The pressure is rising
Monaco’s problem is mounting competitive pressure for places on an already bursting schedule – and there are other garish trinkets vying for its crown.
Among them is the new Miami GP, also held next month on May 8. It’s a city with bling to match (although that’s a matter of taste), and with a record 23 races due to take place this year, there’s a growing sense that something has to give.
Could it be Monaco? Let’s face it, as a sporting spectacle, a great Monaco GP hinges on either rain, driver error, or a crucial breakdown triggering drama. Perhaps Monaco should be left for the historic grand prix cars heading out for the biennial festival which runs from May 13-15 or, dare we say, Formula E, including the thrilling e-Prix on the same Last year’s circuit layout far surpassed the F1 racing show. The electric-powered series will return in 2022, next weekend.
But don’t let him down!
Still… I just can’t bring myself to accept that F1 abandoning Monaco would be fair. The others should fall first, if they really must.
The French GP is the most traditional of them all, given that the very first grand prix was held at Le Mans in 1906. But the Paul Ricard and former Magny-Cours site have little charm – and the omission of A German GP, which somehow fell off the calendar during Mercedes’ hybrid-era dominance, is a bigger loss.
Calendar congestion aside, well… it’s Monaco, isn’t it? It’s always been an anachronism, even when Clark and Hill were around. It’s also always magical, especially in a hot qualifying lap. It would take a brave but reckless leader to let go.
This year’s race marks the end of Monaco’s current deal, but Automobile Club de Monaco President Michel Boeri is confident a new one will be agreed – and some drivers are still getting it (thanks, Pierre Gasly). Street racing has changed only slightly from the days of Rudolf Caracciola, Tazio Nuvolari, Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss and still has meaning for some of us. I hope the Monaco GP will survive.
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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-04-27 23:01:26