  | |
| Location | La Condamine andMonte Carlo,Monaco |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 43°44′5″N7°25′14″E / 43.73472°N 7.42056°E /43.73472; 7.42056 |
| Capacity | 37,000 |
| FIA Grade | 1 (GP)[1] |
| Opened | 14 April 1929; 96 years ago (1929-04-14) |
| Major events | Current: Formula One Monaco Grand Prix (1950, 1955–2019, 2021–present) Formula E Monaco ePrix (2015, 2017, 2019, 2021–present) Former: Historic Grand Prix of Monaco (1997, biennial 2000–2018, 2021–2022, 2024) |
| Grand Prix Circuit (2015–present) (Tabac slightly moved) | |
| Length | 3.337 km (2.074 mi) |
| Turns | 19 |
| Race lap record | 1:12.909 ( Lewis Hamilton,Mercedes W12,2021,F1) |
| Extended Formula E Circuit (2021) (changes in Nouvelle Chicane) | |
| Length | 3.318 km (2.062 mi) |
| Turns | 19 |
| Race lap record | 1:31.317 ( António Félix da Costa,DSE-Tense FE21,2021,F-E) |
| Original Formula E Circuit (2015–2019) | |
| Length | 1.765 km (1.097 mi) |
| Turns | 12 |
| Race lap record | 0:52.385 ( Pascal Wehrlein,MahindraM5Electro,2019,F-E) |
| 6th Variation (2003–2014) (tightened, slower chicane at exit of swimming pool section) | |
| Length | 3.340 km (2.075 mi) |
| Turns | 19 |
| Race lap record | 1:14.439 (Michael Schumacher,Ferrari F2004,2004,F1) |
| 5th Variation (1997–2002) (redesigned swimming pool section) | |
| Length | 3.370 km (2.094 mi) |
| Turns | 18 |
| Race lap record | 1:18.023 ( Rubens Barrichello,Ferrari F2002,2002,F1) |
| 4th Variation (1986–1996) (Nouvelle chicane added) | |
| Length | 3.328 km (2.068 mi) |
| Turns | 20 |
| Race lap record | 1:21.076 (Michael Schumacher,Benetton B194,1994,F1) |
| 3rd Variation (1976–1985) (using tighter curves of Sainte Dévote and Antony Noghès) | |
| Length | 3.312 km (2.058 mi) |
| Turns | 20 |
| Race lap record | 1:22.637 ( Michele Alboreto,Ferrari 156/85,1985,F1) |
| 2nd Variation (1973–1975) (redesigned with new tunnel, swimming pool section) | |
| Length | 3.278 km (2.037 mi) |
| Turns | 17 |
| Race lap record | 1:27.900 ( Ronnie Peterson,Lotus 72E,1974,F1) |
| 1st Variation (1955–1972) (chicane in the port moved further away from the tunnel) | |
| Length | 3.145 km (1.954 mi) |
| Turns | 13 |
| Race lap record | 1:22.200 (Jackie Stewart,Tyrrell 004,1971,F1) |
| Original Circuit (1929–1954) | |
| Length | 3.180 km (1.976 mi) |
| Turns | 14 |
| Race lap record | 1:46.5 ( Rudolf Caracciola,Mercedes-Benz W125,1937,Grand Prix) |
Circuit de Monaco is a 3.337 km (2.074 mi)street circuit laid out on the city streets ofMonte Carlo andLa Condamine around the harbour of thePrincipality of Monaco. It is commonly, and even officially,[2] referred to as "Monte Carlo" because it is largely inside theMonte Carlo neighbourhood of Monaco.
The circuit is annually used on three weekends in April–May forFormula OneMonaco Grand Prix,Formula EMonaco ePrix andHistoric Grand Prix of Monaco. Formula One's respective feeder series over the years –Formula 3000,GP2 Series and today theFormula 2 andFIA Formula 3 championships andPorsche Supercup – also visit the circuit concurrently with Formula One. TheMonaco Grand Prix is one of the three events victories which count towards theTriple Crown of Motorsport.
The idea for a Grand Prix race around the streets ofMonaco came fromAntony Noghès, the president of the Monegasquemotor club,Automobile Club de Monaco, and close friend of the rulingGrimaldi family. The inaugural race was held in 1929 and was won byWilliam Grover-Williams in aBugatti.
To date, only four local drivers have won a race at the circuit.Louis Chiron did it at the non-championship1931 Monaco Grand Prix; 82 years later,Stefano Coletti crossed the line in first position at the sprint race of the2013 Monaco GP2 Series round. The third driver to do so wasStéphane Richelmi at the sprint race of the2014 Monaco GP2 Series round. The fourth wasCharles Leclerc at the2024 Monaco Grand Prix.
The track has remained substantially unchanged since its creation in 1929: as a city circuit, its conformation is closely linked to that of the principality's road system. The changes were almost entirely connected to redefinitions of the ordinary roads of the town.
In the first editions of the Grand Prix, the start and finish were placed on Boulevard Albert 1er (the innermost straight, which leads to the Sainte Dévote curve). In 1955 the start and finish were moved to the opposite straight, overlooking the promenade (that now houses the pit lane). At the time, neither the Piscine complex nor the "La Rascasse" hairpin existed: after the "Tabac" curve, the route proceeded in the lane that is parallel to today's starting straight: the two sections (separated only by a row of trees) were joined by a single narrow hairpin called the "Gasometer". As can be seen from the period films, in the second half of the 1950s the only existing lane after the Tabac was the one mentioned; in fact, in those years, the lane that we now call "promenade" with the two "Piscine" chicanes was not yet defined, and only in the 1960s images we can notice the progress of the landfilling about that portion of the bay, including the Piscine area which would be completed shortly thereafter.
In 1963 the starting line was moved back to Boulevard Albert 1er (opposite the promenade). The swimming pool and the waterfront lane that 10 years later would become part of the circuit had already been created, but at that point in time no changes were made to the track from the "Tabac" to the "Gasometer".
In 1972 the boxes were moved near the "Chicane" area of the port, so the chicane was relocated closer to the "Tabac" curve. After this, the track continued on the usual straight (parallel to the starting lane) using the "Gasometer" curve for the last time. This solution lasted only a year and, in the following months, the main works were completed in time for the 1973 Grand Prix with the construction of a new section, connecting the "Tabac" curve to "Piscine" (Stade Nautique). This change added 0.133 km (0.083 mi) to the circuit – bringing its total length to 3.278 km (2.037 mi) – adding the new portion along the harbour, which followed the layout of the swimming pool and ended in a new chicane around the "La Rascasse" restaurant and a slight climb to the "Antony Noghès Curve" before rejoining the starting straight. The boxes were reinstalled in the old lane (now free). 1972 was also the last year for the passage through the old tunnel.
In 1973, as anticipated, the track was modified at various points also due to the construction of new civil buildings. In particular, a new hotel was under construction in the "Old Station" hairpin area (Hotel Loews, later renamed Fairmont), resulting in an extension of the tunnel towards the "Portier" curve. Images and videos from 1973[3] show the unusual passage under the new long tunnel, above which the pillars of the Loews hotel are being built. At the exit of the tunnel there was the traditional port chicane and, after the "Tabac" curve, the new path adjacent to the swimming pools (two "S" left–right and right–left connected by a short straight) and "La Rascasse" hairpin. It was the first year for the new garages in an independent lane, with an entrance just after "La Rascasse", where an asphalt slide was installed to overcome the difference in level from the roadway.
In 1976 the "Sainte Dévote" and "Antony Noghès" corners were modified: in order to slow down the transit of the cars, curbs and protections were repositioned.
In 1986, thanks to the expansion of the roadway implemented in the chicane area of the port, the chicane itself was modified and made slower: instead of the previously existing fast change of direction, deemed too dangerous, new curbs were installed to design a double turn at 90 degrees. It was then renamed "Nouvelle Chicane".
In 1997 the first "Piscine" corner was modified: the shifting of the track edge protections improved the visibility for the drivers and allowed a higher speed. A year later (at the request ofPasquale Lattuneddu, chief operating officer of Formula One Management), the whole area of the paddock was surrounded with shatterproof fences, in order to reduce and better manage the people authorised to access them.
In 2003 the second "Piscine" curve underwent a treatment similar to that of the first curve, with the shifting of the barriers to improve visibility, while the arrangement of new temporary curbs went to slow down the passage of the cars. However, the most important novelty was the widening of the port lane: in this way the segment between "Piscine" and "La Rascasse" could be rectified, becoming faster and less demanding. The extra space also allowed for the installation of new grandstands and the expansion of the pit lane, which was also equipped with semi-permanent two-storey buildings (instead of the previous tiny prefabricated structures) to better accommodate the teams, the technicians and the material.
Before the 2007 season, the internal curb of the "Grand Hotel" hairpin was significantly lowered and widened, in order to allow the single-seaters to climb on it and eventually face the curve with a narrower trajectory.
Since the 2003 edition, the traffic divider at the "Sainte Dévote" curve has been removed in order to widen the track: the track design is now left to the curb only. This has meant, for safety reasons, an extension of the exit lane from the pits: in practice, once the "proper" pit lane has been left, the drivers must remain in the yellow line that "cuts" the "Sainte Dévote".
The pit lane was further revised in 2004 by reversing the position of the pits with respect to the lane itself, building a much larger and more welcoming structure. Monaco has thus become the only Formula 1 circuit in which the pits are not facing the track, but rather physically separate it from the pit lane.
In 2011, after some accidents that occurred during the race weekend (the Mexican driver Sergio Pérez suffered a rather serious one), the drivers urged a change in the sector between the exit of the tunnel and the "Nouvelle Chicane", complaining (above all) about the disconnection of the road surface and incorrect positioning of the guard rail in the escape route opposite the tunnel. However, these requests were not followed up.
In 2015 the "Tabac" curve was re-profiled, slightly anticipating the entrance and thus shortening the track by three metres (from 3.340 km (2.075 mi) to 3.337 km (2.074 mi) today).
The building of thecircuit takes six weeks, and the dismantling after the race another three weeks. The race circuit is narrow, with many elevation shifts and tight corners. These features make it perhaps the most demanding track inFormula One racing. Although the course has changed many times during its history, it is still considered the ultimate test of driving skills in Formula One.[4] It contains both the slowest corner in Formula One (the Fairmont Hairpin, taken at just 48 km/h or 30 mph) and one of the quickest (the flat out kink in the tunnel, three turns beyond the hairpin, taken at 260 km/h or 160 mph).
Due to the tight and twisty nature of the circuit, it favours the skill of the drivers over the power of the cars. However, there is very littleovertaking as the course is so narrow and dangerous, as demonstrated by the2021 Monaco Grand Prix having only one overtake in a 78 lap race (whenMick Schumacher overtook his teammateNikita Mazepin on the opening lap).Nelson Piquet likened racing round the course to "riding a bicycle around your living room".[5] Prior to 1987, the number of cars starting the race was limited to 20, compared to 26 at other circuits. The famous tunnel section (running under theFairmont Hotel, marked in grey in the circuit diagram above) is said to be difficult for drivers to cope with due to the quick switch from light to dark, then back to light again, at one of the fastest points of the course. As a result, race outcomes tend to be decided bygrid positions as well aspit strategies, and the race is extremely hard on gearboxes and brakes.
Several attempts have been made to improve cramped conditions in the pit garages. In 2002, a substantial amount of land was reclaimed from the harbour to slightly change the shape of one section of the circuit; this left more space for new pit garages, which debuted in the 2004 event.
The circuit is generally recognized to be less safe than other circuits used for Formula One. Driver and former winnerMichael Schumacher stated before the 2012 Grand Prix that the additional risk is "justifiable once a year".[6] If it were not already an existing Grand Prix, it would not be permitted to be added to the Formula One schedule, for safety reasons.[7]
In January 2009, the circuit was voted top of the "Seven Sporting Wonders of the World" in a poll of 3,500British sports fans.[8]
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The lap starts with a short sprint up Boulevard Albert Ier, to the tightSainte-Dévote corner, named afterSainte-Dévote Chapel, a small church just beyond the barriers. This is a nearly 90-degree right-hand bend usually taken in first or second gear.[9] This corner has seen many first lap accidents, although these are less common since the removal of the mini roundabout on the apex of the corner before the 2003 event, making the entrance to the corner wider. The cars then head uphill along Avenue d'Ostende, before changing down for the long left-hander atMassenet. The maximum gradient in this part of the circuit is around 12%.
Out of Massenet, the cars drive past the famous casino,Monte Carlo Casino, before quickly reaching the aptly namedCasino Square. This part of the track is 44 m (144 ft) higher than the lowest part. The cars snake down Avenue des Beaux Arts, the next short straight, avoiding an enormous bump on the left of the track, a reminder of the unique nature of the circuit. This leads to the tightMirabeau corner, which is followed by a short downhill burst to the even tighterFairmont Hairpin (was known as theStation Hairpin before the hotel was opened on the site in 1973; the hairpin's name changed depending on the name on the hotel).[10] It is a corner which has been used for many overtaking manoeuvres in the past. However, it would be almost physically impossible for two modern F1 cars to go round side by side, as the drivers must use full steering lock to get around. It is so tight that many Formula 1 teams must redesign their steering and suspension specifically to negotiate this corner.
After the hairpin, the cars head downhill again to a double right-hander calledPortier, named after the region of Monaco, before heading into the famous tunnel, a unique feature of a Formula One circuit. (Until 2009 only one other circuit,Detroit in 1982–1988, featured a tunnel, but the F1 series now includes racing at theYas Marina Circuit inAbu Dhabi, which presents a shorter tunnel at the exit of the pit lane.) As well as the change of light making visibility poor,[11] a car can lose 20–30% of itsdownforce due to the uniqueaerodynamic properties of the tunnel.[11] The tunnel also presents a unique problem when it rains. As it is virtually indoors, the tunnel usually remains dry while the rest of the track is wet, with only the cars bringing in water from their tyres. Famously before the very wet1984 race, Formula One bossBernie Ecclestone had local fire crews wet down the road in the tunnel to give it the same surface grip as the rest of the track. This was done at the request ofMcLaren driverNiki Lauda.
Out of the tunnel, the cars have to brake hard for the tight left–right–leftNouvelleChicane. This has been the scene of several large accidents, including that ofKarl Wendlinger in1994,Jenson Button in2003 andSergio Pérez in2011. The chicane is generally the only place on the circuit where overtaking can be attempted. There is a short straight toTabac, so called as there used to be a tobacconist on the outside of the corner.Tabac is a tight fourth-gear corner which is taken at about 195 km/h (121 mph).[12] Accelerating up to 225 km/h (140 mph),[12] the cars reachPiscine, a fast left–right followed by a slower right–left chicane which takes the cars past theRainier III Nautical Stadium, itsswimming pool gives its name to the corner.
FollowingPiscine, there is a short straight followed by heavy braking for a quick left which is immediately followed by the tight 135-degree right-hander calledLa Rascasse. This is another corner that requires full steering lock; it is remembered as the location of one of the most suspicious manoeuvres in recent Formula One history whenMichael Schumacher appeared to deliberately stop his car during qualifying for the2006 race so as to preventFernando Alonso andMark Webber – who were both following and were on flying laps – from out-qualifying him.Rascasse takes the cars into a short straight that precedes the final corner,VirageAntony Noghès. Named after the organiser of the first Monaco Grand Prix, the corner is a tight right-hander which brings the cars back onto the start-finish straight, and across the line to start a new lap.
Monaco is one of the three circuits which have only oneDRS zone, the others beingSuzuka andImola. During the race, it is active along the pit straight from Antony Noghès to Sainte-Dévote, for a total of 510 m (560 yd).[13]
Monaco's street circuit places very different demands on the cars in comparison to the majority of the other circuits used during a Championship season. The cars are set up with highdownforce; not as is popularly believed to increase cornering speeds, as many of the corners are taken at such a low speed to negate any aerodynamic effect, but instead to shorten braking times and keep the cars stable under acceleration.[14] Many teams use special wing assemblies incorporating extra active planes in addition to those in use for other circuits. TheJordan andArrows teams tried to use new mid-wings in 2001. The Arrows wing was similar in design to a normal rear wing but smaller and suspended above the nose cone. Jordan had a small wing suspended on a short pole just in front of the driver. Both were designed to improve downforce, but, after testing them during Thursday practice, the FIA banned both.
Brake wear is not a problem during a race in Monaco. Instead, the low speeds mean the issue is keeping the brakes up to working temperature. The only heavy braking points are at the chicane after the tunnel, and to a lesser extent into theSainte-Dévote andMirabeau corners. With a lack of temperature, brake bite becomes a problem, as the surface of thecarbon brake disc becomes smooth as glass, reducing friction between thepads and the disk, hence lessening braking power.[citation needed] To combat this, in 2006Juan Pablo Montoya adopted discs with radial grooves that increased the bite rate between disk and pads, increasing the average temperature of the brakes.
Conversely, cooling the cars' engines is a major concern. Formula One cars do not incorporate any form of forced cooling, relying solely on air moving over the car to remove heat from the radiator elements. In the past many teams used to adjust the radiator intakes to allow for extra airflow, creating the once-common "Monaco nose". Before 2014, teams also used closer ratio gears, as there are hardly any long straights in Monaco and acceleration is at a premium (starting from the 2014 season, the same gear ratios must be used throughout the season).[15] A specialsteering rack with a larger pinion gear is also fitted to allow the cars to be driven around the tightest corners.
The circuit has been used as a special stage during the WRCMonte Carlo Rally, for example in2008.
On 18 September 2014 it was announced theFormula E would be racing on a shorter 1.760 km (1.094 mi) version of theMonaco Grand Prix circuit, which was subsequently used for the2014–15,2016–17 and2018–19 seasons.[16] This layout omitted the regular section of the track between the climb up the hill at Beau Rivage and the Nouvelle Chicane at the exit of the tunnel, instead turning right immediately afterSainte Dévote to head downhill, before rejoining the regular layout by way of a 180 degree turn at the chicane.
Monaco was not scheduled to be on the calendar for the second season of Formula E because it took the slot on the calendar filled by theHistoric Grand Prix at Monaco every other year. The inaugural Paris ePrix took its spot on the calendar for season two, with the Monaco ePrix reinstated for season three.[17] This biennial agreement continued until after Formula E's fifth season.[18]
A new track layout was used for the2021 Monaco ePrix: the layout is similar to theFormula One layout, with only slight differences at turns 1 (Sainte Dévote) and 11 (Nouvelle Chicane). This new layout has a length of 3.318 km (2.062 mi); the distance of the track being increased due to the increase in car performance and range ofGen2 cars.[19] The 2022 Monaco ePrix saw the race run on the full track layout and has used the regular layout since 2022.
Since the 21st century, commentators and drivers have criticised the circuit's design, saying that it creates boring races. Criticism has been directed towards how few overtake attempts are performed, the slow speeds at which the cars take theFairmont Hairpin, as well as how frequently the driver who sets the pole position wins.[20][21][22]Fernando Alonso has said that the race is "the most boring race ever", andLewis Hamilton stated that the 2022 Grand Prix "wasn't really racing."[23][24] There have been various ideas on how to give racers more opportunity to pass, and one of these is to extend the race track along the east side of Hercules harbor and add a secondDRS zone.[25]
As of May 2025, the layout history and fastest official race lap records at the Circuit de Monaco are listed as:
The Monaco Grand Prix is run on the final Sunday of May, in a transition between spring and summer. Monaco, in general, has a hot-summerMediterranean climate (KöppenCsa), although since the track is only used for a brief period in May, when it is being used it has a narrower temperature range than the principality itself has throughout the year. For the Monaco Grand Prix, temperatures are usually around 20 °C (68 °F) in terms of ambient conditions, whereas sun exposure can make the track itself a bit warmer than that. Still, soft tyre compounds often tend to hold up well around Monaco courtesy of surface temperatures being fairly moderate. The maritime moderation make May heatwaves rather unlikely.
Although the Mediterranean precipitation pattern leads to Monaco being quite dry by late May, due to the urban and narrow nature of the circuit, rainfall combined with the painted areas and the long tunnel makes wet racing extremely challenging. This was demonstrated by the1984,1996,1997,2008,2016,2022 and2023 events. The 1984 event was red-flagged due to track conditions being deemed too dangerous with the race not being restarted. In 1996, the mixed-weather conditions caused carnage, paving way forOlivier Panis' shock win in an unfanciedLigier. The following year, the 1997 race winnerMichael Schumacher got the chequered flag after just 62 of the planned 78 laps due to the very slow pace of half a minute slower than dry-weather lap times on the very wet track seeing the clock hit the two hours of maximum time well before the race distance was completed.
The tunnel can be sprinkled under wet conditions to provide for consistent track conditions, although during a full-wet race the tunnel gets drier throughout.
| Climate data for Monaco (1981–2010 averages, extremes 1966–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 19.9 (67.8) | 23.2 (73.8) | 25.6 (78.1) | 26.2 (79.2) | 30.3 (86.5) | 32.5 (90.5) | 34.4 (93.9) | 34.5 (94.1) | 33.1 (91.6) | 29.0 (84.2) | 25.0 (77.0) | 22.3 (72.1) | 34.5 (94.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 13.0 (55.4) | 13.0 (55.4) | 14.9 (58.8) | 16.7 (62.1) | 20.4 (68.7) | 23.7 (74.7) | 26.6 (79.9) | 26.9 (80.4) | 24.0 (75.2) | 20.6 (69.1) | 16.5 (61.7) | 13.9 (57.0) | 19.2 (66.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 10.2 (50.4) | 10.2 (50.4) | 12.0 (53.6) | 13.8 (56.8) | 17.5 (63.5) | 20.9 (69.6) | 23.8 (74.8) | 24.2 (75.6) | 21.1 (70.0) | 17.9 (64.2) | 13.8 (56.8) | 11.2 (52.2) | 16.4 (61.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 7.4 (45.3) | 7.4 (45.3) | 9.1 (48.4) | 10.9 (51.6) | 14.6 (58.3) | 18.0 (64.4) | 21.0 (69.8) | 21.4 (70.5) | 18.3 (64.9) | 15.2 (59.4) | 11.2 (52.2) | 8.5 (47.3) | 13.6 (56.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −3.1 (26.4) | −5.2 (22.6) | −3.1 (26.4) | 3.8 (38.8) | 7.5 (45.5) | 9.0 (48.2) | 10.5 (50.9) | 12.4 (54.3) | 10.5 (50.9) | 6.5 (43.7) | 1.6 (34.9) | −1.0 (30.2) | −5.2 (22.6) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 67.7 (2.67) | 48.4 (1.91) | 41.2 (1.62) | 71.3 (2.81) | 49.0 (1.93) | 32.6 (1.28) | 13.7 (0.54) | 26.5 (1.04) | 72.5 (2.85) | 128.7 (5.07) | 103.2 (4.06) | 88.8 (3.50) | 743.6 (29.28) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 6.0 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 7.3 | 5.5 | 4.1 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 5.1 | 7.3 | 7.1 | 6.5 | 62.4 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 149.8 | 158.9 | 185.5 | 210.0 | 248.1 | 281.1 | 329.3 | 296.7 | 224.7 | 199.0 | 155.2 | 136.5 | 2,574.7 |
| Source 1:Météo France[46] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Monaco website (sun only)[47] | |||||||||||||
