F1's BEST and WORST street circuits

The most famous F1 race in the world, the Monaco street circuit has changed remarkably little since the tiny Principality hosted its first race back in 1929. A staple of the Formula 1 World Championship calendar since 1955, Monaco is widely regarded as the jewel in F1's crown and the epitome of the glitz and glamour associated with the sport. Though the tight, twisting nature of the circuit is somewhat at odds with its modern day equivalents, turns like Casino, Mirabeau, the Swimming Pool and La Rascasse are recognised around the world, while the cars look spectacular set against the sparkling Mediterranean Sea of the Cote d'Azur coastline. How important is Monaco to F1? While every other circuit on the calendar has to pay an annual fee to Bernie Ecclestone (upwards of a reported £60 million for some), Monaco is believed to pay absolutely nothing... it seems Monaco is F1 and F1 is Monaco.

The first F1 race to be held under starry skies, the Singapore Grand Prix made a big impact on its debut in 2008 - and not just because of the 'Crashgate' scandal that later engulfed the sport! With 23 bends, a blend of high and low speed sections and minimal run-off, the Marina Bay Circuit is considered one of the most physically and mentally demanding in F1, especially when the stiflingly humid conditions are considered too. However, it is that 'nighttime' element that makes Singapore such a spectacular highlight, with the city's architecturally striking backdrop, dazzling light shows and 24-hour hustle and bustle bestowing a vibe that makes it a must-visit for any F1 fan.

Tough, gruelling, demanding... Detroit may be known as 'Motor City' but it was anything but ideal for Formula 1 when it made debut on the schedule in 1982. Narrow and bumpy, the circuit took its toll on drivers, on the cars and even on the circuit itself, which had a tendency to break up, with many regarding it as potentially one of the toughest races to have ever been included on the calendar. Renowned for being a race of attrition, though it held a spot on the schedule until 1988, drivers never warmed to the circuit and a chorus of disapproval grew to the point FISA demanded an upgrade of facilities. When organisers refused, the event was dropped... and it wasn't missed.

The newest addition to the F1 calendar, the Baku City Circuit in Azerbaijan is also one of the most unusual. Held in a relatively little-known Central Asian country under the European Grand Prix moniker, the 6km venue wends between a UNESCO World Heritage site, is barely a car width wide in some sections yet features a spectacularly fast 1.2km home straight... A terrific challenge for drivers - most of which were won over despite initial concerns -, Baku certainly captured the imagination on its debut in 2016 even if the race didn't live up to expectations on the spectacle front. Arguably the least traditional race in F1 history (as noted by the somewhat pitiful spectator numbers), Baku at least brought a different cultural flavour to the sport this year.

Dallas only held an F1 race on one occasion... yet for those competing on that summer's day in 1984 they won't be able to forget it! Added to the schedule amidst a determined push to promote F1 in the crucial American market, Dallas' Fair Park circuit pushed most drivers and cars over the limit on a chaotic weekend. Inexplicably held in mid-July at the height of the Texan summer, the temperatures were so hot that the circuit itself was melting and led to some drivers to call for a boycott. Ironically, the layout was actually well received compared with Detroit and Las Vegas, but it was gruelling, uncomfortable and oppressive. When Nigel Mansell attempted to push his expired car across the finish line, only to collapse in the heat, Dallas' place in F1 legend was assured... but the sport would never return again.

Whilst it is hard to imagine an F1 calendar without Albert Park now, it's worth remembering the sheer outrage from local fans when it was announced the Australian Grand Prix was heading from Adelaide to Melbourne in 1996. Australia's first home for F1, despite initial trepidation from locals concerned about the parkland circuit's environmental impact, they were soon won over and event became a huge success. Indeed, after the flops of Dallas and Las Vegas, drivers were pleasantly surprised by the street venue which was typified by its simple, yet wide and fast layout. A firm favourite all round during its 10 year stint on the schedule, Adelaide remains one of F1's mostly fondly remembered venues.

Whilst American street circuits make up four of the 'worst' venues on this list, the USA did offer at least one well liked street circuit in Long Beach. Billed as an 'American Monaco', whilst the Californian circuit didn't quite match the glamour of its European counterpart, it did capture the imagination Americans with its beachside location, challenging layout and mix of high and low speed sections, even if it underwent several changes between 1976 and 1983. With the ensuing races in Las Vegas, Dallas, Detroit and Phoenix held in comparatively drab inner-city locations, many still believe a sunny, coastline venue like Long Beach is key to selling F1 to the American public today.

Keen to capitalise on the success of its racing hero Fernando Alonso, there was much buzz and excitement when it was announced Spain would receive a second round on the calendar with a street race to be held in the Mediterranean city of Valencia. However, the circuit generated little enthusiasm with the complex layout offering up few overtaking opportunities, while the rather shabby port-side location wasn't as picturesque as initially anticipated. Despite numerous tweaks to spice up the competition, Valencia developed a reputation for its dull races before it was canned ahead of the 2012 race... which ironically turned out to be one of year's most entertaining races!

Whilst this may be a list of street circuits, the Caesars Palace Grand Prix should technically exist in its own category labelled 'car park circuits' because the short-lived event was bizarrely held in exactly that. Whilst the notion of hosting an entire Grand Prix in the mammoth car park of the Caesars Palace Resort in Las Vegas is mightily impressive (if questionable) on paper, the layout was not nearly as imaginative as its unusual location. Ironically, the contained environment allowed for decent run off and a wide circuit, but the layout - with two almost identical infield loops - didn't spark much passion amongst drivers, while poor crowd numbers saw it classified as a misadventure for both F1 and the resort, who dropped it after just 2 years.

Though the circuit will be infamously remembered for the tragic 1975 Spanish Grand Prix in which five people were killed when Rolf Stommelen crashed and entered the crowd, the Montjuic Circuit in Barcelona is still regarded as one of F1's most spectacular and beautiful venues. Set on roads wending across the verdant Montjuic mountain overlooking Barcelona - later to become the Olympic Park for the 1992 games -, the circuit was fast, challenging and picturesque, making it a firm favourite amongst the drivers. Indeed, the layout was a challenge in terms of set-up and the sweeping bends weren't typical of other street circuits. Unfortunately, organisationally it won less favour and after drivers expressed safety concerns even prior to the tragedy of 1975, it was reluctantly dropped from the calendar.

Street circuits were a more regular feature in the early days of F1, with the likes of Spa, Pescara and Rouen all classified as 'road venues', but it is perhaps the AVUS ring in Berlin that was the most compromising of them all. 'Worst' is perhaps a disservice to this early-days venue - which held one German Grand Prix in 1959 - because 'dangerous' is closer to the point. Made up of two vast parallel straights stretching 6km linked by a banked curve 'hairpin' on each end, it was the 'wall of death' gradient of the bends at 43 degrees that proved the challenge - for comparison Indianapolis is only 11 degrees. After just one race AVUS was dropped from F1, though the banked variant of the circuit continued to be used until 1961 when even then it was considered too dangerous for motorsport. A shorter configuration that still used the straights was in service until the mid-90s for DTM races and the historic wooden grandstand remains today for those who enjoy their motorsport tours...

There is a somewhat infamous tale that rather typifies America's uneasy relationship with F1 in the 1980s and into the early 1990s... when Phoenix held the 1991 United States Grand Prix, a nearby ostrich racing festival drew larger spectator numbers. An unlikely story but one that is dredged up to explain why the USA was missed off the F1 calendar throughout the 90s, Phoenix seemed a surprise choice to host an F1 event in the first place - especially as season opener in 1990 and 1991 - and it drummed up little excitement locally, while drivers found the slow 90 degree turns and the bumpy surface to be dull and hard on the cars. Following on from Detroit, Dallas and Las Vegas, Phoenix was another American street race that did little to further F1's cause in the crucial US market. From having 3 American rounds in 1982, USA slipped off the schedule altogether until Indianapolis was added nine years later in 2000.