(01)Circuit
Why Do Monaco's Corners Have These Names?
Sainte-Dévote, Casino, Mirabeau, Fairmont, Tabac, Rascasse — every corner on the track tells a small piece of the Principality's history. Here's where the names come from.
5 min read
Sainte-Dévote, the first braking point
The circuit's opening corner takes its name from the Sainte-Dévote chapel, dedicated to Monaco's patron saint, which sits right next to the track. It's the first braking zone after the start-finish line, and one of the most contested points of the race, with cars often still bunched together on the opening lap.
Casino Square, past the most photographed façade on the track
The name is self-explanatory: this corner runs directly in front of the Casino de Monte-Carlo, one of the Principality's most recognisable landmarks. The technical sequence that follows, Massenet then Mirabeau, is named after the avenue and hotel that line the circuit at that point.
The Fairmont Hairpin, the slowest corner in Formula 1
This corner has changed names several times over the decades, following the various owners of the hotel that overlooks it — Loews, then Fairmont today. Under its different names, it has remained unchanged since the very first race in 1929: the slowest hairpin on the entire Formula 1 calendar, taken at under 50 km/h.
Tabac, a nod to a tobacco shop
Further along the lap, Tabac corner is named after a former tobacco shop that once stood at this spot. It's one of the most technical sections of the circuit, taken at full speed with very little margin for error on either side.
La Rascasse, a tribute to a fishermen's bar
The circuit's penultimate corner pays tribute to a bar of the same name that once stood there, originally frequented by local fishermen. The name itself comes from a fish common in the Mediterranean. It's often the site of the last decisive braking zone before the finish line.
The Monaco circuit has 18 corners in total, each with its own story. A track unlike any other on the Formula 1 calendar, precisely because it was never designed as a race track: it's the city itself, largely unchanged since 1929.