The number of Grands Prix on the Formula 1 calendar and the sheer number of candidates willing to host a race has grown considerably in recent years as the sport’s popularity has grown across the globe.
This situation has meant that the championship can bet on attractive offers or on specific markets, as is the case of the United States which, with the arrival of the Miami GP this season and the planned return to Las Vegas in 2023, will have three grand prizes .
Following this dynamic, it seems that the historic races, especially those held in Europe, are hanging by a thread. The future of the grands prix held in France and Belgium hangs in the balance, but the status of Monaco, one of the most iconic events on the calendar, has also been questioned.
In March, the CEO of Formula 1, Stefano Domenicali , put pressure on the Principality: “The arrival of offers from new promoters is an advantage for F1, since it encourages the current organizers to raise the quality of their work, as soon as to the offer for the public, the infrastructure and the management of the event. It is no longer enough to have a strong heritage. You also have to show that you are up to the task”.
For his part, Zak Brown , boss of McLaren, was more direct in a statement to Reuters when reacting to the future Las Vegas GP.
“Monaco has always been the most glamorous part of F1. I think Miami, Singapore and Las Vegas are starting to be quite glamorous markets. I think Monaco has to conform to the same commercial conditions as the other grands prix.”
“Maybe he also [has to] work on adapting his track, because as our cars have gotten bigger, the racing has gotten tougher.”
“You have to take into account the history, but also the show that is offered. There is also an element that should not guide our decisions, but that must be taken into account, which is the economic contribution to the category. I prefer to have Monaco than not have it …but just like the championship is bigger than a driver or a team, I think it’s bigger than a Grand Prix.”
The president of the Automobile Club de Monaco, Michel Boeri , wanted to reassure fans and interested parties last Tuesday, when he attended the general assembly of the body of commissioners of the entity.
“I would like to allude to what we have read in the press, where there is talk of difficulties after this 2022 edition, that is, from next year, to continue organizing the Grands Prix,” he told La Gazette de Monaco.
“It was hinted that the prices Liberty [Media] was asking were too excessive for Monaco and that the Grand Prix would no longer take place. This is not true. We are still in talks with them and now we have to finalize everything by signing a contract.”
“I can guarantee that after 2022 the Grand Prix will continue to be held. I don’t know if the contract will be for three or five years, but it is a detail,” said Boeri.
A detail that will clearly be important in a changing context.
