Monaco's transcendental track laps enough to send you loopy

The great part about Monaco is that evading tax is the moral responsibility of every citizen. Now, I'm not suggesting that's why the majority of the 38,682 residents are current or former F1 drivers, but it can't help. Plus, after the race every year, you can just walk home for your shower and ice bath.

Anyway, I don't want to blow the fiscal fiend's whistle on Mad Max, Alex Albon, Jenson Button, Giancarlo Fisichella, the Hamster, Chuck Leclerc, Nico and Keke Rosberg or Phil Massa to name just nine, but for a country of 2.02 square kilometres they sure pack in the tax-evading petrol heads.

The other reason to go to Monte Carlo (the global HQ of Monaco), apart from the Bread Festival every September 17, is the 3.37km Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco. Held around the narrow backstreets of Bert Grimaldi land, the course features the Fairmont Hotel hairpin, the slowest corner in F1 (48km/h) then a tunnel where you come out of the darkness into the blinding sun at 260km/h.

Only two drivers have decided to wash their cars in the harbour during the race and in 2003 not one car passed another. To Nelson Piquet, driving a Formula 1 car round Monaco was like "flying a helicopter around your living room".

Last weekend there were only two cars in the race. Mad Max in the Red Bull and Fred Alonso, 41, (or 16 years older than Maxie). While Fred was over 27 seconds behind the clog at the finish, during the race they were neck and neck.

Bored with F1? Then head over to Le Mans for the Centenaire des 24 Heures du Mans. Bad news is more Kiwi drivers (three) than real people. We only have Ryan Briscoe in the wonderfully named Glickenhaus 007 and Jimmy Allen in the Oreca 07-Gibson.

Talking of car sales: Simon Kidston sold the first ever Bentley (and first ever international entry) to compete at Le Mans race for about $6m this week. In 1923, Canadian WW1 veteran John Duff and Bentley test driver Frank Clement entered it privately and drove a super race but the Chenard-Walcker was the Red Bull and the Bentley the Aston Martin. The Bentley finished equal fourth after a stone pierced the fuel tank and pierced one of the lights. The fuel tank leaked, the light stopped working.

Then there's the last Panhard to race at Le Mans. Feast your eyes on the most aerodynamic car ever conceived. The little 848cc engine only pumps out 58KW "but their remarkable aerodynamic qualities enabled them to hit a top speed of 230 km/h, as much as competitors powered by engines of twice the capacity". Just so you know, Australia's best little car, the Kia Picanto, has 62KW of power and is good for 150km/h. This is one of two (Panhards, not Kias). Fresh, from the Le Mans museum to the Hotel Drouot for auction today. The Panhard was a runner in the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans. Yours this weekend for about $1.7m.