Narrow city streets, sudden elevation shifts and perilous corners; familiarise yourself with all the twists and turns of the Circuit de Monaco before arriving in Monte Carlo for your Monaco Grand Prix yacht charter.
The track at the Monaco Grand Prix is considered to be the most demanding in Formula 1 racing. Laid out on the sinuous streets of Monaco, the circuit favours the skill of the driver over the power of the car, meaning F1 competitors face the biggest technical challenge of the entire season.
Covering 260km, the circuit is the only grand prix that doesn’t adhere to the FIA’s mandated 305km minimum race distance. But this doesn’t mean the 78-lap race is short of drama. Read our turn-by-turn guide to discover more about the legendary Monte Carlo circuit.
The lap starts with a short sprint up Boulevard Albert 1er to the tight Saint Devote corner, named after a small church just beyond the barriers. A nearly 90-degree right-hand turn, it's usually taken in first or second gear.
Next up is a high-speed uphill section called Beau Rivage, translated as ‘beautiful coastline’. Drivers pick up speeds of 155mph as they try and get away from the busy first turn.
But they can’t go too fast because they have to change down for the long left-hand corner at Massenet. This part of the track is named after the bust of opera composer Jules Massenet which sits outside the opera house alongside the turn.
Coming out of this corner, cars then drive past the famous Casino before reaching Casino Square. This part of the track is 44 metres higher than its lowest section and continues down Avenues des Beaux, a short straight where an enormous bump in the road needs to be avoided.
Drivers then face the perilous right-hand corner known as Mirabeau before a short downhill burst leads to the even tighter Grand Hotel Hairpin – one of the race’s most iconic and dangerous moments.
Named after the hotel on the side of the track, it is the slowest corner on the F1 calendar, with drivers going just 30mph and having to use their full steering lock to get around.
Cars then head downhill again to a double right-hand corner known as Portier, named after a region of Monaco. F1 fans may remember this corner for when Ayrton Senna crashed in 1988.
Then drivers put their foot down as they power through the Tunnel. This unique section can be problematic, particularly when drivers emerge from the dark tunnel on a sunny day and are hit with beaming sunlight.
Out of the tunnel, cars have to descend another hill before braking hard for the Nouvelle Chicane, one of the few overtaking points on the circuit located right next to the luxury yachts in Port Hercules. This part has been the scene of several large accidents, including Sergio Perez in 2011.
Following the chicane is a sweeping left-hand turn called Tabac. Named after a small tobacco shop on the side of the track, it has seen some heavy impact crashes as cars roar round at about 121mph.
Accelerating up to 140mph, cars then reach Piscine. Named after the swimming pool that was built here in the 1970s, the section was previously a long straight but, forced to adapt, it now incorporates two tight corners where drivers are reluctant to drop their speed.
Drivers then confront La Rascasse, a tight 135-degree turn named after an old fisherman’s restaurant which is now an upscale eatery. It is famous for being the place where Michael Schumacher stopped during qualification in 2006 to prevent his rival Fernando Alonso from beating him and taking pole position.
The Rascasse takes the cars into a short straight which precedes the final corner named after the Monaco Grand Prix founder, Anthony Noghes. A tight right-hand turn, it brings drivers back onto the start/finish straight and across the line to start a new lap.
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