The Monaco Grand Prix is wealthy in historical past, however what of its F1 future?

Components 1 descends on the streets of Monte Carlo this week for the Monaco Grand Prix, and whereas there are a variety of storylines to trace this week — from Charles Leclerc’s bitter historical past at his house course as to if Sergio Pérez can stay “King of the Streets” — one of many largest storylines to observe could be the Grand Prix itself.

Because of its wealthy historical past, trackside glitz and glamour, iconic setting, and a number of the narrowest corners on the F1 circuit, Monaco has for many years been thought-about the “Crown Jewel” of the F1 schedule.

Monaco presents one of the crucial distinctive challenges of your entire season for drivers, and groups. Because of the slender nature of the monitor, and parts such because the Grand Lodge Hairpin, which drivers take at roughly 30 miles per hour, making it the slowest nook of the yr, overtaking is sort of not possible in the course of the Grand Prix. Based on this research from Keberz Engineering, which analyzed overtaked at every F1. monitor from 2017 by 2022, Monaco was useless final, averaging simply 4 overtakes per race.

This implies in Monaco, qualifying is king. Drivers push the envelope as a lot as attainable, understanding full effectively that in the event that they need to win the “Crown Jewel,” their odds are a lot, a lot better after they begin up entrance.

Which means pushing issues to the restrict and drivers placing their automobiles inside inches — or much less — of the Armco boundaries that line the monitor. The consequence? Qualifying at Monaco is usually essentially the most thrilling a part of the weekend, and maybe essentially the most harmful. Saturdays at Monaco have seen some spectacular crashes, crashes which have altered the course of the Grand Prix itself. In 2021 Charles Leclerc, in search of his first win in his house race, crashed on the finish of qualifying. He managed to safe pole, however the injury to his Ferrari resulted in Leclerc failing to even begin the Grand Prix the next day.

Final yr noticed Sergio Pérez crash on the finish of qualifying as effectively, an incident that led to a lot hypothesis in its aftermath. Pérez ended up beginning third, however managed to within the Grand Prix thanks to a different strategic blunder from Ferrari.

Nonetheless, because the drivers themselves admit, that adrenaline rush that comes with pushing their automobiles to the restrict on the town’s streets supplies a thrill that can’t be matched. F1 shared this video on Monday with numerous drivers, together with Fernando Alonso, Alex Albon, Esteban Ocon, and Leclerc discussing their love of Monaco:

Nevertheless, Monaco’s standing as the top of F1 has come underneath some scrutiny lately. With F1 persevering with to develop and broaden into new audiences, there’s concern that the sporting world might have outgrown Monaco. With the structure of the monitor reducing down on overtakes, and groups feeling cramped by the setup across the circuit, might the “Crown Jewel” utterly lose its luster?

“I believe that if Monaco was a brand new circuit coming onto the calendar now and so they stated, ‘Properly, you’re going to have the bottom price of each single circuit, you’re going to go there and you may’t overtake’ it could by no means be accepted onto the calendar,” Purple Bull Group Principal Christian Horner stated eventually season’s Miami Grand Prix.

“So we accommodate Monaco due to its heritage and due to its historical past. That’s it. I believe that you simply’ve received to evolve,” added Horner. “For those who stand nonetheless, you then’re going backwards, and I believe that applies to all features of this sport.”

Miami is only one of two current additions to the F1 calendar, with the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix coming later this season. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, talking final yr, outlined how “heritage” tracks have to do extra to maintain up, given the additions.

“We all know we now have to stability the arrival of latest races with historic grands prix, and tracks that should proceed to be a part of our calendar,” Domenicali stated final season.

“The arrival of gives from new promoters has a bonus for the F1 platform, and that’s to pressure the organisers of conventional grands prix to boost their stage of high quality, by way of what they provide the general public, and infrastructure and administration of the occasion,” added F1’s CEO. “It’s not sufficient to have a pedigree anymore. You additionally need to display that you’re maintaining.”

Some have questioned if the historic structure could possibly be altered, to maybe permit for extra overtaking. Monaco is only one of a handful of F1 circuits with a single DRS zone. F1 added DRS zones again in 2011 to assist make overtaking simpler, however with the only DRS zone in Monaco, there are decreased alternatives for drivers to overhaul.

But when the circuit is lengthened, maybe a DRS zone — or two — could possibly be added. Writing in The Race final summer time Gary Anderson, a former Jordan and Jaguar F1 technical director who presently works as an analyst, outlined his plan for lengthening the circuit in Monaco, and including extra alternatives for overtaking:

So right here is my proposal. Earlier than the doorway to the tunnel, you flip left a little bit earlier as a substitute of proper at Portier. The roads in that space do exist already, however would possibly should be resurfaced to stage them out a bit with a number of the street furnishings additionally tidied to ensure it’s appropriate for F1 automobiles.

You then head down in the direction of the Seashore Plaza Lodge. Right here, it might be essential to create a brand new ‘unique’ roundabout after which head again as much as rejoin the outdated monitor once more simply earlier than the tunnel. For those who use two DRS sections you would possibly simply want a small kink that wants a contact on the brakes the place Portier was simply to disengage the DRS earlier than the tunnel, the house is there to have this. I say unique as a result of it must be greater than what we presently regard as a roundabout. However in Monaco, nothing is regular in order that must be no downside!

Now we have one hairpin in Monaco round Lowes, because it was identified. which requires extra steering lock than some other nook on the F1 calendar so why not one other within the type of this roundabout?

Here’s what which may seem like, in distinction to the present structure:

Gary Anderson/The Race

Drivers, comparable to Leclerc, usually are not so certain.

“I considered that generally, however whether or not it could enhance overtaking, I don’t know,” Leclerc stated earlier than final season’s Monaco GP. “Perhaps you may go left earlier than the tunnel and do a giant straight there, however how possible that’s, I’m undecided.”

What most drivers are certain of, nonetheless, is Monaco’s place on the schedule.

“After all the overtaking is troublesome, however I believe what all of us love as drivers is the problem, particularly in qualifying: to do this lap. Pushing that onerous, there aren’t any tracks in Components One which come that near the adrenaline we get right here,” added Leclerc final season. “It’s a part of F1’s historical past and may keep in Components One.”

“It’s one of many crown jewels of our sport. So I’m probably not certain it could be nice to lose it,” stated seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton final yr. “I assume that the troublesome half is that the racing itself isn’t that spectacular. However everybody that goes enjoys it. It’s a prime location. Adjusting the monitor isn’t simple, as a result of it’s the second-smallest nation on the earth, and so we don’t have quite a lot of house there. Many people stay in Monaco. However it’s simply that, that icon standing it has, the historical past that it has that’s so interesting to drivers, but in addition I believe to people who are watching.”

Monaco’s contract with F1 was up on the finish of the 2022 season, but it surely was renewed by the 2025 marketing campaign final fall, ending hypothesis that the race might fall off the calendar for the 2023 season. It’s believed that F1 acquired some “concessions” within the renewal, as the game was reportedly annoyed with the smaller internet hosting price paid by organizers, in addition to how TV course and trackside sponsorship offers had been dealt with.

As for whether or not it stays on the calendar after 2025 stays to be seen. But when it had been as much as Leclerc, Monaco would all the time be a part of F1.

Simply be sure you watch on Saturday.

“I actually assume that Monaco is without doubt one of the finest racetracks on the market by way of qualifying — there aren’t any locations I get pleasure from as a lot as I do right here and no place the place the driving force could make as massive a distinction to the consequence,” Leclerc stated final season. “The guardrails are so shut … the hazard, you possibly can nonetheless really feel it since you actually have gotten the feeling of velocity.”

“When it comes to qualifying, it’s in all probability essentially the most thrilling qualifying of the yr. I agree that within the races there could be some issues that you would be able to change right here and there to try to assist overtaking as a result of automobiles have modified and advanced and it may not be one of the best monitor to overhaul, however by way of problem for the driving force, it is without doubt one of the hardest challenges for us all year long,” Leclerc added. “I believe a monitor like this could keep on the calendar.”