Google+ Jack Leslie F1: 2016 Monaco Grand Prix Preview

25 May 2016

2016 Monaco Grand Prix Preview

The sixth round of the 2016 Formula 1 season takes place around the tight and twisty streets of Monte Carlo. 
© Octane Photographic
The Monaco Grand Prix is often described as the jewel in F1’s crown. It is the race every fan wants to attend and every racing driver wants to win. 


This year’s event will be the 63rd time that Monaco has appeared on the Formula 1 calendar, having first been included in the sport’s inaugural season back in 1950. It has been a permanent fixture on the schedule since 1955. 

Since then, the circuit's safety standards have changed drastically. However, the actual layout has remained largely untouched. The temporary facility takes around six weeks to construct and three weeks to dismantle. 
© Octane Photographic

The race weekend is made even more unique by the unusual schedule, with the first two practice sessions taking place on Thursday, rather than Friday. Despite having the lowest average speed, it is an incredibly demanding layout that requires full confidence, concentration, commitment and precision. One slip of focus and a driver will hit the unforgiving barriers. 

With a stunning backdrop, multi-million pound yachts bobbing up and down in the harbour and 22 cars streaming around the Circuit de Monaco, it is the most glamorous and highly anticipated weekend of the F1 season. 

A lap of the short but challenging 2.075 mile track begins on the start/finish straight, which isn’t straight at all and gently curves to the right. This is where the only DRS zone will be positioned. The first corner, Ste Devote, is a notoriously tricky and slow right-hander. A good exit is crucial here for the run uphill to Turn 3. 

Overtaking is incredibly difficult around the Monte Carlo streets, but a (brave) pass can be completed at the first corner. Expect a little bit of chaos here on lap one. Turn 1 leads on to the flat-out blast through the second bend (a barely-there kink) to Massenet. This long left-hander is swiftly followed by the medium-speed right of Casino Square. 

Using as much of the track as possible and getting as close to the barriers without actually touching them is, of course, vital to carry speed through the exit of the corners. A brief burst on the power down the Avenue des Beaux Arts, moving to the right mid-way down the straight to avoid a large bump, leads on to the tight Mirabeau corner. 
© Octane Photographic

The famous Fairmont Hairpin follows. It is the slowest corner on the F1 calendar and requires full steering lock, which means it is very difficult to run side-by-side with another car through here. However, some drivers still try to overtake there, with varying degrees of success. The double right-hander of Portier is next up and is followed by the iconic tunnel (one of just three in the history of the sport). 

As well as the changes to visibility due to the lack of light, a car can lose up to 30% of its downforce at this part of the track due to the unique aerodynamic properties of the tunnel. After the fast right-hander of Turn 9 and the exit of the tunnel is the heavy braking zone for the Nouvelle Chicane, which is the best overtaking place on the circuit. 

The harbour-side corner used to be a fast left-right complex but it was modified to its current layout (although kerbing and barrier changes have taken place) in 1986. It is made up of two parts. The first is a left-right chicane, which is then followed by a right-left section that leads cars onto the short burst to Tabac. 

This tight left-hander is tricky to master and is followed by the high-speed Piscine complex. This is made up of a fast left-right chicane and a slower, tighter right-left section. The 17th corner on the track is La Rascasse, another full-lock right that is followed by the Anthony Noghes corner – named after the organiser of the first Monaco Grand Prix. 

It is another tight right-hand turn that completes the lap. The pit entry is just prior to this corner and sometimes catches drivers out when they in the middle of a battle. Unusually, the current pit lane (which debuted in 2004) faces away from the start/finish straight. 
© Octane Photographic

Overall, it is a difficult race to negotiate for anyone in the F1 circus, as the paddock is situated over a bridge on the other side of the penultimate corner. It isn’t easy for the support categories either, with the GP2 area situated in a multi-story car park due to the lack of space. 

Cars will run with a high-downforce set-up for the Monaco Grand Prix and grip levels will increase as the weekend progresses. Around such a demanding circuit, getting as much track time as possible is incredibly important, so contact with the barrier can prove to be costly. 

 Due to the bumpy nature of the track surface, the ride-heights of the cars will be raised for the event. The soft, super-soft and brand new ultra-soft tyre compounds have been taken to Monaco by Pirelli due to the low grip levels and slow corners. 

Ayrton Senna is the most successful driver around the track with six wins. "Mr Monaco" Graham Hill registered five victories, as did Michael Schumacher. Fernando Alonso and Nico Rosberg are the only drivers on the current grid to have won the race multiple times, with Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button have one victory each. 

The last race in Spain proved to be a disaster for Mercedes, with Hamilton and Rosberg crashing into each other on the opening lap. It produced a great race for us as Red Bull and Ferrari going head-to-head, with the former coming out on top. Max Verstappen claimed a memorable first victory and while the Monaco track may suit the team, Mercedes will remain at the front of the field. 
 
Monaco Grand Prix Fact File 
Location: Monte Carlo, Monaco 
Track length: 2.075 miles 
Direction: Clockwise 
Turns: 19 
Laps: 78 
First race: 1950 
Lap record: Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 2004, 1:14.439 
Tyre compounds: soft, super-soft and ultra-soft 
2015 race winner: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes 
2015 pole position: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1:15.095 
2015 fastest lap: Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, 1:18.063 
Live on: Sky Sports F1 (Highlights Channel 4)

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