Jeff Gordon at the Circuit de Monaco

Описание: Modern layout of the Circuit de Monaco:

The lap starts with a short sprint up to the tight St. Devote corner. This is a nearly 90 degree right-hand bend usually taken in third or fourth gear. This corner has seen many first lap accidents, although these are less common since the removal of the mini roundabout on the apex of the corner before the 2004 event, making the entrance to the corner wider. The cars then head uphill, before changing down for the long left-hander at Massenet.

Out of Massenet, the cars drive past the famous casino before quickly reaching the aptly named Casino Square. The cars snake down the next short straight, avoiding an enormous bump on the left of the track, a reminder of the unique nature of the circuit. This leads to the tight Mirabeau corner, which is followed by a short downhill burst to the even tighter Grand Hotel hairpin (formerly known as Loew's Hairpin, or Station Hairpin before that). It is a corner which has been used for many overtaking manoeuvres in the past. However it would be almost physically impossible for two modern F1 cars to go round side by side, as the drivers must use full steering lock to get around. It is so tight that many Formula 1 teams must redesign their steering and suspension specifically to negotiate this corner.

After the hairpin, the cars head downhill again to a double right-hander called Portier before heading into the famous tunnel, a unique feature of a Formula One circuit. As well as the change of light making visibility poor, a car can lose 20-30% of its downforce due to the unique aerodynamic properties of the tunnel.

Out of the tunnel, the cars have to brake hard for a tight left-right chicane. This has been the scene of several large accidents, including that of Karl Wendlinger in 1994, and Jenson Button in 2003. The chicane is probably the only place on the circuit where overtaking can be attempted. There is a short straight to Tabac, a tight fourth gear corner which is taken at about 195 km/h (120 mph). Accelerating up to 225 km/h (140 mph), the cars reach Piscine, a fast left-right followed by a slower right-left chicane which takes the cars past the swimming pool that gave its name to the corner.

Following Piscine, there is a short straight followed by heavy braking for a quick left which is immediately followed by the tight 180 degree right-hander called La Rascasse. This is another corner which requires full steering lock; it will be remembered for a long time as the venue of one of the most suspicious maneuvers in recent Formula One history after the 2006 season when Michael Schumacher appeared to deliberately stop his car in qualifying so as to prevent Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber — who were both following and were on flying laps — from out-qualifying him. The Rascasse takes the cars into a short, adversely-cambered, straight that precedes the final corner, Virage Antony Noghes. Named after the organiser of the first Monaco Grand Prix, the corner is a tight right-hander which brings the cars back onto the start-finish straight, and across the line to start a new lap.


Jeff Gordon NASCAR CUP Stats:

Birthdate: Aug 4, 1971
Birthplace: Vallejo, CA
Hometown: Pittsboro, IN
Height: 5'7''
Four-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion (1995, 1997, 1998, 2001)
81 Career NASCAR Victories
Sixth on all-time wins list
65 Career Poles
Fourth on all-time pole award winner's list
Three-time Daytona 500 winner (1997, 1999, 2005)
Four-time Brickyard 400 winner (1994, 1998, 2001, 2004)
Five-time Southern 500 winner (1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002)
1997 Winston Million winner
Four-time Winston No Bull 5 winner
Three-time champion of The NEXTEL All-Star Challenge (1995, 1997, 2001)
Holds a record nine road course victories
Holds a record 12 restrictor-plate victories