Due to the short twisty nature of the circuit the number of starters for the Monaco Grand Prix was limited to 16, but in order to make sure of getting a full starting grid 20 cars were accepted for practice and the fastest 16 were to be allowed to start. Naturally enough, with it being the first big European Grand Prix of the season, everyone wanted to join in the fun, so that when the final lists were drawn up there were sixteen works runners and four private owners. This indicated that there would be some fireworks during practice, for apart from the private owners all having to beat each other they had to beat some of the works cars as well, and it would only need one quick private owner to upset the tranquility of the works drivers.
The first practice session was at 5:45am on Thursday morning and as some encouragement to get drivers and teams out at this unearthly hour there was a prize of £100 for the fastest time recorded on this first outing. There were two noticeable happenings that morning; first the Ferrari team did not arrive, the cars not being ready in time, and secondly the whole circuit seemed to be flooded with green cars. This was a fine sight, and whereas a Grand Prix field used to have a preponderance of red it now had a marked preponderance of green.
There were the two Vanwalls of Moss and Brooks, with the spare car standing by; the two Connaughts of Lewis-Evans and Bueb, with their spare car; Salvadori and Flockhart with the BRMs; and the two Coopers, but they were lacking drivers, neither Brabham nor Leston having arrived.
