The first Monaco Grand Prix ran in 1929 and was won by William Grover-Williams driving a Bugatti, however, only the year before the application for the race to be upgraded to national status was declined, the Monaco Grand Prix almost did not exist.
This was because the proposed racetrack utilized roads mainly within other countries that bordered Monaco. To get around this issue, the track was created on the streets of Monte Carlo. It also meant that this track was much shorter than the usual Formula One racing tracks, however, what they lack in length they make up for in the number of laps.