A New Track Layout For the Monaco Grand Prix

An Idea For A New Grand Prix Circuit in Monaco

The world of motorsport thrives on innovation; however, the Monaco race track has remained almost unchanged since April 14, 1929. 

While the Monaco Grand Prix has become the most iconic race in the world, offering breathtaking views and unparalleled hospitality at world-renowned destinations like Hotel de Paris, Hotel Hermitage, and Casino Square, it has also become a procession over the years, with many races effectively decided during Saturday's qualifying.

For 70 years, Formula One® has been defined by cutting-edge car technology and state-of-the-art tracks. As Monaco stands as a historic street circuit constrained by space, imagine if we could envision a brand-new racing circuit from the ground up. Picture a race that challenges the drivers and creates an unforgettable experience for fans. Here’s what the next-generation Monaco Grand Prix circuit could embody, and the possibilities are filled with promise.. 

The Layout: A Balance of Speed and Skill

A perfect modern F1® track needs a mix of high-speed straights, technical corners, and thrilling elevation changes. The layout would incorporate DRS zones and areas for overtaking. So here is what we have come up with. 

• A 1.5 km ultra-long straight for dramatic top-speed battles and DRS overtakes.
• A revised Monaco section, where the track turns left at Portier Corner, heading east along Avenue Princess Grace, passing by the scenic coastline, down past Le Meridien Beach Plaza, then onto the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel before looping back to the existing layout.
• Like Zandvoort’s Turn 3, a high-speed banked corner allows for bold overtaking moves and toward the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel roundabout offers a perfect location for a banked corner.. 
• A proposed new hairpin-style banked corner would turn the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel roundabout into an exciting, dramatic race banking corner, slingshotting the cars to another long straight back towards the Portier Corner. 
• Avenue Princesse Grace in Monaco extends from Portier Corner to the area near Le Méridien Beach Plaza, located at 22 Avenue Princesse Grace. 
• The total length of Avenue Princesse Grace is approximately 1.5 kilometers each way (0.93 miles each way), so extending the track by almost 3 kilometers (2 miles)
• Therefore, the distance from Portier Corner to Le Méridien Beach Plaza along the beachfront Avenue gives plenty of space for extending the track and overtakes and DRS zones.
• This would create two 1.5-kilometre (0.93-mile) DRS straights, exciting fan zones lining the track, and fantastic race-viewing opportunities for F1® race fans.

While these are merely ideas, the spirit of Monaco lives in the hearts of all F1® fans, demonstrating that track extensions can indeed become a reality. 

Let’s explore this together and inspire each other with fresh ideas to share with the ACM or FIA.