28Grand Prix circuit

Mirabeau corner

Time on site: 10 min
Opening hours: Public road.
Prices: Free access from the pavements, outside race periods (public road).
When to go: Outside race periods. For 2027 the Automobile Club de Monaco lists the E-Prix on 1 and 2 May and the Formula One Grand Prix from 3 to 6 June (acm.mc, checked 30/09/2026).
On these routes: F1 circuit

After Casino Square, the drivers dive towards the sea and reach Mirabeau, named after the old hotel that stood beside it. It is a downhill right hander where you must brake very hard while turning: wheels lock easily and the car can run straight on. It is also one of the few places where overtaking is possible, for a bold driver diving down the inside. Notice the slope: between the lowest point of the circuit, by the harbour, and the highest, near the Casino, there are around forty metres of difference in height, making the track even tougher on brakes. On race days the balconies of surrounding buildings are rented for a fortune, and residents watch from their living rooms. What makes Monaco unique is exactly this blend of everyday town and extreme sport. Right after comes the slowest hairpin in the championship.

Listen to the story

Narration from the app, synthetic voice.

History

You are at Mirabeau, on the downhill part of the circuit. After Casino Square the cars dive towards the sea along Avenue des Beaux-Arts, then arrive here for a tight right hander. Straight after, a short downhill run takes them to the even tighter Fairmont hairpin.

The circuit has changed little since the first race in 1929: as a street track, its shape follows the roads of the principality, and most changes have come with the development of the town itself. Mirabeau belongs to that original design linking the Casino to the seafront. In 2026 the circuit even hosted another sport: stage 1 of the Vuelta a España cycling race, a time trial, started from the Casino and followed the track down to the Fairmont hairpin, passing through this corner.

Art and architecture

What strikes you here is the terrain. Casino Square is 44 metres higher than the lowest point of the circuit, by the harbour. In between, the road winds down, and Mirabeau is one of the steps of this giant staircase.

On Avenue des Beaux-Arts, just before the corner, drivers must avoid a large bump on the left of the road, a reminder that the track is a street first. Mirabeau is one of the few real braking points of the lap: Wikipedia names the chicane after the tunnel as the heaviest, followed, to a lesser extent, by Sainte-Dévote and Mirabeau.

Anecdotes

Oddly, in Monaco the problem is not brake wear but brake temperature. Speeds are so low that the carbon discs struggle to stay hot enough to bite. The few big stops, like Mirabeau, therefore matter a great deal.

The track is so narrow that overtaking is rare. Wikipedia notes that in 2021 the 78 lap race saw only one overtake, on the opening lap. Nelson Piquet, quoted by Motor Sport magazine, likened racing here to riding a bicycle around your living room.

What to look for

On foot, follow the pavement from Casino Square and walk down as the cars do: you will feel the slope in your legs. Stop at the corner and look down towards the Fairmont hairpin to see how close the two corners are.

Notice the buildings along the road too. On race days, balconies and windows become improvised grandstands, a few metres from the cars.

Practical

The circuit is a public road, open to traffic all year outside the Grand Prix. Keep to the pavements: the descent is busy and vehicles pick up speed. Cross only at pedestrian crossings.

During the build and on race weekend, access changes. Check the Automobile Club de Monaco website (acm.mc).