Esteban Ocon has stood on the podium three times during his Formula 1 career, including last year in Monaco, so the French Alpine driver is happy to talk about the classic city circuit. Moreover, this Grand Prix can be considered his home race.
Before the Monaco stage, Esteban drove a lap on a simulator around a virtual version of the legendary street circuit.
Esteban Ocon: “Hello everyone, today we are driving through the streets of Monaco – this is a special track, so go ahead! It all starts at Turn Rascasse – this is the last corner of the circuit, but it is important to be well prepared there. On the straight we accelerate and immediately after the bend we switch on DRS, so when you open the wing the drive wheels continue to slip.
At the end of the straight there is a very hard braking point, and here everything has to be done correctly. We pass the first bend, which is called Sainte Devote, after which we conquer the ascent at full speed, where the asphalt is quite uneven over the entire length.
At the entrance to the Massenet bend we try to maintain the maximum possible speed, after which we press to the left and prepare to take the next bend, where it is important to go around the bump. Then we brake as late as possible at the Mirabeau bend, reach the apex correctly and go through the hairpin bend – the sharpest bend of all the circuits on the calendar.
We prepare to take the 90 degree right bend that comes after the hairpin bend, and then try to pass the Portier bend properly, after which the tunnel begins.
We run through the tunnel at full speed, although it can be slippery there, so we have to be careful and attentive. We brake a hundred meters before the chicane, drive as close as possible to the barriers and if we want to overtake a car, we use the curb.
Then we accelerate again, go through the Tabac corner, where you have to act very confidently, to then go through the chicane in the pool at high speed, and then the chicane of turns 15 and 16, but you can easily make it there an error.
Now we approach the Rascasse corner again, where we have to stay as close as possible to the barriers, and by turning on DRS we complete the circuit around the Monaco circuit!
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
