F1 circuit

Sainte-Dévote corner

You are at the first corner of the Monaco circuit, the famous Sainte-Dévote, named after the little church right beside it. The Monaco Grand Prix was born in 1929 on the initiative of Antony Noghès, who wanted a race through the streets of the town; the first edition was won by a driver racing under the name Williams, in a Bugatti. The layout, about 3.3 kilometres long, has changed little in its broad lines since then.

670 m to the next stop

Monte-Carlo Casino

Here is Monte Carlo’s most famous landmark. In the mid nineteenth century Monaco was poor: Menton and Roquebrune, its main sources of income, had broken away. Prince Charles III then bet on gambling and sea bathing.

130 m to the next stop

Mirabeau corner

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.

250 m to the next stop

Fairmont hairpin

This is the most famous hairpin in motor sport, once called the Station hairpin, then Loews, and today Fairmont, after the hotel above it. It is the slowest corner in the entire world championship: the cars take it at only around fifty kilometres per hour, on full lock. Some teams even have to modify their cars’ steering to turn this tightly.

900 m to the next stop

Tunnel exit and chicane

You are at the exit of the only tunnel in the Formula One world championship. It curves beneath the Fairmont hotel and is the fastest part of the circuit: cars exceed two hundred and fifty kilometres per hour here. For drivers the challenge is twofold.

670 m to the next stop

Swimming Pool section

This fast left right sequence has an unexpected name: the Swimming Pool. It sweeps around the Rainier III pool, the aquatic stadium that has stood on Port Hercule since the 1960s. It is one of the most impressive sections of the circuit, taken at very high speed between unforgiving barriers.

320 m to the next stop

La Rascasse corner

This is La Rascasse, the penultimate corner of the circuit, named after the bar and restaurant tucked into the bend of the quay. The rascasse is also the red rockfish essential to bouillabaisse. The corner is slow and tight, a right hander taken almost brushing the restaurant wall.

90 m to the next stop

Prince’s Car Collection

This collection was born from one man’s passion: Prince Rainier III, a great lover of cars. From the 1950s onwards he bought and restored models that moved him, eventually gathering around a hundred vehicles. Long displayed on the Fontvieille terraces, the collection moved to Quai Antoine I, on the harbour, at the initiative of Prince Albert II.