5 - 7 June 2026
MONACO GRAND PRIX ROUND 8
Circuit de Monaco
- FP1Fri 5 Jun11:3012:30
- FP2Fri 5 Jun15:0016:00
- FP3Sat 6 Jun10:3011:30
- QualifyingSat 6 Jun14:0015:00
- RaceSun 7 Jun13:0015:00
SECTORS
TURNS
FIRST GP
1950
LAPS
78
CIRCUIT LENGTH
3.337
DISTANCE
260.286
Glamour and prestige in the majestic Monte Carlo
Statistically, Monaco is the slowest Grand Prix of the season, but it always looks the fastest. With a racing line rarely more than millimetres away from the barriers, the 78 laps of the world’s most famous street circuit pass by in a blur. It is, perhaps, the ultimate test for a Formula 1 driver and also one of the world’s most spectacular live sporting events: nowhere else do crowds get so close to F1.
The Circuit de Monaco is a throwback – not just to the early days of the F1 World Championship, but beyond that to the interwar period when the Monaco Grand Prix helped put the tiny principality on the map. While the circuit has been nipped and tucked since the first Monaco Grand Prix of 1929, the modern cars wind the same route through Monte Carlo as did those of that inaugural race. History is never far away at the Monaco Grand Prix.
It is, however, a circuit fundamentally unsuited to modern Formula 1 cars, which require a host of Monaco-specific adaptations – expect to see front wings cranked up to the maximum. The road surface is far from smooth, so the softest suspension settings are used to keep the wheels in contact with the surface and maximise traction. There’s also a Monaco-specific steering rack, required to get the cars around the tight, slow, Grand Hotel Hairpin (formerly known as Loews).
The key performance parameter, however, is driver confidence, and time on track during the practice sessions takes on extra significance here.
McLaren have a peerless Monaco record of 16 wins, many of which rank among the most iconic race wins in F1 history. Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost were both highly successful here for McLaren, winning eight races in nine years between 1984 and 1993 (Senna won the race with Lotus in 1987). The likes of Mika Häkkinen, David Coulthard, Kimi Räikkönen, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton have also won around the famous streets in McLaren colours. As of 2025, Lando Norris has joined that illustrious list, while in 2024, Oscar finished on the podium in our Senna-inspired livery.
Narrow, historic, iconic 🇲🇨
Get to know
more
Tackling the Circuit de Monaco requires a great deal of confidence, as well as a good amount of pace in the slow-speed corners. Navigating the tight and twisting streets is certainly a smoother ride than in Senna’s day, but it still requires complete commitment and an ability to find the fine line between pushing the limits and exceeding them. The faster you go, the more it feels like the walls are closing in.
As you may have already guessed, the narrow streets of Monaco and the barriers that surround the circuit make overtaking difficult, but the skill and bravery the drivers display when weaving through the 17-turn, 2.074-mile circuit help make up for the lack of passing. And trust us when we say, you won’t want to miss Qualifying.
Portier, Nouvelle, and Rascasse are among the most iconic corners in the world, but they’re not the only notable turns in the principality. Unsurprisingly, the circuit features one of the slowest corners of the calendar – the Fairmont Hairpin, taken at 30 mph – but it also contains one of the quickest too. The flat-out corner in the tunnel is taken at roughly 160 mph, with the added complication that drivers switch from light to dark and back to light in a very short space of time.
Stuck for conversation with your F1-loving friends? Spark up a discussion with our F1 icebreaker…
The total distance covered in the Monaco GP is 161.887 miles, which is actually below the FIA’s minimum race length of 190 miles. However, due to the history of the race, which first ran in 1929, an exception is made.
Looking back on 2025
