Monaco, the technical challenge

From a technical point of view, Monaco is not as much of an enigma as many people think. The track has been re-surfaced several times in recent years, which means the asphalt is not dissimilar to many permanent racetracks around the world, and from a set-up point of view, it is simply at one end of the aerodynamic and mechanical spectrum.

The cars run with maximum aerodynamic downforce throughout the weekend, which leaves the engineers and drivers to focus on maximising the mechanical grip generated by the cars. It is generally best not to change the car’s set-up too much during first practice on Thursday as the circuit only becomes representative in session two, once the surface has started to collect rubber.

With overtaking almost impossible at Monaco, gaining a good grid position is vital. For the engineers, finding their drivers a clear piece of track during qualifying, especially during Q1 when all 20 cars will be out, is as important as improving the car’s set-up.

Full throttle: 60%
Brake wear: Medium – Hard
Downforce level: High – 10/10
Tyre compounds: Soft / Super Soft
Tyre usage: Medium
Average speed: 160kph (100mph)