The final flag has dropped at the Monaco F1 Grand Prix. The legendary race through the Monegasque streets is over. But what preparations are needed, and what happens once the roar of those powerful engines fades?
Preparing and dismantling the Monaco Grand Prix track is a fascinating logistical feat that spans weeks, transforming the city’s streets into one of the most demanding race circuits in the world.
Track preparation: The city becomes a racetrack
Monaco’s transformation begins months before the event itself, a significantly longer period than most other F1 tracks, simply because it’s a street circuit.
Work typically starts 10 to 11 weeks prior to the F1 race weekend. Key steps include:
- Installing Barriers and Fences: Over 21 kilometers (13 miles) of safety barriers and approximately 20,000 square meters (215,000 sq ft) of wire fencing are placed along the track. This also includes TecPro barriers in high-impact zones and thousands of tires for protection.
- Assembling Grandstands and Facilities: Massive temporary grandstands, pit garages, and supporting structures for teams, media, and guests are meticulously put together. Some of these are multi-story and incredibly complex.
- Roadway Modifications: Although it’s a city street, minor modifications are sometimes made to the road surface, such as relocating certain sections or installing curbs.
- Building Infrastructure: A complete race infrastructure is set up: lighting, signaling systems, telecommunications, medical equipment, and fire-fighting gear. Impressively, there’s a fire extinguisher every 15 meters (50 ft) of the track!
- Workforce: Around 250 people work on the track’s construction, a number that swells to over 2,000 during the race weekend, including volunteers, marshals, police, and medical staff.
- Equipment Storage: Due to limited space in Monaco, a large amount of equipment (steel, barriers, tires, grandstand parts) is stored in special units in nearby locations, even as far as Italy.
A rapid transformation
Once the final flag waves on Sunday afternoon, an impressive dismantling process begins.
Despite weeks of preparation, the breakdown is surprisingly swift. Roads are typically reopened to traffic just a few hours after the race concludes on Sunday evening. The main barriers and safety fences are quickly removed. Larger structures, like grandstands and pit garages, take a bit longer, but the entire process of dismantling and returning the city to normal is usually completed within 3 to 4 weeks after the Monaco F1 Grand Prix.
This rapid transformation is crucial for minimizing the impact on Monaco’s residents, making the Grand Prix unique not only for its glamour but also for its engineering and logistical precision.
