Formula One’s Most Famous Circuits
If you ask any fan of Formula One who their favourite driver is, you should expect an answer within ten seconds. The man behind the wheel whose name they scream at the TV during every Grand Prix, the perennial winner, the plucky underdog. Most fans will even be able to tell you what their favourite car is without too much thinking. The vehicle they dream about pulling up at work in or taking for a spin around the countryside. But what really gets the Formula One fan base thinking is when you ask them what their favourite circuit is.
With different circuits offering calling for different racing styles, it is little wonder why, for fans, choosing a favourite is sometimes a difficult task. However, there are some circuits that almost every fan of Formula One racing gets excited about every year.
Monaco
Perhaps the most famous racing courses of all time, the Circuit de Monaco is a street circuit that threads through the glamorous city of Monte Carlo. With its complex layout and numerous chicanes, the Circuit de Monaco is a circuit that favours skill and timing over sheer speed and power. Racing legend Nelson Piquet once described navigating the course akin to “guiding a bicycle around your living room,” due to its tight and twisting nature. In addition to this, spectators are also treated to the beauty of Monte Carlo as a backdrop to this most famous of Grand Prix locations. This is one of the most popular courses on the circuit, so make sure you book your tickets, flight and accommodation early!
Silverstone
Known universally as “the home of British racing,” Silverstone is perhaps the antithesis of the Circuit de Monaco in terms of layout and structure. Built on the site of Royal Air Force bomber station, the Silverstone circuit offers drivers long stretches of track mixed in with a couple of tight corners. Unlike Monaco, speed and power count for everything here and the track is a firm favourite amongst fans who like to see engines pushed to their very limits.
Monza
The Autodromo Nazionale Monza is perhaps the fastest circuit in Formula One. With very few tight corners or chicanes to negotiate, the Monza circuit is a firm favourite amongst Formula One fans who like to see engines pushed to their very limits. However, as much as the circuit delights fans with a need for speed, the track has also seen a number of accidents over the years. Over 50 drivers and 30 spectators have been involved in fatal accidents at the circuit, which has led to a massive increase in the course’s safety features.
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