The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the finest races in the world, and certainly the most popular, with one of the best fan bases and attendance. The presence of superyachts in the port, the most exclusive restaurants in the world and private terrasse make Monaco a truly unique race for spectators. Yet the FIA and the Automobile Club of Monaco haven’t yet confirmed the race for 2023.
The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the most challenging races to organise. If it had to uphold modern F1 safety standards it would be almost impossible for the Principality to layout the various sandtraps and run-off areas. The drivers are piloting the fastest cars in the world at over 200kph millimetres from the barriers with no room for error. The narrow streets make it exceptionally hard for the drivers to overtake, and most of the time the race is won from Pole position or in the pit games.
In addition to the safety concerns comes the production of the content, with Monaco overseeing the creation of the images we see on TV, unlike any other races where the GP is filmed by the F1 teams. This explains why last year during the race some of the most iùpressive moves weren’t seen on TV and only the fans in the stand, or watching the Monaco GP aboard a yacht, witnessed the few overtakes.
Monaco being one of the oldest races and the most iconic ones, the Principality doesn’t pay anywhere near what other cities pay to host a Grand Prix. Liberty Media, the owner of F1 has been trying to correct this in the past and this part of the agreement with F1 is currently under strong scrutiny.
While it’s certain that Monaco and F1 live and breathe together it’s going to be more than interesting to see how they can come to an agreement to offer us a stunning Monaco Grand Prix in 2023.
