those who can leverage racecraft and traffic management at high speeds on an oval circuit. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is a team-based endurance race, favouring teams who demonstrate consistency, adaptability, and synergy between drivers.

In modern motorsport, drivers commonly specialize in specific disciplines early in their careers. This makes it increasingly rare for someone to successfully compete across all three disciplines and earn a Triple Crown.

One driver to rule them all

To this day, Graham Hill is the only driver to have successfully completed the motorsport Triple Crown.

Hill won the Monaco Grand Prix five times between 1963 and 1969, earning him the nickname “Mr. Monaco.” He won the Indy 500 in 1966 while competing in the United States Auto Club (USAC) Championship. For the 24 Hours of Le Mans, his Triple Crown was completed in 1972 upon winning the event with Equipe Matra Sports.

Hill’s racing career spanned a period of time when it was more common for drivers to compete in multiple motorsports, something that is much rarer with modern Formula One drivers.

Other notable contenders

There have been several drivers who have come close to completing the Triple Crown, but have ultimately fallen short.

The most notable modern example is Fernando Alonso. The two-time Formula One World Champion has multiple wins for both the Monaco Grand Prix and the 24 Hours of Le Mans under his belt. The final piece of the Triple Crown that has escaped him is the Indy 500, despite a handful of attempts.

Another contender for the title is Juan Pablo Montoya. The Colombian racing driver arguably has gotten closer to achieving the feat than Alonso. In addition to his Monaco and Indy 500 wins, he has also won a class trophy for the LMP2 Pro-Am class at the 2021 24 Hours of Le Mans. Since he has yet to secure an overall win at Le Mans, he does not have the final piece required for the achievement.

How attainable is the Triple Crown today?

In the modern iteration of Formula One, the Triple Crown isn’t as realistic a career goal as it used to be in previous eras. This is due to several factors, including the tight race calendar, contractual restrictions, and the physical demands put on modern F1 drivers. These factors leave little room for drivers to pursue other disciplines outside of the World Drivers Championship.

Final thoughts

The Triple Crown of motorsport continues to be one of the most elusive milestones in racing history. Graham Hill stands alone as the only driver to achieve it, with many drivers coming close over the years. As F1 continues to evolve and become more demanding of its drivers, the title will remain out of reach for most who dream complete it.