Three Grands Prix, one legendary street circuit. Discover the calendar, the grandstands, Paddock Club hospitality, Port Hercule yacht parties and the codes of VIP transport — everything you need to experience Monaco racing as a true insider.
Monaco is unlike any other circuit. It is an urban stage carved from rock, where single-seaters brush the barriers at 290 km/h between Port Hercule and the Casino de Monte-Carlo. Three major competitions are held here: the Formula 1 Grand Prix, the Formula E ePrix and the Historic Grand Prix. Three atmospheres, three audiences, one legendary setting.
This guide is aimed equally at motorsport enthusiasts and visitors discovering the Principality during a race weekend. Grandstands, paddock, yacht parties, circuit-view hotels, VIP transport — here is everything you need to know to experience it to the full.
The Circuit de la Principauté measures 3.337 km and features 19 corners traced along the streets of Monte-Carlo. It is the shortest and tightest circuit on the Formula 1 calendar, regarded as the most technically demanding: the slightest error sends a car into the barriers with no run-off whatsoever.
From Sainte-Dévote to the Harbour chicane, from the Casino corner to the Loews hairpin, from the Swimming Pool section to the Rascasse — every sector has its name, its history and its legends. Ayrton Senna holds the record for victories (6), followed by Graham Hill (5) and Michael Schumacher (5). In 2026, the layout remains faithful to the one laid out in 1929 by Antony Noghès, with a few minor modifications for modern safety standards.
The Monaco F1 Grand Prix traditionally takes place on the last weekend of May, over 4 days: Thursday free practice, Friday rest day (city events), Saturday qualifying, Sunday race (78 laps, approximately 1h45). The event attracts 200,000 spectators across the full weekend and remains the most glamorous and most widely covered race on the world calendar.
Recommended grandstands:
For ultra-premium hospitality, three addresses stand out: the official Paddock Club (pit lane access, garage tours, gastronomic lunches, view of the start-finish straight and podium), the Amber Lounge at the Méridien (driver afterparties, fashion shows, DJ sets) and the Port Hercule yacht parties, where front-row yachts provide a direct view of the harbour chicane with champagne and hostesses.
The Monaco ePrix is a Formula E race — the FIA championship for fully electric single-seaters. Held in spring over a single day (qualifying in the morning, race in the afternoon), it offers a shorter, more accessible and more affordable format than the F1 Grand Prix.
The atmosphere is radically different: far less noise (electric motors produce a characteristic high-pitched whine), closer communication between the crowd and trackside announcers, and a more family-friendly and younger audience. Spectators are more tech-oriented, engaged with the electric mobility agenda and sustainable transport. Sponsors come from the innovation ecosystem: electric car manufacturers, global technology giants, climate funds.
For engineering enthusiasts, the ePrix offers easier paddock access, more opportunities to meet drivers, and a genuine technology showcase. The layout is slightly modified compared to the F1 circuit (shortened on certain sections), but preserves the soul of the track.
The Historic Grand Prix is held every two years, in even-numbered years, approximately two weeks before the F1 Grand Prix. It is a prestigious competition for historic racing cars, on the same circuit as the modern F1 race, restricted to period single-seaters competing across 7 separate classes by era.
Spectators witness battles between pre-war single-seaters (Bugatti Type 35, ERA, Maserati 4CM), 1950s and 1960s Formula 1 cars (Maserati 250F, Ferrari Dino, Lotus 16), rear-engined 1960s F1 cars (Cooper, BRM, Lotus 25) and more modern F1 machinery up to the 1980s (Ferrari 312T, Tyrrell P34 six-wheeler, Lotus 79).
The crowd is composed of collectors, historic racing teams and knowledgeable enthusiasts, along with guests of the Yacht Club de Monaco. The atmosphere is refined and almost ceremonial, combining sporting rigour with automotive heritage. Many of the competing cars are worth several million euros and are driven by their owners.
Rooms with a direct view of the track are among the most coveted prizes of the race weekend. Four legendary addresses:
Booking is essential 6 to 12 months in advance for the F1 Grand Prix — circuit-view rooms sell out within 48 hours of reservations opening, at rates three to eight times higher than the rest of the year.
The Monaco Grand Prix weekend is far more than a race: it is an event ecosystem that extends from Thursday through to Monday morning. The unmissable highlights:
During the Grand Prix weekend, Monaco becomes virtually impassable by private car: roads close from Wednesday evening, private car parks are saturated and access to hospitality areas is controlled. A private chauffeur becomes indispensable for moving seamlessly between grandstands, yacht parties and afterparties.
Key points to bear in mind:
For this type of service, we recommend the Mercedes S-Class (understated elegance, heavily tinted rear windows) or the Range Rover Vogue LWB (commanding presence, ground clearance for the steep roads of the Rock). Find out more about our Monaco service and our Grand Prix event offering.
Monaco offers three distinct appointments for the motorsport enthusiast: Formula 1 in late May for absolute glamour, the Formula E ePrix for innovation and accessibility, and the biennial Historic Grand Prix for living automotive heritage. Each is worth the journey, each has its own codes, grandstands and afterparties. A private chauffeur is the key to smooth logistics in a Principality saturated for the occasion.
Eminence Prestige accompanies an international clientele across all three Grands Prix every season, with a service tailored to the demands of the paddock and the yacht parties. Request your personalised quote or consult our dedicated Monaco Grand Prix page.
Grandstands, Paddock Club, yacht parties, Amber Lounge afterparties — a dedicated chauffeur for the entire weekend, in a Mercedes S-Class or Range Rover Vogue LWB.