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Encyclopedia > Circuit de Monaco

Coordinates: 43°44′5″N, 7°25′14″E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

Circuit de Monaco
Location Monte Carlo, Monaco
Time zone GMT +1
Major Events F1, GP2, Euro F3
Circuit Length 3.34 km (2.075 mi)
Turns 18
Lap Record 1:14.439 (Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 2004)

Circuit de Monaco is the name given to a motor racing circuit laid out on the city streets of Monte Carlo and La Condamine around the harbour of the principality of Monaco. It is commonly referred to as "Monte Carlo" because it is largely inside the Monte Carlo neighbourhood of Monaco. Image File history File links Circuit_Monaco. ... Monte Carlo is a very wealthy section of the city-state of Monaco known for its casino, gambling, beaches, glamour, and sightings of famous people. ... For alternate meanings of GMT, see GMT (disambiguation). ... F1 redirects here. ... For the article about the Asian version of the GP2 series, see GP2 Asia Series The GP2 Series, GP2 for short, is a form of motor racing introduced in 2005 following the discontinuation of the long-term Formula One feeder sport, Formula 3000. ... Since it was founded in 2003, the Formula Three Euroseries quickly became Europes most important junior racing series. ... Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or, in abbreviated form, F3, is a type of formula racing and a class of open-wheeler motor racing. ... “km” redirects here. ... “Miles” redirects here. ... Michael Schumacher (pronounced , (born January 3, 1969, in Hürth Hermülheim, Germany)[1] is a former Formula One driver, and seven-time world champion. ... Scuderia Ferrari is the name for the Gestione Sportiva, the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing. ... 2004 Formula One season - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Monte Carlo is a very wealthy section of the city-state of Monaco known for its casino, gambling, beaches, glamour, and sightings of famous people. ... La Condamine is the second oldest district in Monaco. ... A principality is a monarchical feudatory or sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a Monarch with the title of prince or princess (a synonym is princedom) or (in the widest sense) a Monarch with another title within the generic use of the term prince. ... Monte Carlo is a very wealthy section of the city-state of Monaco known for its casino, gambling, beaches, glamour, and sightings of famous people. ...


The circuit is used on one weekend in the month of May of each year to host the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix. Formula One's respective feeder series over the years — F2, F3000 and today GP2 — also visit the circuit concurrently with Formula One. F1 redirects here. ... The Monaco Grand Prix (Grand Prix de Monaco) is a Formula One race held each year on the Circuit de Monaco. ... Marc Surers 1979 Championship winning car Formula Two, abbreviated to F2, was a type of formula racing. ... In 1985, the Fédération Internationale de lAutomobile (FIA) created the Formula 3000 championship to become the final career step for drivers willing to enter the Formula One championship. ... For the article about the Asian version of the GP2 series, see GP2 Asia Series The GP2 Series, GP2 for short, is a form of motor racing introduced in 2005 following the discontinuation of the long-term Formula One feeder sport, Formula 3000. ...

Contents

History

The idea for a Formula One race around the streets of Monaco came from Anthony Noghes, the president of the Monegasque car club and close friend of the ruling Grimaldi family. The inaugural race was held in 1929 and was won by William Grover-Williams in a Bugatti. Anthony Noghes founded the Monaco Grand Prix in the 1920s. ... For other uses, see Monaco (disambiguation). ... This article is about clubs for motor enthusiasts. ... Grimaldi usually refers to House of Grimaldi, the rulers of Monaco. ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Charles Frederick William Grover-Williams (16 January 1903 – 18 March 1945), was a Grand Prix motor racing driver and war hero. ... , This article is about the original Bugatti car company, founded in 1909. ...


Characteristics

The building of the circuit takes six weeks, and the removal after the race another three weeks. The race circuit has many elevation shifts, tight corners, and a narrow course that make it perhaps the most demanding track in Formula One racing. Despite the fact that the course has changed many times during its history, it is still considered the ultimate test of driving skills in Formula One. It contains both the slowest corner in Formula One (the Grand Hotel hairpin, taken at just 50 km/h (30 mph)) and one of the quickest (the flat out kink in the tunnel, three turns beyond the hairpin, taken at 260 km/h (160 mph)) which perhaps sums up its difficulty.


Due to the tight and twisty nature of the circuit, it favours the skill of the drivers over the power of the cars. However, there is very little overtaking as the course is so narrow and dangerous. Racing round the course has been likened to riding a bicycle round your bathroom or, in Nelson Piquet's words, "Flying a helicopter in your living room". The famous tunnel section (running under the Fairmont Hotel, marked in grey in the circuit diagram above) is said to be difficult for drivers to cope with due to the quick switch from light to dark, then back to light again, at one of the fastest points of the course. As a result, race outcomes tend to be decided by grid positions as well as pit strategies. Nelson Piquet Souto Maior (born August 17, 1952), more commonly known as Nelson Piquet, is a Brazilian racing driver who was Formula One world champion in 1981, 1983, and 1987. ... Banff Springs Hotel Quebec City - Château Frontenac Victoria - The Empress Chateau Lake Louise Ottawa - Château Laurier Toronto - Royal York Montreal - Queen Elizabeth Saint Andrews - The Algonquin Hotel Vancouver Calgary - Palliser Hotel Fairmont San Jose Hotel Fairmont Washington D.C. Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is a Toronto, Ontario based owner... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Dale Earnhardt, Jr. ...


Several attempts have been made to improve cramped conditions in the pit garages. In 2003, a substantial amount of land was reclaimed from the harbour to slightly change the shape of one section of the circuit; this left more space for new pit garages, which debuted in the 2004 event.


The circuit is generally recognised to be less safe than other circuits used for high profile events. If it were not already an existing Grand Prix, it would not be permitted to be added to the Formula One schedule, for safety reasons.[1]


A lap of the modern day circuit

The famous harbour
The famous harbour

The lap starts with a short sprint up to the tight St. Devote corner. This is a nearly 90 degree right-hand bend usually taken in third or fourth gear.[2] This corner has seen many first lap accidents, although these are less common since the removal of the mini roundabout on the apex of the corner before the 2004 event, making the entrance to the corner wider. The cars then head uphill, before changing down for the long left-hander at Massenet.


Out of Massenet, the cars drive past the famous casino before quickly reaching the aptly named Casino Square. The cars snake down the next short straight, avoiding an enormous bump on the left of the track, a reminder of the unique nature of the circuit. This leads to the tight Mirabeau corner, which takes the cars into a short straight to the even tighter Grand Hotel hairpin (formerly known as Loew's Hairpin, or Station Hairpin before that). It is a corner which has been used for many overtaking manoeuvres in the past. However it would be almost physically impossible for two modern F1 cars to go round side by side, as the drivers must use full steering lock to get around. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...


After Mirabeau, the cars negotiate a double right-hander called Portier before heading into the famous tunnel, a unique feature of a Formula One circuit. As well as the change of light making visibility poor,[3] a car can lose 20-30% of its downforce due to the unique aerodynamic properties of the tunnel.[4] Three different styles of front wings from three different Formula 1 eras, all designed to produce downforce on the front wheels. ... For the Daft Punk song, see Aerodynamic (song). ...


Out of the tunnel, the cars have to brake hard for a tight left-right chicane. This has been the scene of several large accidents, including that of Karl Wendlinger in 1994, and Jenson Button in 2003. The chicane is probably the only place on the circuit where overtaking can be attempted. There is a short straight to Tabac, a tight fourth gear corner which is taken at about 195 km/h (120 mph).[5] Accelerating up to 225 km/h (140 mph),[6] the cars reach Piscine, a fast left-right followed by a slower right-left chicane which takes the cars past the swimming pool that gave its name to the corner. The Ford chicane on Le Mans A chicane is a sequence of tight serpentine curves (usually an S-shape curve) in a roadway, used in auto racing and on city streets to slow cars. ... Karl Wendlinger is an Austrian motor racing driver. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... Jenson Alexander Lyons Button, often called Jense, (born 19 January 1980) is an English Formula One racing driver. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the 2003 film, see Swimming Pool (film). ...


Following Piscine, there is a short straight followed by heavy braking for a quick left which is immediately followed by the tight 180 degree right-hander called La Rascasse. This is another corner which requires full steering lock; it will be remembered for a long time as the venue of one of the most suspicious maneuvers in recent Formula One history after the 2006 season when Michael Schumacher appeared to deliberately crash his car in qualifying so as to prevent Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber — who were both following and were on flying laps — from out-qualifying him. The Rascasse takes the cars into a short, adversely-cambered, straight that precedes the final corner, Virage Antony Noghes. Named after the organiser of the first Monaco Grand Prix, the corner is a tight right-hander which brings the cars back onto the start-finish straight, and across the line to start a new lap. Michael Schumacher (pronounced , (born January 3, 1969, in Hürth Hermülheim, Germany)[1] is a former Formula One driver, and seven-time world champion. ... Fernando Alonso Díaz (born July 29, 1981 in Oviedo, Spain) is a Spanish Formula One racing driver and reigning, two-time, world champion. ... For other persons named Mark Webber, see Mark Webber (disambiguation). ... Camber may refer to: Camber, East Sussex, a seaside resort in England, near to Camber Sands. ...


Technical analysis

As Monaco's street circuit demands a lot from the car, the cars are set up with high downforce, since this will increase the car's cornering speed. The teams also use a close-ratio gear box, as there are hardly any long straights in Monaco. Some Formula One teams use specifically designed components for Monaco's circuit:

  • Toyota's TF106B, a deeply revised version of the car that started the season, both mechanically and aerodynamically. One key change is to the front suspension geometry, aimed at improving the way the car works with its Bridgestone tyres; the team struggled to get them up to working temperature earlier in the season. The connecting point for the push rod link to the torsion bars and dampers inside the chassis is now much higher. This provides an increased damping rate and allows a slight reduction in camber angle. This enables the car to better exploit its tyres' potential, and improves its handling.[7]
  • Not strictly a new feature, but a key one at Monaco. Brake wear is not a problem here. Instead the low speeds mean the issue is keeping the brakes up to working temperature. The only heavy braking points are at the chicane after the tunnel, and to a lesser extent the Ste Devote and Mirabeau corners. With a lack of temperature, brake bite becomes a problem, as the surface of the carbon brake disc becomes smooth as glass, reducing friction between the pads and the disk, hence lessening braking power. To combat this, Montoya adopted discs with radial grooves that increase the bite rate between disk and pads, increasing the average temperature of the brakes.
  • Teams will use any method at their disposal to gain more downforce at Monaco. In the 2006 race, Williams went for a simple but effective triple mid wing on the FW28's engine cover. This not only adds downforce in the centre of the car, it also helps to manage airflow passing to the rear wing, increasing its efficiency.
  • McLaren also adopted a new design for Monaco, with completely different main profile and flaps to the car's front wing. The main profile now has a double curve as it extends away from the nose, with the outer extremities bending noticeably upwards. As a result the central spoon section is effectively widened, meaning more airflow over this area, greater downforce. The flaps are now much deeper, which also adds downforce. While the revised main profile is likely to be retained for many tracks, the flap changes will probably only be seen in Monaco and Hungary, both high-downforce circuits.
  • Renault were another team in 2006 that made changes especially for Monaco: a slight change to the winglets on top of the sidepods for the high-downforce Monaco circuit. Their profile has a larger surface area – to generate more downforce – combined with a bigger endplate. Two horizontal slits in the endplate help to limit the increased turbulence caused by the element's enlarged dimensions.
  • The Jordan and Arrows teams tried to use new mid-wings in 2001. The Arrows wing was similar in design to a normal rear wing, but smaller and suspended above the nose cone. Jordan had a small wing suspended on a short pole just in front the driver. Both were designed to improve downforce, but, after testing them on Friday practice, the FIA banned both wings.

Toyota F1 is a Formula One team run by Japanese car manufacturer Toyota and based in Cologne, Germany. ... Bridgestone Corporation ) (TYO: 5108 ) is a Japanese rubber conglomerate founded in 1931 by Shojiro Ishibashi ) in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan. ... Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán (born September 20, 1975 in Bogotá, Colombia) is a race car driver in NASCAR for Chip Ganassi Racing and a former Formula One driver. ... The Grand Prix de Monaco 2006 was the seventh race of the 2006 Formula One World Championship. ... Not to be confused with Frank Williams Racing Cars, formed by Frank Williams 1967. ... For other uses, see McLaren (disambiguation). ... Renault F1 is the Renault companys Formula One racing team. ... Arrows Grand Prix International was a Formula One team active from 1977 to 2002. ...

Circuit de Monaco in Games

  • The Côte D'Azur Circuit in the Gran Turismo video game series (starting from Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec onwards) is a version of Monaco with a slight change. There are barriers at the Nouvelle Chicane that prevent cutting the corner, instead of simply markings on the track, as there on the real course. This is because Gran Turismo has no penalties for cutting corners.
  • Circuit de Monaco is a featured track on the game R:Racing Evolution. [8]
  • The Monaco Circuit was featured as the fourth race in the 1987 racing game Continental Circus from Taito.
  • In modded versions of F1 Challenge 99-02 the chicanes change from barriers, to extra yellow/black striped kerbs in place of the barriers.
  • Needless to say the Monaco Circuit also appears unchanged in all Formula One games
  • In new Formula One games, such as Formula One 2006, the chicane is just how it is supposed to be, and does not have the black and yellow speed humps.
  • Featured with the 1967 layout in the racing simulation Grand Prix Legends
  • A portion of the track (turns four through ten) appears integrated into several of the 'Monte Carlo' tracks in Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed.
  • The track at Monaco is track number one featured in the basic set for the board game Formula Dé
  • The game Stuntman uses the Grand Hotel Hairpin, Mirabeau Haute, and Casino corners in a counter-clockwise fashion in the movie Live Twice for Tomorrow.
  • Interestingly enough, Circuit de Monaco appears also in the fighting game The King of Fighters '97, as one of the stages. The fight is set at the Rascasse corner (incorrectly spelled in the game as "Ruscass").

Gran Turismo is Italian and Spanish for grand touring or grand tourisme. ... Continental Circus was published originally in 1987 as an arcade game, it was then republished in 1989 along with a home version of the game; this was available on platforms including Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Amiga, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into 2006 Formula One season. ... Grand Prix Legends (nicknamed GPL) is a computer racing simulator developed by Papyrus Design Group and published in 1998 by Sierra Entertainment. ... Formula Dé is a board game that simulates formula racing (F1, CART, IRL). ... Stuntman refers to any of several types of skilled performers. ... King of Fighters 97 is the fourth game in the King of Fighters series. ...

Films

  • The first race in the fictional season of John Frankenheimer's 1968 film Grand Prix takes place in Monaco. James Garner's character crashes into the Monte Carlo harbour, echoing the misfortune that befell Alberto Ascari in 1955, and Paul Hawkins in the 1965 Monaco Grand Prix.
  • The finale of the third Love Bug films, Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo takes place mostly on the Monaco circuit. Herbie the Love Bug wins the Trans-France race after passing his main rival whilst driving upside-down on the roof of the tunnel.

John Michael Frankenheimer (February 19, 1930 – July 6, 2002) was an American film director. ... Grand Prix is an action film released in 1966. ... For other uses, see James Garner (disambiguation). ... Alberto Ascari (July 13, 1918 – May 26, 1955) was one of Formula Ones first stars, the first great Ferrari driver and one of only two Italian World Champions in the history of the sport. ... Paul Hawkins (born October 12, 1937 - Melbourne, Victoria, Australia – died May 26, 1969 - Oulton Park, Cheshire, England) was the son of a racing motorcyclist-turned-church minister. ... Results from the 1965 Formula One Monaco Grand Prix held at Monaco on May 30, 1965 Classification Notes Fastest Lap: Graham Hill 131. ... For other uses, see Love bug (disambiguation). ... Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977) was the third of a series of films made by Walt Disney Productions starring Herbie - a white Volkswagen racing Beetle with a mind of its own. ...

Deaths from crashes

Luigi Fagioli Luigi Fagioli (June 9, 1898 - June 20, 1952) was a Italian champion race car driver. ... Lorenzo Bandini (born 21 December 1935 - died 10 May 1967, Monaco) was an Italian motor racing driver who raced in Formula One for the Scuderia Centro Sud and Ferrari teams. ...

References

  1. ^ In the Driving Seat p. 32, Lines 8-10 Stanley Paul & Co. Ltd. ISBN 0-09-173818-0
  2. ^ Reliant Motors Formula 1 Grand Prix Annual 1995 Page 144, Line 1 Words On Sport Ltd. ISBN 1-898351-25-2
  3. ^ In The Driving Seat Page 42, Line 1 Stanley Paul and Co. Ltd. ISBN 0-09-173818-0
  4. ^ In The Driving Seat Page 42, Line 5 Stanley Paul and Co. Ltd. ISBN 0-09-173818-0
  5. ^ In The Driving Seat Page 43, Line 1 Stanley Paul and Co. Ltd. ISBN 0-09-173818-0
  6. ^ In The Driving Seat Page 43, Line 5 Stanley Paul and Co. Ltd. ISBN 0-09-173818-0
  7. ^ Toyota TF106B F1Technical.net. Retrieved 23 August 2006
  8. ^ GameFAQs: R: Racing Evolution (XBOX) FAQ/Walkthrough by LordFrieza

{| style=float:right; |- | |- | |} is the 235th day of the year (236th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links


  Results from FactBites:
 
Circuit de Monaco - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (388 words)
Circuit de Monaco is the name given to several streets in the principality of Monaco during one weekend of each year when they are closed to host the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix.
The inaugural race was held in 1929 and was won by William Grover-Williams in a Bugatti.
The circuit is commonly referred to as "Monte Carlo" because most of it is inside the Monte Carlo neighborhood of Monaco.
Monaco Grand Prix - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (351 words)
The Monaco Grand Prix is a Formula One race held annually, and since 1929, in the Principality of Monaco considered to be one of the most important and prestigious races around the world alongside the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The Monaco Grand Prix counted toward the European Championship from 1936 to 1939 (although the race was cancelled in 1938).
As a street race held on the Circuit de Monaco, which consists of the actual city streets of Monte Carlo and La Condamine, the race has many elevation shifts, tight corners, and a narrow course that make it perhaps the most demanding and the most dangerous track still in use in Formula One racing.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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