The Monaco circuit is a citizen circuit, which is used by road cars for over 10 months a year. A video showed what it’s like to drive on this track on a normal day.
The Monaco Grand Prix has always been one of the most beautiful and awaited by Formula 1 fans, but at the same time it is also one of the most controversial ones. Because the Montecarlo track is also opposed because overtaking is not easy and we have also seen several boring races. It is certainly a great challenge for the riders who find themselves racing on a one-of-a-kind circuit, rich in history, with bends and straights (as well as the tunnel) that have marked eras of this sport. A great job for the drivers but also for the organizers who have to make a real restyling of the city road system.
And yes, because in Montecarlo where pilots have been racing since the 1950s, with very rare exceptions, the track is used for city traffic. Anyone who has passed through the Principality at least once knows very well what it means. Practically those who go to Monaco in the winter can pass through the Sainte Devote or the Massenet with their road car.
But what is it like to drive on the narrow streets of the Principality for the rest of the year? It sure is complicated. Because the roads are even narrower than what you see on TV when Formula 1 races. A video posted on the net showed what it would be like for the drivers to drive with the canonical road system. In the meantime, it would be difficult because those streets are partly two-way. So the roadway is further narrowed.
From a video you can clearly see the differences with the ‘track’. The tables of a bar before the Casino area and above all the traffic island at the Portier immediately catch the eye. Obviously there is no chicane that follows the tunnel, and to ride that stretch like the riders, you almost risk ending up in the water, because the space is very limited. The next part, the one that includes the legendary Curva del Tabaccaio, the Chiron and the Piscine sees parked cars on the right-hand side, therefore space is always limited.
The Rascasse area that closes the tour is also different and much larger. In short, those who have the opportunity to drive once, with a road car in Monte Carlo, will be able to imagine that they are a driver, but they will certainly notice notable differences.
The Monaco circuit as we see it during the race weekend, which is generally held at the end of May, is artfully rearranged by the organizers, who start preparations already six weeks before the GP, so this year the streets already start April have been closed in Monte Carlo. And in the three weeks following the race they work hard to get everything back to normal.
