For some, the Monaco Grand Prix is the highlight of the Formula One calendar. For drivers, a win there has a special place on their CV. No other race comes close to it, as it winds through the narrow streets of Monte Carlo, going past familiar landmarks like the Casino and swimming pool, with luxury yachts berthed in the harbour.
It is the one race that even non-Formula One fans watch, not because of the racing, but because of its unique locale and setting. Despite all these factors, the race itself is now under real threat.
To begin with, Grand Prix races there are rarely a spectacle in themselves because overtaking is virtually impossible. That makes grid position critical, allowing slower cars to hold up those behind lap after lap. The top four in the championship spent the last 30 laps of Sunday’s race trailing each other, but there was no serious threat of a change of the order.
There are also a number of commercial reasons why the sports American owners, Liberty Media, are considering ditching it. The television coverage is one bone of contention. Monaco is the only race on the calendar that uses a local television company to produce the pictures compared to F1’s own TV station. As a result, there is a perceived quality gap. Key incidents are often missed, and unusual choices are made as to what is shown.
The race also has its own unique advertising agreement. In other parts of the world, tracks are obliged to use in-house F1’s in-house advertising, promoting the sport’s recognised sponsors.
Monaco supplements this with local deals, which may lead to major anomalies. For example, a luxury watch brand is among their major sponsors, but it was the signage of a leading competitor that was displayed prominently around the circuit during Sunday’s race.
While acknowledging the uniqueness of the circuit, there have been suggestions as to how it can be improved to make the racing more exciting, all of which have all been stubbornly resisted by local organisers. Monaco will always be something special for purists, for its unique race and environment. However, in the brave new world of Formula One, modernists may regard it as an anachronism, belonging to a bygone age.