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"The station curve in Monaco" - or curves that made history!

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Created on May 15, 2017

Text:

Daniel Reinhard

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

19

Daimler AG

6

Archiv

2

Daniel Reinhard

19

Daimler AG

6

Archiv

2

View of the Loews curve from above in 2017

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Monaco Grand Prix in 2015 - Hamilton ahead of Rosberg and Vettel

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Red marks the curve called "Grand Hotel Hairpin" of Monaco - track layout Monaco today - formerly known as Fairmont, Loews

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Loews curve in 2015

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Monaco Grand Prix on April 14, 1929 - Rudolf Caracciola on Mercedes-Benz Type SSK in the station curve

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The Loews curve with normal everyday traffic in 2015

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Monaco Grand Prix in 2006 - Schumacher, Liuzzi, Villeneuve, Coulthard, Fisichella, Rosberg, Alonso and Montoya

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Monaco Grand Prix (Europe) on May 22, 1955 - before his serious accident, Hans Herrmann in Mercedes-Benz Formula 1 racing car W 196 R

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Another look at the Loews curve in 2015

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Mercedes-Benz W 125 (1937) - Monaco Grand Prix on August 8, 1937 - Winner Manfred von Brauchitsch in front of the second Caracciola in the Loews curve

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Taking a photo with the staircase in the background Alfa Romeo 8C 1935 (Monaco Historique 1997)

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Behind Philippe Alliot at the Monaco Grand Prix in 1989 are Eddie Cheever, Alain Prost and Ivan Capelli

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Monaco Grand Prix (Europe) on May 22, 1955: Juan Manuel Fangio followed by Stirling Moss in the Mercedes-Benz W 196 R

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Monaco Grand Prix in 2015 - Daniel Ricciardo in the Red Bull

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Monaco Grand Prix (Europe) on May 22, 1955 - Stirling Moss in a Mercedes-Benz W 196 R

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Monaco Grand Prix in 2014 - Felipe Massa in the Williams

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In 1987 there were still high kerbs - Theo Fabi in the Benetton

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Flat, drivable curb - Robert Kubica in the BMW Sauber in 2007

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Monaco Grand Prix in 2016 - Rosberg ahead of Hamilton (both Mercedes-Benz) on a wet track

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Another look at the Loews curve in Monaco

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Monaco Grand Prix (Europe) on May 22, 1955 - Juan Manuel Fangio ahead of Stirling Moss - both on Mercedes-Benz W 196 R

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Monaco Grand Prix (Europe) on May 22, 1955 - Juan Manuel Fangio in a Mercedes-Benz W 196 R

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View from below into the Loews curve

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Ralf Schumacher demonstrated the demands on the tight turning circle in the Toyota in 2007

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The Formula 3 cars are faster on the Loews curve than the F1 cars, here Jean Alesi in F3 in 1987

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In the station curve, the artists behind the wheel are in demand - Mika Häkkinen in the 1991 Lotus

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In 1929, the scene in Monaco looked completely different

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Rot markiert die Kurve namens "Grand Hotel Hairpin" von Monaco - Streckenlayout Monaco heute - früher bekannt unter Fairmont, Loews

Loews-Kurve im Jahr 2015

Grosser Preis von Monaco am 14. April 1929 - Rudolf Caracciola auf Mercedes-Benz Typ SSK in der Bahnhofskurve

Die Loews-Kurve mit normalem Alltagsverkehr im Jahr 2015

Grosser Preis von Monaco im Jahr 2006 - Schumacher, Liuzzi, Villeneuve, Coulthard, Fisichella, Rosberg, Alonso und Montoya

Grosser Preis von Monaco (Europa) am 22. Mai 1955 - vor seinem schweren Unfall, Hans Herrmann auf Mercedes-Benz Formel-1-Rennwagen W 196 R

Summary

There is probably only one corner on current Formula 1 racetracks where a Formula 3 monoposto is faster than the premier class of motorsport. Since 1929, the station bend in Monaco has served as a popular subject for photographers and an opportunity for racing cars to pile up in the tight hairpin. This article shows how the curve has evolved over 90 years and explains how it came to have four different names and what has happened in it over the course of time.

This article contains the following chapters

Popular with photographers
Advertising
Benchmark for steering angle
Documented right from the start
1982 decisive for the race
Traffic jams and accidents in the bottleneck
Beloved anachronism

Estimated reading time: 5min

Preview (beginning of the article)

The tightest and absolutely slowest corner in Formula 1 has changed its name four times since the race track was built and is now known as the "Grand Hotel Hairpin". It is the only corner that can be taken in first gear with the F1 monoposto. Formula 3 was even faster than F1 in this hairpin thanks to the smaller and much more maneuverable cars. Since the first race on April 14, 1929, its radius has increased significantly with all the new buildings, and the outer sidewalk also had to make way for the racetrack in the 1970s. In the 1960s, the inner radius was given the famous small garden and a bus stop, making it considerably wider.

Welcome to Zwischengas!

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Images of this article

Rot markiert die Kurve namens "Grand Hotel Hairpin" von Monaco - Streckenlayout Monaco heute - früher bekannt unter Fairmont, Loews

Loews-Kurve im Jahr 2015

Grosser Preis von Monaco am 14. April 1929 - Rudolf Caracciola auf Mercedes-Benz Typ SSK in der Bahnhofskurve

Die Loews-Kurve mit normalem Alltagsverkehr im Jahr 2015

Grosser Preis von Monaco im Jahr 2006 - Schumacher, Liuzzi, Villeneuve, Coulthard, Fisichella, Rosberg, Alonso und Montoya

Grosser Preis von Monaco (Europa) am 22. Mai 1955 - vor seinem schweren Unfall, Hans Herrmann auf Mercedes-Benz Formel-1-Rennwagen W 196 R

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