Monaco track layout
The official name of the Monaco track layout is the Circuit de Monaco. It’s the most famous street circuit in the world that runs through the Principality on Monaco on the streets of Monte Carlo.
It’s a historic circuit which is the most prestigious event on the Formula 1 calendar, even if the lack of overtaking means it’s not normally the most exciting.
It was first used as a race track in 1929 when the drivers had to complete 100 laps of the street circuit. Now the Formula 1 drivers complete just 77 laps of the circuit.
Along with the Indy 500 and the LeMans 24 hours, the Monaco Grand Prix forms the Triple-Crown of motorsport which Graham Hill is the only driver to have won.
Fernando Alonso is the only current driver who could join that elite club as he has won two thirds of the crown, having taken victory at both the Monaco GP and the LeMans 24 hours.
Circuit length
The Monaco Grand Prix circuit is 2.074 miles / 3.337 km in length.
With the drivers completing 77 laps of the circuit in an F1 race, that means that complete a total of 160 miles. It’s the only race on the Formula 1 calendar that completes less than the FIA’s mandated minimum race distance of 190 miles.
Lewis Hamilton holds the current lap record around the Monaco circuit.
Monaco Grand Prix DRS Zones
The Monaco GP circuit has just one DRS Zone, despite the circuit being notoriously difficult for drivers to overtake at with the large modern F1 cars.
As DRS is only usually used on straights, the Circuit de Monaco only really has one straight which is the start / finish straight which is where the DRS activation takes place.
The DRS activation point occurs 80 metres after Turn 16 and the activation point is just 18 metres after Turn 19, the final corner.
The tunnel is a high speed section of the track where the F1 drivers reach over 173mph / 280kph as they go around the tricky right hand bend. As DRS can usually be activated anywhere during qualifying, the tunnel posed a risk to drivers if they opted to open DRS in the tunnel.
In 2011 the drivers lobbied the FIA to ban the use of DRS in the tunnel, which the FIA agreed to. The ban has remained in place to this day.
Monaco circuit sectors
The Monaco circuit layout is made up of three sectors.
The first sector finished 60 metres before Turn 5. The second sector finishes 67 metres before Turn 13. And the final sector finishes at the start / finish line.
The speed trap is located inside the tunnel 188 metres before Turn 10, just before the cars have to hit the brakes for the Nouvelle Chicane.
Monaco pit lane
The pitlane at the Monaco GP circuit starts just before Turn 19 and ends just before Turn 1. But when exiting the pits the cars must stick to the inside of Turn 1 within the pit lane exit lines, before blending on to the circuit on the run up to Turn 2.
The pitlane is 480 metres long and the average total loss of time during a pit stop, including transiting the pit lane, is around 19 seconds.
Monaco corner names
There are 19 corners on the Monaco Grand Prix circuit. Not every corner has a name but most of them do, and here’s what they mean:
Turn 1 Sainte Devote: Behind the corner there’s a small chapel that was built in honour of Saint Devota, the patron saint of Monaco
Turn 2 Beau Rivage: Translates to ‘beautiful shore’
Turn 3 Massenet: Named after French opera composer Jules Massenet as this corner passes the Opera House which has a bust of Massenet in front of it
Turn 4 Casino: This corner passes by the famous Casino de Monte Carlo, overlooked by fans with tickets to Grandstand B.
Turn 5 Mirabeau Haute: Named after the old Mirabeau Hotel that was near this corner. Haute means high.
Turn 6 Grand Hotel Hairpin: Named after the hotel that overlooks this infamous corner
Turn 7 Mirabeau Bas: Named after the old Mirabeau Hotel that was near this corner. Bas means low
Turn 8 Portier: One of Monaco’s neighbourhoods near this corner is Le Portier
Turn 9 Tunnel: Needs no explanation – it’s where the cars go through the tunnel!
Turn 10 & 11 Nouvelle Chicane: This chicane was modified in 1986 and renamed the Nouvelle (new) chicane
Turn 12 Tabac: A small cigarette (tobacco) shop on the outside of this corner gave it its name
Turn 13 & 14 Louis Chiron: Named after the Monegasque racing driver
Turn 15 & 16 Piscine: Named after the swimming pool that the track snakes around
Turn 18 La Rascasse: Named after an old fisherman’s bar in Monaco called Rascasse
Turn 19 Antony Noghes: Named after the founder of the Monaco Grand Prix
