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Marina Bay Street Circuit | Singapore
What looks like a glowing snake from the air is the Marina Bay Street Circuit illuminated by 1,700 floodlights during the Formula 1 night-race in Singapore. It is internationally regarded as the fastest, most difficult street circuit. No other circuit offers more curves, higher bumps and more sweat-inducing temperatures. Drivers can reach a top speed of up to 300 km/h on the short straights of the city course. Numerous 90-degree curves dotted throughout the course demand maximum concentration and driving technique. The most exciting curve up until 2013 was the Singapore Sling – also the name of a famous cocktail. Why the name? The triple curve really sent riders into a spin. However, the Singapore Sling has since been replaced by a simple left turn.
Monte Carlo | Monaco
Monaco stands for glamour, money and super yachts. And, of course, the adrenaline-fueled Monaco Grand Prix, which continues to tell the story of motorsports to this day. The Circuit de Monaco, opened in 1929, is one of the most famous race tracks in the world. Former Formula 1 world champion Nelson Piquet described it like “flying a helicopter in the living room.” One factor reigns above all: little space. The narrow roads force the driver close to the crash barrier on the bends, making overtaking manoeuvres almost impossible. The low average speed of 150 km/h on the race track shows it’s not speed that counts, but brains. Juan-Pablo Montoya proved just this in 2003, when he raced from starting position three to victory.
Guia Circuit | Macao
Macao, 50 kilometres west of Hong Kong: more money flows through the slot machines here than in Las Vegas. Yet Macao is not only a meeting place for gamblers, but also for motorsport racing enthusiasts from all over the world – at the Macao Grand Prix on the Guia Circuit. Here Formula 3 cars, touring cars and motorcycles race through the narrow streets of the city. They take super tight curves that give the city course a special thrill. The Melco Hairpin is particularly notorious with a track width of only seven metres. Nevertheless, the cars accelerate to top speeds of up to 260 km/h on the straight stretches between the curves.
Baku City Circuit | Aserbaidschan
At 340 through a beautiful old town? This is exactly what happens once a year in Azerbaijan. The Baku City Circuit allows Formula 1 drivers to drive through a UNESCO World Heritage Site and pass gorgeous palaces. It wasn’t until 2016 that this street circuit made its debut – with Nico Rosberg as the first winner. Many motorsport experts have since put the Baku Grand Prix on a par with Monaco. The track has yet another, well, highlight to offer. At 28 metres below sea level, the start-finish straight of the Baku City Circuit is the lowest point in the Formula 1 year!
Brooklyn Street Circuit | USA
The New York City skyline in front of you and Staten Island in the rear-view mirror – that’s how racing drivers feel in NYC. Formula E got up and running in the Brooklyn district in 2017. The Statue of Liberty rises from the sea less than three kilometres from the race track. The course itself leads through a harbour area and past huge container ships – the Manhattan skyline gleams on the horizon. According to Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York is the ideal venue for Formula E. This 2018/2019 season, the drivers of the BMW Formula E team can find out for themselves when they start here for the first time.
Central Harbourfront Circuit | Hongkong
The neon signs on the streets of Hong Kong shine brightly night after night. But the city also gleams during the day when the sun is reflected in the more than 1000 skyscrapers. It is precisely these skyscrapers that the Formula E circuit passes year after year. During the race, however, the drivers not only pass skyscrapers, the race track running along the harbour also features a Ferris wheel. Just as breath-taking are the 10 narrow curves of the race track, two of which are real hairpin bends. What a spectacle!
