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Monaco 2013 - Race information - Everything you need to know about the Monaco Grand Prix

Published by Christine

Love or hate the Monte Carlo race, it certainly is one of the main events on the F1 calendar. As soon as the photos start pouring in of the sunny skies and blue seas surrounding the harbour, we know we're in for a special weekend. The track holds its own unique challenges, but the drivers are more than up for the fight - all wanting to take the honour of winning the Monaco Grand Prix.

Event schedule

With tyre talk dominating more than ever, and Pirelli's potential tweaks for the race in Canada, Monaco going to be under a lot of scrutiny. Qualifying for the event is one of the key parts of the weekend, as overtaking can be tricky around the twisting streets. Every part of the circuit is recognisable and steeped in F1 history, and if the racing is half as good as we have seen so far this year, we're in for a treat.

Session timetable
DateDaySessionTimeLocal time
23 MayThursdayFree Practice 109:00
GMT +01:00
10:00
GMT +02:00
Free Practice 213:00
GMT +01:00
14:00
GMT +02:00
25 MaySaturdayFree Practice 310:00
GMT +01:00
11:00
GMT +02:00
Qualifying13:00
GMT +01:00
14:00
GMT +02:00
26 MaySundayGrand Prix13:00
GMT +01:00
14:00
GMT +02:00

Support racing for this event includes Renault 3.5, GP2 and Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.

The weather

Traditional views of Monaco would suggest gorgeous sunny days with beautiful blue skies, and rippling crisp calm seas. This year looks to have some of that, but there's also the potential for rain, as showers move in and threaten to pour down on Saturday.

clear

Monte Carlo, Thursday

19℃

  • Low 9℃
  • Humidity 53%

Clear and sunny

showers

Monte Carlo, Saturday

16℃

  • Low 10℃
  • Humidity 44%

Chance of rain

moderate

Monte Carlo, Sunday

18℃

  • Low 9℃
  • Humidity 45%

Partly cloudy

Circuit map

Sidepodcast image
DRS Zones
DRS detection80m after Turn 16
DRS activation18m after Turn 19

It's not a surprise to see that Monaco only has the one DRS zone. Although the FIA are busy trying to increase each circuit's DRS capacity to double that, Monaco just doesn't have the straight sections of track to allow that to happen.

This weekend will see the detection zone well before the final corner, with activation coming around the last turn and onto the home straight. In previous seasons, the FIA have had to ban DRS use through the tunnel during practice and qualifying, but as this is now limited to the zones in question, it shouldn't be a problem.

The circuit

Circuit information
CircuitCircuit de Monaco
LocationMonte Carlo
CountryMonaco
TimezoneGMT +02:00
Race debut1950
Laps78
Length3.340 km
Distance260.520 km
Line offset0.000 km

The track itself is a crazy, twisting street circuit, with looming buildings, a stretch of tunnel and no margin for error. It’s a challenge, a hazard, and it surely wouldn’t make the calendar if presented to the FIA bosses today.

However, the heritage behind the event makes it exciting and special, and despite a tendency towards the processional, the racing is rarely dull.

There’s no room for overtaking, you will only occasionally find a driver risking his car by trying to squeeze past another just inches from the barrier.

The main action at Monaco comes from mistakes made, crashes between two cars, or collisions with the barrier. The Grand Hotel hairpin is often a place where drivers misjudge the distances and incidents occur.

2012 Results
SessionDriverTeamTimeLinks
Free Practice 1Fernando AlonsoFerrari1:16.265Full results
Free Practice 2Jenson ButtonMcLaren1:15.746Full results
Free Practice 3Nico RosbergMercedes1:15.159Full results
QualifyingMichael SchumacherMercedes1:14.301Full results
Grand PrixMark WebberRed Bull1:46:06.557Full results
Fastest LapSergio PérezSauber1:17.296

Tyre compounds

Monaco Grand Prix tyre selection
Soft and supersoft compounds

There are some parts of the Monaco weekend that are predictable, and that Pirelli will bring the soft and super-soft was never in doubt. Well, until the last race anyway. But it is the expected rubber that arrives in Monte Carlo, although the Italian manufacturer believes their wet tyres may get a run this weekend too.

So we’d expect the supersoft – which was last seen in Australia – to be the tyre to qualify on and the soft tyre the one for the race. Monaco is the circuit that places the least demands on tyres all year, which is why we can run the two softest and fastest here.

- Paul Hembery

Press conference schedule

Official press conferences are organised by the FIA and happen four times during the weekend. The qualifying and post race press conferences will take place after the television unilateral interviews.

Press Conference Schedule
DayLocalAttendeeRepresenting
Wednesday15:00Jules BianchiMarussia
Jenson ButtonMcLaren
Romain GrosjeanLotus
Lewis HamiltonMercedes
Nico HülkenbergSauber
Adrian SutilForce India
Thursday16:00Robert FernleyForce India
Christian HornerRed Bull
Paul HemberyPirelli
Gérard LopezLotus
Franz TostToro Rosso
Alain ProstRenault Sport
SaturdayPost qualifyingThree fastest drivers
SundayPost raceFirst three finishing drivers

Race stewards

The FIA stewarding process was changed recently to include a former F1 driver to offer added insight. These are the stewards overseeing this weekend's action.

FIA stewards
NamePosition
José AbedFIA Vice President, founder and president of the Mexican Organisation of International Motorsport.
Tom KristensenEight times Le Mans winner, German F3 Champion, Japanese F3 Champion and ALMS Champion.
Lars ÖsterlindFIA World Council Member and Honorary President of the Swedish Automobile Sport Federation.

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