page_title: Circuit de Monaco
section_title: Mechanical adaptations
hierarchical_section_title: Circuit de Monaco / Characteristics / Mechanical adaptations
caption_attribution_description: Vanwall VW7, with 1958 Monaco GP bodywork incorporating shortened nose and tail sections. In the Donington Grand Prix Collection museum, Leics., UK.
context_page_description: Circuit de Monaco is a street circuit laid out on the city streets of Monte Carlo and La Condamine around the harbour of the principality of Monaco. It is commonly referred to as "Monte Carlo" because it is largely inside the Monte Carlo neighbourhood of Monaco.
  The circuit is annually used on two weekends in May for Formula One Monaco Grand Prix and Formula E Monaco ePrix or Historic Grand Prix of Monaco. Formula One's respective feeder series over the years – Formula 3000, GP2 Series and today the Formula Two championship – also visit the circuit concurrently with Formula One. The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the three events where victory counts towards the Triple Crown of Motorsport.
context_section_description: Monaco's street circuit places very different demands on the cars in comparison to the majority of the other circuits used during a Championship season. The cars are set up with high downforce; not as is popularly believed to increase cornering speeds, as many of the corners are taken at such a low speed to negate any aerodynamic effect, but instead to shorten braking times and keep the cars stable under acceleration. Many teams use special wing assemblies incorporating extra active planes in addition to those in use for other circuits. The Jordan and Arrows teams tried to use new mid-wings in 2001. The Arrows wing was similar in design to a normal rear wing, but smaller and suspended above the nose cone. Jordan had a small wing suspended on a short pole just in front the driver. Both were designed to improve downforce, but, after testing them during Thursday practice, the FIA banned both.
  Brake wear is not a problem during a race in Monaco. Instead the low speeds mean the issue is keeping the brakes up to working temperature. The only heavy braking points are at the chicane after the tunnel, and to a lesser extent into the Sainte-Dévote and Mirabeau corners. With a lack of temperature brake bite becomes a problem, as the surface of the carbon brake disc becomes smooth as glass, reducing friction between the pads and the disk, hence lessening braking power. To combat this, in 2006 Juan Pablo Montoya adopted discs with radial grooves that increased the bite rate between disk and pads, increasing the average temperature of the brakes.
  Conversely, cooling the cars' engines is a major concern. Formula One cars do not incorporate any form of forced cooling, relying solely on air moving over the car to remove heat from the radiator elements. In the past many teams used to adjust the radiator intakes to allow for extra airflow, creating the once-common "Monaco nose". Before 2014, teams also used closer ratio gears, as there are hardly any long straights in Monaco and acceleration is at a premium. (Starting from 2014 season, same gear ratios must be used throughout the season.) A special steering rack with a larger pinion gear is also fitted to allow the cars to be driven around the tightest corners. Some Formula One teams use other specifically designed components for this circuit.
caption: Vanwall VW7, showing the wide radiator intake "Monaco nose" used during the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix.
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