Monaco: The Circuit Under the Microscope
Prestigious, historic, legendary... there is no shortage of synonyms to describe the Monaco Grand Prix. The demanding track allows for no deviation in trajectory and requires extreme concentration from the drivers during the qualifications and the 78 laps of the race. Just before the qualifications, let's analyze each turn of this very special circuit.
No. 1 Sainte-Dévote: 3rd gear engaged – passing speed: 130 km/h
Named after the patron saint of the principality, Sainte Dévote is the first corner of the circuit, leading up to the Beau Rivage climb. In the past, this initial hotspot on the circuit has witnessed heroic overtakes and spectacular crashes. Crucial for the rest of the race, this bottleneck presents a real challenge at the start for all drivers.
👀 Seeing double 👀#MonacoGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/G18dMkh8cg
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 23, 2019
No.2 Beau Rivage: 7th gear engaged: passing speed 280 km/h
The climb of Beau Rivage is done at full throttle and leads into a long left-hand curve that gradually tightens. The first “peak” of speed for the drivers!
No.3 Massenet: 4th gear engaged – speed: 150 km/h
Keeping the ideal trajectory is a real challenge here, as braking occurs just after the end of the hill, almost blindly. The rest of the curve, downhill, significantly increases understeer. Speed and braking must be perfectly managed during timed sessions. Any deviation can be fatal for the car; for example, consider Rubens Barrichello’s crash during the 2010 race in his Williams.
No.4 Casino: 3rd committed report – passing speed: 130 km/h
Still downhill, the Casino corner precedes the famous bump that causes all the single-seaters to shift, keen to avoid any unloading and sudden oversteer.
No. 5 Mirabeau high: 2nd gear engaged – passing speed: 80 km/h
After regaining the ideal outside line, drivers execute heavy braking to dive into the inside of the Mirabeau high turn. A small overtaking opportunity is created for drivers during the braking. But space is tight, and a collision is inevitable if the driver in front decides to close the door. Some competitors may also go straight on during qualifying, like a certain Nico Rosberg at the end of Q3 in 2014, an incident that caused the anger of Lewis Hamilton, his teammate at Mercedes.
No.6 Fairmont (formerly Loews): 1st gear engaged – speed limit: 50 km/h
Legendary calendar highlight, this corner is the slowest of the entire season. In recent history, we recall here the daring maneuver by Räikkönen on Magnussen in 2014 that blocked both cars right in the middle of the turn.
2014 Monaco GP – Räikkönen, Magnussen pic.twitter.com/dz0RhJ6JIE
— Valmar Viisel (@paddocknews) May 28, 2014
No.7 Lower Mirabeau: 3rd gear engaged – speed: 80 km/h
Speed up in the descent of this left-hand turn and mandatory low revs to avoid loss of control. The curb can be climbed to stick as closely as possible to the trajectory!
No. 8 Gatekeeper: 3rd gear engaged – passage speed: 90 km/h
From the name of Paul Portier, former professor at the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco. This turn follows the lower Mirabeau, with a relatively slow pace. The trajectory and traction need to be managed optimally, as this turn forms the acceleration towards the Tunnel and its top speed.
No. 9 Tunnel: 8th report engaged – passing speed: 280 km/h
The only true tunnel of the season, its turn and exit are epic both externally and internally. The speed gain is considerable, and the braking at the end is tremendous. This forces drivers, launched at full throttle downhill, to go from nearly 280 km/h to less than 70 km/h in a few meters, on a bumpy and always narrow track.
No. 10 & 11New Chicane: 3rd gear engaged – passing speed: 70 km/h
Modified several times, the chicane is often the cause of numerous collisions and penalties. Narrow and equipped with thick curbs, the margin for maneuvering is very slim during the race. Remember Räikkönen’s Lotus against Pérez’s McLaren in 2013!
No. 12 Tobacco: 5th report engaged – passing speed: 150 km/h
Brushing against the barriers by a few centimeters, the trajectory is tense and leaves no room for error in the Tabac corner, whose name comes from the nearby cigarette shop, which still exists!
No. 13 & 14 Louis Chiron: 6th gear engaged – passing speed: 240 km/h
Paying tribute to the pre-war Monegasque driver, the Louis Chiron chicane is tackled at full load at over 240 km/h. Good suspension settings are essential here to maintain grip and traction over the curbs.
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 24, 2019
No. 15/16 Pool: 3rd gear engaged – speed: 105 km/h
The Pool S bends are revered by drivers, who enjoy brushing as close as possible to the barriers to maintain the optimal trajectory. The muscular left inner curb often surprises drivers, who end up against the barrier on the other side of the track. Ask Max Verstappen!
“This place bites and he got bitten pretty hard today” – Christian Horner
Max Verstappen will start from last on the grid after this crash in final practice put him out of qualifying #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/PK7X9MM2hV
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 26, 2018
No. 17&18 Rascasse: 1st gear engaged – passing speed: 70 km/h
Derived from the name of the nearby bar-nightclub, the Rascasse corner resembles a hairpin after a slight left where braking remains tricky to best negotiate the tight turn in two stages. A real overtaking opportunity in the race, this corner frequently witnesses collisions, caused by drivers attempting everything they can. As seen in the main race in Formula 2 this Friday between Mick Schumacher and Tatiana Calderon. Some had more success, like the late Jules Bianchi, who provided us a moment of bravery in the race in 2014, to the detriment of Kamui Kobayashi, on his Caterham.
Road Block ahead – use alternative route where possible 😬🚷#MonacoGP 🇲🇨 #F2 pic.twitter.com/AJbCRHkXvh
— Formula 2 (@FIA_F2) May 24, 2019
No. 19 Anthony Noghes: 3rd gear engaged – passing speed: 125 km/h
Last turn of the circuit, the Anthony Noghes corner is named after the son of the Monaco Automobile Club who designed the circuit in 1929. The entry trajectory is essential, as is the management of traction, since the corner is crucial for building momentum towards the start/finish straight, leading to the only DRS zone on the circuit.
