Monaco Grand Prix organisers have made several safety alterations to the famous street layout ahead of the May 27 race in wake of Sergio Perez's crash at the harbourside chicane last year.
Race organisers make changes to chicane following 2011 Perez shunt
Monaco Grand Prix organisers have made several safety alterations to the famous street layout ahead of next month's race - principally around the harbourside chicane following Sergio Perez's big accident there last year.
Then rookie driver Perez lost control of his Sauber under braking after hitting the notorious bump in the track surface on the run out of the tunnel to the chicane, the Mexican careering into a heavy side-on impact with the crash barrier situated across the run-off area of the chicane.
Perez suffered concussion in the incident and was forced to miss the following day's race and afterwards several drivers called on changes to be made to the corner after several nasty accidents there over previous years.
FIA Technical Delegate Charlie Whiting subsequently requested for several changes to the approach to the corner to be made and now Monaco officials have announced that, following a laser study of that section of the track, the surface had been levelled out as well as the Tecpro barrier Perez hit moved back.
A statement from the Automobile Club de Monaco read: "A laser study of the road surface was undertaken by a specialist company, leading to a planing of the road from the tunnel to the chicane by up to 20cm at certain points.
"This removed a bump and corrected some banking. In addition, the impact point of the chicane will be moved back by 14.6 metres. The pit lane exit will also be widened from 10m to 20m so that cars can return to the track at much greater speed."
This year's Monaco GP takes place on May 25-27.
