There is a type of driver, virtual or real, who is irresistibly drawn to danger, to narrow spaces, to the impossible. The kind of person who, when they see a tight alley, thinks: “A GT3 would fit there, definitely.” And don’t be surprised: if you’re reading this, you’re probably one of them.
Because yes, street circuits have something magical, and also something a little insane. And lately, simracers dream big: not just any street circuit, but the street circuit that takes your breath away before the lap is even over.
Based on the community conversations, reactions, and shared wishes floating around, a clear list emerges: the most beloved, the most feared, the most impossible. Today, I want to tell you why these circuits are not only desired, but also problematic, difficult, and sometimes hilariously absurd inside iRacing.
Monaco: the Holy Grail
Monaco is that platonic love you know will break your heart, but you go for it anyway.
The mere thought of a prototype or an ARCA car trying to squeeze through the hairpin is enough to make any driver laugh nervously.
Why do we want it?
Because it’s Monaco. Because it’s history, glamour, drama, pure tension. Every corner is a signature of motorsport.
Why would it be a beautiful disaster?
Tiny spaces, walls staring at you waiting for you to blink, and the certainty that in an online race, 80 percent of the grid wouldn’t survive the first lap. Oh, and let’s not forget the detail no one wants to hear: licensing. Bringing Monaco in is like asking a king to lend you his crown… a king who never lends his crown to anyone.
Baku
Baku is special. It has endless straights where you could sip a coffee before braking, but also a castle section so tight it makes even the calmest drivers sweat.
Why do we love it?
Because it rewards both the brave and the calculating.
What makes it complicated?
The mix of ultra-fast straights with surgical precision corners, plus the graphical load of a modern, detailed city. In iRacing, that means more than one GPU might start renegotiating its employment contract.
Macau
If Monaco is narrow, Macau is like racing down a hotel hallway… with the lights off… and 25 cars believing they can all overtake.
Why do we want it?
Because it’s iconic in GT and junior formula racing. It’s perfect for hotlaps. That sensation of controlling chaos, brushing walls without breaking the car, is indescribable.
Why would it be madness online?
Because everyone knows: there would be a monumental traffic jam at Lisboa in every single race. But oddly enough, that doesn’t diminish its charm. It makes it even more tempting, as if the community collectively said, “Yes, we’re going to crash… so what?”
Jeddah
Jeddah is like that carnival ride you know is probably too fast and too high, but you still get in line with a smile.
What makes it beloved?
It’s fast, flowing, dazzling. Night air and lights that make you feel inside a videogame… inside another videogame.
What makes it tricky?
Speed. It’s so fast it would require a level of visual detail to feel alive, which means more artistic work, more rendering load, and more chances for your PC to ask: “Really? This again?”
Surfers Paradise
One word: chicanes. Those back chicanes are essentially a natural filter separating meticulous drivers from those who simply believe in destiny.
What makes us love it?
It’s vibrant, aggressive, unapologetically Australian. It’s part of modern racing DNA and feels like a carnival of adrenaline.
What scares us
The precision required. In the best case, you clip a curb. In the worst, you meet the wall so closely you might as well invite it to dinner.
Norisring
Ah, the Norisring. A track that seems easy… until you drive it.
Why is it desired?
Because it forces perfection. No frills, no tricks, no generous runoff areas.
What it lacks in length, it more than compensates with intensity.
Why is it feared?
Possibly more divebombs per square meter than anywhere else in the calendar. And in iRacing, that is always a spiritual experience.
Maybe because street circuits awaken something deeply human: that rebellious impulse to test ourselves, to seek the limit, to stare down a wall just centimeters away and say:
“I can handle this.”
- Remember, you can join iRacing by clicking here.
See you on the track!
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