The 2008 Formula One world championship has reached the halfway mark with nine races down and nine to go. The fight for the championship went down to the wire in 2007 and a nail-biting finish lies in prospect for this year.

The heat is on with the top five drivers separated by just 14 points and the top three constructors by just 15 points. It's a great time to discuss which is the best of some speedy and some tricky tracks on the F1 calendar.

The sport goes to a variety of different circuits and each of them offers a different test to the drivers as well as the constructors. Power has been a prominent feature in the modern cars and emphasis on it has only increased over time. But the race on the calendar that tests not only the physical endurance and technical capabilities of the drivers but takes a stern test of their mental strength is the Monaco Grand Prix.

The circuit is very narrow and is touted as the most unsafe of all. Located in Monte Carlo and thus also known as Monte Carlo street circuit, it is a unique racing venue on the calendar. The organisers start to prepare the circuit six weeks before the race and the dismantling takes another month. So, the Monaco legs of F1, F2, F3000 and GP2 are all held around the same time.

A lap around the circuit gives the feel of some real, wild street racing. Barricades are put on the sides to prevent the cars from crashing into the adjacent structures. There are parts of the circuit where two Formula 1 cars would barely fit next to each other. Nelson Piquet quiet aptly compared the experience to “flying a helicopter in your living room”.

Driving on this circuit involves such risk that, had it not been for the history of the circuit dating back to 1929, it would have never been inducted into the calendar in the modern era. Graham Hill won the F1 GP five times there, giving him the nickname of ''Mr Monaco''. Ayrton Senna went on to win it six times, while Michael Schumacher and Alain Prost have been victorious on five and four occasions respectively.

The circuit has undergone many changes with time but still remains the acid test of a driver’s skills. The entry into La Rascasse corner in the third sector was made gentle in 2003. A mini roundabout at the Saint Devote corner, which had been the site for many first-lap accidents, was removed in 2004 to make the entrance wider. The Grand Hotel hairpin, a 180 degree left-hander, requires drivers to brake hard and bring the speed right down, sometimes even below 50kph.

Another interesting feature of this circuit is the tunnel below the Fairmont Hotel out of which the speeds soar above 250kph. The change from light to dark and again into light while crossing the tunnel is a huge challenge and involves great risk. The left-right chicane that follows is probably the only part of the circuit where overtaking can realistically by achieved.

Another feather in the cap of the circuit is the Piscine chicane where the cars go past a swimming pool. Besides the bumps, obstacles and challenges the race is set on a picturesque background of the Monaco harbour and is a real sight to behold. All drivers aspire to prove their skills by doing well on this circuit. Just completing all the laps of this race is considered a task well accomplished.