Three-part Monaco circuit redesign proposal explained

After the failure of Monaco’s new mandatory two-stop rule, former F1 driver turned circuit design expert Alex Wurz says it’s time to stop patching the problem and rethink the track itself.

Wurz, who competed in 69 grands prix and now chairs the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, runs a circuit design company called Wurz Design, which is currently working on proposed F1 tracks in Saudi Arabia and Rwanda.

In a video posted to his social media accounts, the Austrian outlined three changes that he believes could help the Monaco Grand Prix deliver more compelling racing without sacrificing its character.

The first proposal, pictured top, involves moving the Nouvelle Chicane further down the track, closer to Tabac, to convert what he calls a “near” overtaking spot into a genuine one.

“You can prepare to overtake or execute to overtake with a higher probability if you’re moving the chicane later,” Wurz explained. “That means the defending for this corner, which is quite easy due to the kink and the bumps to defend the corner, will become more difficult.

He believes the shift is feasible even within Monaco’s notoriously tight constraints and said that widening the track in that section, carefully adjusting curbing, and preserving the unique character of the circuit in the lead in to the Tabac corner, would be key to the redesign.

“Tabac is my favourite corner,” Wurz added. “(It’s) really difficult. We still have to time the gap in a sense that it’s not flat out, (so) that you still need to lift and touch the brakes slightly to not change the character which is very close to our heart of all the race drivers.”

Wurz’s second suggestion focuses on Rascasse, one of the slowest corners on the circuit.

He believes shifting the apex outward by just two to three metres could dramatically open up the entry, creating room for bold inside moves.

“You will open the corner much more for a divebomb,” he explained. “That means any driver ahead will either have to defend or accept that he leaves the door open.

“If you are defending, you will come out much slower, so you’re creating a train behind you and the pressure on all of the drivers will simply increase.

“I think this is a small trick, quite easy to realise, but should at least engage in more fighting, more intense pressure, and perhaps overtaking.”

Wurz’s final proposal targets Monaco’s most iconic corner, the Fairmont Hairpin (formerly Loews Hairpin), famous for its ultra-tight turning radius.

He argues that widening the section by around 2.4 metres, especially by eliminating the curb and using every available inch of asphalt, could create space for a genuine overtaking attempt.

“It will not change the character of this corner but you would enable an overtaking divebomb,” he said.

“The hairpin is very tight so we need to also enlarge the track on the right side, lose the curb, (add) asphalt all the way to this physical wall so we have the turn in radius.

“If that is failing, you still have now what you are gaining with the additional asphalt. It will lead into a little bit more defending so there’s a backlash onto the field.

He argues that this adjustment would not only make the hairpin more dynamic, but also help set up moves further down the lap, particularly into the newly reworked chicane.

Together, Wurz believes these tweaks could be the key to unlocking proper racing at a venue that has long resisted change.

This article was originally written for Speedcafe. You can read the published version here