From the starting grid, the cars accelerate to 170 mph and swing quickly through Turn 1 as the track waves right and left. Once through they brake heavily, pulling -3.8g at the entrance to Virage Senna. This hairpin is marked by a tight 90-degree turn to the left before the hairpin itself turns the cars through 180 degrees and it is negotiated at 45 mph in 2nd gear. Cars quickly accelerate to 150 mph and 5th gear as the track curves gently to the right. A series of bends (Turns 2-6) see the cars down to 3rd gear and speeds averaging 60 mph as the circuit turns to the right.
Turn 7 marks the Pont de la Concorde which occupies about a third of the track length. This is a long straight, broken up by a quick right-left turn - Turn 8 and Turn 9 - that can be negotiated in 3rd gear. Decelerating from 170 mph, the right bend is entered at 50 mph and then exited at 65 mph. The lead-up to Turn 10, which marks the Virage du Casino, is done at full throttle with a top speed of around 170 mph. This hairpin comes at a point where the entrance and exit run side by side, and so it gives the drivers a chance to see who is behind them. It is a relatively wide portion of the track and it is common to see overtaking manoeuvres here as cars try to out-brake one another. It is also the slowest part of the track, with cars braking down from 180 mph to around 40 mph.
