The Monaco Grand Prix: a fountain of history. Think the chaos in 1982; the rainy parade in 2008; Maldonado’s own madness in 2012 and, of course, one of the greatest races of them all: the epic Mansell-Senna battle of 1992. It is THE race of the F1 calendar. The big one. All unnecessary cliches about the importance of something rolled into one.
I’m sure millions of people will be tuning in to the coverage throughout the race weekend and what better way to whet your appetite than an extensive guide to every corner on the circuit? Join us for a lap around the track, as we go around Monte Carlo, and travel down memory lane at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Sainte Devote
The pinnacle of F1 crashes. I think I’d need a separate article just to list out all of the crashes that have happened at this first corner. First lap crashes are perfectly common in F1: drivers have to keep cool heads to avoid huge pileups occurring every race. In fact, it’s something of miracle when the first corner and lap of a race go by without there being a crash.
The Monaco GP is no different. A tight right-hander where cars are funneled into the corner on the first lap, it’s only natural that pileups are quite a regular occurrence. Even last year Romain Grosjean, a name synonymous with crashes, managed an astonishing four crashes in three days last year, two of which were at this very corner.
Arguably the most spectacular of them all was Derek Daly’s flying shunt in 1980, causing a huge pileup. I needn’t say much more on it when we have the video right here:
Beau Rivage
If a driver is lucky enough to get away from the chaos at Sainte Devote it’s time to relax for a few seconds. Beau Rivage is a slight turn before accelerating up a hill into the next corner. As it’s barely a corner compared to some of the crazy turns in Monte Carlo fewer magic moments have happened here. However, one rather bizarre moment happened when Rubens Barrichello went over a manhole cover and suffered a suspension failure, losing control of his car and bouncing all around the place before finally coming to a halt. He then proceeded to throw his steering wheel onto the ground which backmarker Karun Chandhok then ran over.
Massenet
Probably the best thing about this corner is that it’s named after a French composer. Alas, not Ravel, Debussy or Faure, but Massenet: the less well-known opera writer. Not the most iconic composer to name a corner after; though a legitimate idea as the Massanet opera house is behind the corner. Anyway, Silverstone hasn’t named a corner after Vaughan-Williams, Purcell, Howells or Finzi, has it?
Anyhow, seeing as this is an F1 article I should probably talk a bit about the F1 that goes on at this corner. It’s a long left-hander which, according to David Coulthard, is navigated at 85mph in third gear. One of the most memorable sights was Nigel Mansell spinning in yet another rain affected Grand Prix.
Casino Square
One of the most iconic corners of them all. 120,000 fans are packed in this area of the circuit, home of the mesmerising Monte Carlo Casino, where our very own Simon Tassie visited.
Although this right turn is relatively bumpy, it’s one of the easier corners to navigate and not very many big crashes have occurred here, at least not during the race. I apologise in advance to my more brutish readers.
Mirabeau
The high (haute) and low (bas) sections of this long corner are the only parts of the circuit where overtaking is possible, leading to some truly incredible moves as drivers try in desperation to overtake as they get their one chance per lap.
Perhaps one of the most notable overtakes at this corner is Rubens Barrichello’s move on Michael Schumacher in 2011. It’s not as easy as it sounds as Lewis Hamilton’s spectacular crash there in qualifying in 2009 demonstrates. In 1986 Patrick Tambay was shut out on the corner by Martin Brundle and ended up going airborne. Fortunately he was unhurt. Oh, and the fearless Keke Rosberg likened the corner to being on a toboggan without any snow to cushion the bumps. The man feared nothing apart from that corner.
Grand Hotel (Loews)
This corner’s name keeps changing according to who owns the hotel overlooking this corner; one of the easiest to recognise in all of F1. Most fans affectionately know it as Loews, as it was originally known. This hairpin is the tightest corner in the F1 calendar, with cars going around it at Terry Wogan on the Top Gear track-esque speeds, dropping below 30mph.
Andrea de Cesaris has quite a history there, managing to crash there two seasons in a row in 1988 and 1989, but the most memorable moment there has to be Stirling Moss waving at a girl in the crowd every time he went around the hairpin. George Best eat your heart out.
Portier
A tight right-hander leading into the famous tunnel. Easily most notable for being the place where Ayrton Senna lost concentration and threw away an easy race win to teammate Alain Prost and in the process effectively 12 points, though he did make them up in some style before winning the Drivers’ Championship.
The Tunnel and the Nouvelle Chicane
Yet another iconic set of corners in this incredible Grand Prix. The only place in the Grand Prix, bar the pit straight, where drivers can go flat out. Most notable for the noises the cars make when going through (will be interesting to see what the new engine noises will sound like) and some spectacular crashes. Most notably Fernando Alonso’s crash there in 2004 with Michael Schumacher crashing in almost identical circumstances three laps later.
On leaving the tunnel comes a chicane, the home of sensational crashes. Before a barrier was put there it led into the open harbour water, with Alberto Ascari and Paul Hawkins flying into the water. Interestingly, though he survived drowning, Ascari died four days later in unrelated circumstances and that sensational moment was his last moment in F1.
Yet more danger occurred in 2003 as Jenson Button came out of the tunnel and went flying into the barrier, meaning he needed to be carted off to hospital.
Tabac
A crucial corner as any time lost there is crucial to a lap time. Drivers have to be simultaneously brave and wary as it is easy to clip the barrier on the way round-like Lewis Hamilton on the way to victory in the 2008 GP.
Naturally home to many crashes like Martin Brundle’s monumental qualifying crash in 1984 and the truly sensational pileup there in 1950.
Swimming Pool
Effectively a double chicane and since the walls were removed from the first section it has become a very fast part of the circuit. In 2011 they had to stop and restart the race as a huge pileup occurred there with six laps to go. Sebastian Vettel went on to win the race.
Rascasse and Noghès
Another sharp hairpin with cars going down as low as 30mph. The turn makes the cars swing around at a nearly 180 degree angle. After Rascasse a short uphill straight leads into Noghes, the final corner of this wonderful Grand Prix. Noghes is another difficult corner to navigate; the track drops away from the drivers, meaning many drivers can easily crash into the barrier. In 1970, the late Jack Brabham crashed to give Jochen Rindt victory. However, Brabham managed to finish 2nd and only eight drivers did not retire, with only four completing all 80 laps.
There you have it. A guide for drivers and historians alike to the Monaco Grand Prix. Enjoy the greatest race in the F1 calendar over the next few days and with Fernando Alonso leading in Practice (more on that later) could Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes’s dominance come to an end?
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