Monaco Grand Prix

The cathedral of motorsport

Monaco is the slowest, narrowest, most photogenic, and arguably most prestigious race on the calendar. The cars race through public streets (past hotels, casinos, and a harbor full of yachts) that get reopened to traffic during the week.

Why it’s so hard

The track is barely wider than the cars. There’s no run-off; kiss a barrier and your race is over. Pole position is worth so much that qualifying is the most important session of the weekend; overtaking in the race is nearly impossible without a strategic gamble or a mistake from the car ahead.

What to watch for

• Qualifying laps on Saturday: see drivers brushing the barriers on every corner exit.
• The Tunnel: the only place on any F1 calendar where cars go from sunlight into darkness at over 250 km/h.
• The Loews hairpin (turn 6): slowest corner on the calendar, taken at 50 km/h.
• Strategy gambles: the safety car is almost always coming. Teams that pit at the right moment can leapfrog the field.