By Marco Hugo Barsotti MHB 
There was a time when the Monaco Monte Carlo Grand Prix was filmed and broadcast by Tele MonteCarlo itself. It started from Monte Agel, transmitted to Italy on channel 35, to France on channel 32, and to the rest of the world via a satellite relay.
A time when the recordings relied on only four cameras, whereas today about fifty are used.
An era – lasting until the 2000s – when the recordings were credited to Tele Montecarlo and not – as now – to the FOM, Formula One Group, part of Liberty Media whose CEO is Stefano Domenicali.
At the Helm
And who was at the helm in the ’70s and ’80s? Exactly Jocelyn Hattab, known in Italy as the first VJ of the Italian version of Tele Monte Carlo and for many television programs.
A few years ago we interviewed him, asking him to tell us some unpublished facts from that period. So here is what he told us, in his own voice. Find the interview video here and its transcript in Italian, French and English.
Jocelyn Speaks
We are a bit away from the circuit because you hear the noise; qualifying is happening right now. We have moved a little off to be a bit more relaxed to talk about the Grand Prix in the 70s and 80s. You may not know that I have been involved in the production of this Grand Prix for well over 20 years,
Cables Too Short
Well, back then there were three minibuses and a master unit that transmitted the image because the cable length didn’t reach. Now the Principality is fully equipped with fiber‑optic cables that allow a bus‑only feed but with 36 and sometimes almost 50 cameras located at the far end of the harbor. Previously the control room was at the exit of the “S” of the pool; in the meantime things have evolved a lot because at the beginning there were helicopters that sent images, image by image, car to car.
Only Four Points of View
That means we had four possible images that we could swap, which came from on‑board cameras. Now it’s much easier, especially in Monte Carlo, where everything has been redesigned for the Grand Prix. In those years the dominance of Senna, Prost, there was already Ayrton, there was Stewart.
On 16mm Film
With Stewart, among other things, we did the first experiment of on‑board cameras on the car, where he did a lap of the circuit to see if the image could hold up, and it was on 16 mm, meaning on film, and already Steve helped us in this regard and then it became a practice to have cameras on the cars. Moreover, I used this system in my games like a game of the goose on the helmet in the snake pit against the competitor; it passed. This was truly my signature, always having these small cameras that really gave the sense of action,
Safety
The difference today compared to the Grand Prix of old is safety, especially because drivers have ensured more safety. You have seen that the cars now have a T on top, they have something that keeps the circuit safer; the insecurity in Monte Carlo was truly one of the issues. Safety, among many officials, the ability to remove cars in a very short time, the groups and the gates, etc., etc., the cars—I speak about them as a driver, as a driver, people…
No Radio
Back then there was nothing; we only had panels at the pass in front of the pits that gave us the time, who was ahead, who was behind. In short, I would love the Grand Prix to be a story of drivers, but it’s also a bit a story of cars. Right now we see Luc Claire in a Ferrari doing everything to reach the top positions, and it’s very difficult in front of RED, Red Bull and Mercedes. They use everyday cars specially built for the track or historic cars. I have finished doing the Bpci D series, etc., etc., to move on to watching them rather than…
Chiusura.
On line, su X e Mastodon, su tutti gli smart speaker e sulle onde medie, questa è FranciaOggi con Centrale Milano 1575 chilocicli.