Vilardo. 2023 Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix Preview

TV schedule

Monaco Grand Prix Fast Facts

the location Monte Carlo, Monaco
follow: Circuit de Monaco
path type. Temporary street circuit
alternately. 19:00
Bay length. 2.07 miles
The length of the race. 78 regions
Fast lap. Lewis Hamilton 1:12.909 in Mercedes, 2021
Qualification record. Lewis Hamilton 1:10.166 in Mercedes, 2019
The most winnings by the builder. 15 – McLaren
The most winnings by a driver. 6- Ayrton Senna

OhGetting around the winding, narrow streets of Monte Carlo is virtually impossible.

Although it has the slowest average speed of any circuit on the calendar, with an average speed of around 93mph for the circuit, the demands on car and driver are huge.

There is almost no leakage between the frame and the barriers, forcing drivers to be precise and punishing mistakes.

A single lap around Monte Carlo also consists of up to 50 gear changes, which is almost 3,900 for the duration of the race.

Not only is Monaco the shortest circuit of the year with the lowest average speed, it also has the slowest corner of the year.

To counter this, teams use a high downforce package with a custom front and rear wing to balance downforce levels.

There are also bespoke aerodynamic add-ons, as well as steering adjustments to provide the extra lock needed to get around the Fairmont Hairpin.

In Monaco, one corner comes quickly after another, making it relatively easy to warm up the tires to get them into their ideal operating windows, especially in the softer compounds.

Teams will be highly tuned to maximize mechanical grip as much as they can. This is for slow, tight corners on short straights, but also for battling a surface that offers very little grip.

On the Pirelli grip scale, the surface is one out of five. Tire tension and surface abrasiveness is also one of the five.

In other words, the surface is slippery with little tire wear. As a result, the softest tire compounds will be the best choice.

A quirk of the circuit is that the track is opened to regular traffic every evening, making it difficult for rubber to accumulate on the race track.

The track evolution should normally be high on the street circuit, but it becomes a bit of a no-brainer to shoot in Monte Carlo, and not just in Casino Square.

For a Grand Prix, track position and pit strategy are key. As a result, qualifying is crucial as the pole sitter has won 13 of the last 19 races.

In fact, the last 26 Monaco Grands Prix have been won from one of the top three positions.

The farthest a driver has started and won this race is 14th, accomplished by Olivier Panis in 1996. Only four of the 21 drivers who started the race were running when the checkered flag waved.

The event was characterized by wet weather, numerous crashes and mechanical failures. Anomaly for sure.

While the tight streets of Monte Carlo can be challenging, no other track on the calendar offers the same opportunity for the entire field as Monaco.

Technical flaws with the car can be overcome like no other track and surprises can happen.

But again, qualifying is key.

Look for the race to be decided on a pit stop strategy, with a winning lap possible during the pit cycle.

Speed ​​units

• The Monaco Grand Prix is ​​the first race in Europe for the 2023 season.

• For tax purposes, almost all drivers have a home in Monaco, so racing allows them to sleep in their own bed during the week.

• In the previous 68 F1 races at Monaco, the winner has started in the top three 59 times.

• Ferrari has five consecutive top two finishes in Monaco.

• Mercedes won four straight in Monaco between 2013 and 2016.

• Red Bull has won six times in Monaco, the first coming in 2010.

• Ferrari has won just one race at the track since 2002.

• Monaco is the shortest track on the calendar.

• Some numbers needed to turn Monte Carlo into a racetrack: 13 miles of safety rails, 215,278 square feet of wire fencing, 1,420 tires for tire barriers, 800 fire extinguishers every 49 feet and 1,100 tons. tribune seats for spectators.

Recent winners of the Monaco Grand Prix

Our writers’ race picks