There was a time when it was thought unthinkable that Formula 1 would abandon the Monaco Grand Prix .
The urban race through the streets of Monte Carlo was considered the jewel in the crown of F1, and a weekend in which the sponsors were delighted and there were more eyes on the category than in any other.
But times have changed, and under new Liberty Media owners, highly successful additions like Zandvoort and Miami have ticked all the boxes that F1 bosses want from fans and business interests.
That has meant that when F1 starts negotiating with the Automobile Club de Monaco over a new deal, it is going into things with the mindset that if they don’t get what they want, they will leave the race.
There are some key factors that will be at the heart of those talks and it will be up to Monaco and F1 to find a compromise if they want to continue together, or admit they will not agree and part ways.
And pundits suggest that while some are skeptical that F1 will go all out and abandon the Monaco GP, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali is dead set on Monaco conforming to his vision of what racing is all about. of the world must offer .
Race organization fee: the price of doing the F1 Monaco GP
There was always an urban legend that Monaco was so essential to F1 that it never paid a fee to host its race. That wasn’t exactly the case, and Monaco organizers pay a fee, though not at the same level as other races.
The fee, believed to be between €11m and €14m, is about half what many other places are offering, and well below some big deals like Saudi Arabia and Qatar , which pay more than triple .
While F1 will not expect Monaco to match that bet, it does want to see some increase from what they have paid so far.
And it will probably also require Monaco to be more flexible with its race date, as the idea of organizing the F1 calendar by region (it will be done from 2023) makes racing Miami and Montreal back-to-back in May more logical, which would affect the appointment of Monaco .
F1 television production for the Monaco GP
One of the great frustrations of F1, and something shared by the fans, is that Monaco is the only race of the year in which the television broadcast is not carried out by the usual director.
Monaco itself takes control of the broadcast, and in the past that has sometimes resulted in a TV package that hasn’t lived up to what’s normal elsewhere.
Important incidents have been missed (the television did not broadcast Sergio Pérez’s spin in qualifying this Saturday and Fernando Alonso’s was also lost), the key battles of the grand prix can be overlooked to follow the local or French drivers although they roll by themselves, and some of the camera angles aren’t the best.
F1 wants Monaco to relinquish its control of the broadcast, like the rest .
Sponsorship and advertising of the F1 Monaco GP
Formula 1’s global reach and commercial appeal have helped it garner some major sponsors and brands.
It works hard to ensure that its official partners are treated well and given the level of exclusive exposure they pay for, and therefore there are no conflicting brands.
In most countries, F1 takes full control of on-track advertising to ensure that everything shown makes sense.
The Monaco GP has always been an exception in that respect as well, retaining some rights to sell on-track advertising and other corporate sponsorship deals for the events it hosts.
But his decision to give full circuit prominence to TAG Heuer , a rival watch and brand to F1’s official timing partner Rolex , has reminded FOM why that deal must change.
F1 also wants Monaco to do what everyone else has agreed to and lose rights on that front .
The logistics and infrastructure of the F1 Monaco GP
Monaco has long offered teams some of the most difficult working conditions of the year, with cramped pits and a good distance from the paddock.
But while things have improved a lot over the years, and today’s pit facility is certainly a better world than years ago when teams were stuck in a car park, there are still frustrations and room for improvement.
Transport and logistics for fans could certainly be improved, and provisions on road traffic and public transport offerings also have room for improvement.
Fans stuck for hours at Nice and Monaco stations to get to and from the circuit are due to a lack of trains and extra carriages on local services. For top-notch sporting events, it is not acceptable to not have agreements to match.
The paddock itself is still quite cramped, and even for the media, the facilities fall short, and the lack of catering (there aren’t even enough sandwiches for everyone in the press room), is compounded considering that the Team campers are still mostly closed, so finding food to get you through the weekend is pretty tough.
The design of the Monte Carlo circuit, of the F1 Monaco GP, must change
One of the biggest complaints about the Monaco GP is that the race itself is usually a big, boring disappointment.
The nature of the track, narrow and winding, makes it almost impossible to overtake, and that has meant that we have seen many processions through the streets.
While F1 is not calling for a complete overhaul of the Monaco circuit, it believes changes can be made to the track that could help improve the show.
Motorsport.com has learned that F1 has suggested moving the barriers back into the chicane after the tunnel, to help widen the entrance and at least allow a better opportunity for drivers to overtake inside.
F1 also believes that relocating and reshaping other segments of the track to make it wider could help create more of an overtaking spectacle.
Monaco has so far been adamant that it doesn’t see the need to make a change on that front, but perhaps the risk of losing the contract could be motivation enough to change its tune and assume it’s a track that needs tweaking.
