DRIVING THE MONACO GRAND PRIX CIRCUIT
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This post is about how to drive the Monaco Grand Prix track
The Monaco Grand Prix is a Formula 1 race that’s held in May each year. It’s argueably the most prestigious race in the world. Just what makes it so challenging and incredible?
It’s the combination of the tight corners and elevation changes around the glamourous streets of the beautiful port soverign state of Monaco.
The race is also known for its glamorous atmosphere, with celebrities and high-profile guests flocking to Monaco to watch the race and enjoy the luxurious surroundings.
There is no other place in the world that when Formula One comes to town it takes over the entire country.
For weeks before the race the Monégasques start to prepare the country for the race. They begin erecting grandstands down at the port for the fans, putting up barriers and hanging sponsor banners around the city.
It’s one of the few Formula One race tracks around the world that you can just drive or walk around without paying for an experience day.
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🏨 Accommodation : I recommend Booking.com
✈️ Flights : for the cheapest flights, I use Skyscanner
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It takes alot of people, alot of work to turn a country (or technically a soverign state) into one of the most popular race tracks in the world.
As you can imagine they have to start early to turn the normal streets of Monaco in to a race track.
We went to Monaco at the beginning of April, a full 7 weeks before the race and the grand stands were almost completed and workmen were busy putting up metal fences and barriers.
Whilst all this work is going on the area remains fully open.
You are free to walk or drive around the area.
We were in Monaco as part of a French Riviera holiday that took all along the coast visiting some of the most beautiful towns, villages and resorts I’ve ever seen.
The French Riviera truely is a land of luxury where the rich and famous go to holiday but it is also a place of charming destinations, scenic road trips, lavender fields, vineyards, gorgeous coastal cities and some of the worlds best food.
MORE INFORMATION FOR YOUR TRIP TO THE FRENCH RIVIERA
MONACO : All you need to know about visiting Monaco is included in this Monaco Travel Guide including how to get there, the best things to do and see, (I recommend the hike up Tete du Chien for amazing views) where to stay and what to eat. Monaco is expensive and if you’d like to learn about how to visit Monaco on a budget this guide will give you lots of hints and tips.
FRENCH RIVIERA : Plan your visit to the French Riviera with this 5 day itinerary. There is also information on spending a day in Antibes and the best things to do in Nice.
To get to Monaco you will probably arrive at Nice airport like we did. You can get a private transfer from the airport to Monaco but then how are you going to drive the circuit!
You need to hire a car at Nice Airport like we did.
We were given a dinky Peugeot 108. Not quite a race car but it would serve the purpose and give us something to drive around the Monaco Grand Prix track.
Getting to Monaco from Nice airport is really simple as it’s pretty much one road in, keep the sea on your right and keep driving! The traffic can get a little busy so don’t be surprised if you have to sit in stationary traffic at least once on your journey.
As soon as we arrived in Monaco, before we even checked in to our hotel, the first thing we did was to drive the Grand Prix race track. How many times do you get the opportunity to do that?
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MONACO CIRCUIT HISTORY
Monaco was on the calendar for the first year of the modern Formula 1 World Championship in 1950 and has been held every year without interruption since 1955.
The circuit has been revised several times over the years, but still retains the basic layout it has had since 1929.
The last major change was in 2004 when a permanent pit complex was built in the swimming pool section of the circuit, replacing the cramped temporary facility that was previously used.
Monaco’s tight and twisty layout presents a unique challenge for F1 drivers. Nelson Piquet famously compared driving at Monaco to ‘riding a bicycle around your living room’.
Overtaking at F1’s shortest track is virtually impossible, there is no room for error given the tight confines of the circuit and there is little downtime each lap – over the course of the 78 lap race, a driver will make almost 5000 gear changes.
YOU’RE TRAVELLING IN MONACO? THESE ARTICLES WILL HELP
Monaco Travel Guide features all the best tips and advice including transport, hotels, eating and more
10 of the BEST things to do in Monaco will show you how to make the most of your time in Monaco
Monaco on a budget is a must for all the free things you can do whilst in Monaco
Getting to Tete de Chien shows you how to get THE BEST view of Monaco
So how fast can you get around the Monaco Grand Prix circuit?
The current lap record is 1:12:909 set by Lewis Hamilton in 2021.
My time - 9:59!
I did have to deal with traffic and road works though!
The circuit itself takes you past the famous Casino Monte Carlo, around the famous hairpin bend by the Fairmont Hotel and then through the tunnel that runs under the Fairmont Hotel.
We stayed in a Hairpin Bend Room at the Fairmont Hotel and would definitely recommend it for F1 fans. It was great sitting in the evening watching all the cars on the bend.
ARTICLES THAT MAY INTEREST YOU
If you’re wondering what else you can do during your time in Monaco make sure you check out the 10 best things to do in Monaco for more ideas on the fun you can have.
MAP OF MONACO GRAND PRIX TRACK
Below is a map of the track so you can see exactly where the route tracks you around Monaco.
One thing that surprised me both walking and driving the track was just how steep the hill is after turn 2. The undulation of the track is something you can’t truely appreciate when you watch F1 on TV.
If you’d like a guided walking tour of the circuit you can book one here where a English speaking guide will take you around the track highlighting the masters of the track, the crashes, and the history of the races.
THE CORNERS OF THE MONACO GRAND PRIX
There are 18 corners in total around the Monaco Formula One circuit :
Turn 1 - Sainte Devote : The first turn of the Monaco track is a tight right hander with a a small chapel behind. The chapel was built in honour of Saint Devota, an early-fourth-century martyr and the patron saint of Monaco. The chapel is usually obscured by crash barriers and corporate signage on race weekends, so you will probably never catch a glimpse of it on TV.
Turn 2 - Beau Rivage : It seems wrong to class this slight bend in the road a turn but it is classified as a turn. The cars accelerate here and climb the hill away from Sainte Devote. Beau Rivage means ‘beautiful seashore’ in English, which is very fitting of the location.
Turn 3 - Massenet : The corner is named after Jules Massenet, who was a famous French opera composer. The long, left-hand corner goes past the Monaco opera house, which has a bust of Massenet in front of it.
Turn 4 - Casino Square : The Monte Carlo Casino is the most famous building in Monaco. The grand prix cars blast by just metres from the entrance. An interesting fact I learned whilst in Monaco is that citizens of Monaco are not allowed to gamble at the casino - a holdover law from the 19th century.
Turn 5 - Mirabeau Haute (high) : The high (haute) and low (bas) Mirabeau corners sandwich the famous hairpin and are named after the nearby old Hotel Mirabeau.
Turn 6 - Fairmont Hairpin : The hairpin is one of the most easily recognisable corners in F1. The name keeps changing, based on who owns the hotel overlooking it. The corner was originally called Station Hairpin before the train station moved. Then it was Loews Hairpin after the Loews hotel that was built on the site. After that it's had a string of names as the hotel has changed hands: Grand Hairpin, Sun Casino Hairpin, and now Fairmont Hairpin. Modern F1 cars take the hairpin at approximately 65 kph.
Turn 7 - Mirabeau Bas (low) : The high (haute) and low (bas) Mirabeau corners sandwich the famous hairpin and are named after the nearby old Hotel Mirabeau.
Turn 8 - Portier : A ‘portier’ or porter, in English, was the lowest order of Roman Catholic seminarians. Ayrton Senna famously crashed at this corner while leading the 1988 Monaco Grand Prix, handing the victory to his teammate and rival, Alain Prost.
Turn 9 - The Tunnel : The tunnel is not a corner in the usual sense. It is more like a sweeping straightaway, complicated by the different lighting and aerodynamic conditions when compared to the rest of the circuit. The exit of the tunnel provides one of the few overtaking opportunities on the circuit.
Turns 10/11 - Nouvelle Chicane : There has always been a chicane at this location on the circuit. Originally, it was called the Chicane du Port (the Port Chicane). In 1986, the chicane was reprofiled and renamed the Nouvelle (new) Chicane.
Turn 12 - Tabac : This left hand corner got it’s name from a small tobacco shop on the outside of the bend. You can park yacht close to the track by this corner so it’s where the super yachts tend to be for the best views.
Turns 13 to 16 - Swimming Pool Complex : It used to be a straight run from Tabac to the final corner. However, in 1973 the Rainier III Nautical Stadium was built which meant a change to the design of the circuit. Now, there are essentially two chicanes which take the cars around the swimming pool. The first of these is also known as the Virage Louis Chiron, named after one of Monaco's three F1 drivers. Chiron finished third at the first F1 world championship Monaco Grand Prix in 1950.
Turn 17 - La Rascasse : A rascasse is a type of scorpionfish found in the Mediterranean Sea. According to locals, there was an old fisherman's bar in Monaco called La Rascasse, which gave its name to the corner, and now a newer restaurant with the same name stands on the inside of the Rascasse corner.
Turn 18 - Virage Antony Noghes : The final corner of the circuit used to be another hairpin, called Gazometre, until the 1970s. When the corner was redesigned, it was named in honour of Antony Noghes, the founder of the Monaco Grand Prix. In 2010, Michael Schumacher passed Fernando Alonso in this corner on the last lap. The race was still under a safety car, although it had pulled into the pits, and Schumacher was given a 20-second penalty for his manoeuvre.
Driving the circuit is a fantastic experience for any racing enthusiast.
It’s such a surreal experience driving around the familiar sights that I watch on TV once a year.
As we were driving round my mind wandered to moments of Monaco Grand Prix past -
2006 when Kimi Raikkonen retired from a race and walked off to relax and watch the rest of the event from his nearby yacht. Legend!
2008s wet and windy Monaco GP race that saw Lewis Hamilton’s race seemingly all but over after just five laps, as he collided with the barrier and punctured a tyre.Yet he mounted a relentless charge throughout the race sweeping through the field to win.
1982 race that was described by Murray Walker as ‘the craziest race ever’. The top four all ran into troucle in the final three laps. Rene Arnoux took an early lead, before spinning out and stalling his engine, before new race leader Alain Prost crashed after leading for much of the race. Riccardo Patrese span and stalled, while Didier Pironi ran out of fuel in the tunnel. It was madness!
MORE INFORMATION FOR YOUR TRIP TO THE FRENCH RIVIERA
MONACO : All you need to know about visiting Monaco is included in this Monaco Travel Guide including how to get there, the best things to do and see, (I recommend the hike up Tete du Chien for amazing views) where to stay and what to eat. Monaco is expensive and if you’d like to learn about how to visit Monaco on a budget this guide will give you lots of hints and tips.
FRENCH RIVIERA : Plan your visit to the French Riviera with this 5 day itinerary. There is also information on spending a day in Antibes and the best things to do in Nice.
WATCH THIS VIDEO ABOUT OUR TIME IN MONACO
MONACO ESSENTIALS
Planning a trip to Monaco? Here are some of the resources and tools I personally use to organise my travel plans in Monaco
FLIGHTS : Find the best deals on flights to French Riviera using Skyscanner.
VISAS : Use iVisa to check if you need a tourist visa for Monaco and apply for an expedited visa online. Use OneWayFly to obtain proof of onward travel/hotel reservation for your visa application if needed.
TRAVEL INSURANCE : Insure your trip with my preferred insurance for single trip and annual cover HeyMondo
AIRPORT TRANSFER : Pre-book your hotel transfer from Nice Airport
ACCOMMODATION : Find the best hotel deals in Monaco on Booking.com
DAY TRIPS : Find the best city tours and day excursions in Monaco on Viator or Get Your Guide.
MONACO GUIDEBOOK : Pick up a copy of the latest Lonely Planet Guidebook for Monaco for a good read and to help you plan your trip.
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