The Monaco Grand Prix has extended its contract to host a round of the Formula 1 world championship for another ten years.
Bernard Ecclestone and Michel Boeri, president of the Automobile Club de Monaco, agreed the deal in London today.
The news comes a few days after the race organisers rebuffed remarks by Bernie Ecclestone saying the prestigious race was no longer needed on the F1 calendar.
Monaco has featured in every year of the world championship since 1955.
Read more: F1 2011 Season
Charles Carroll
28th July 2010, 17:23
That’s just Bernie bein’ Bernie.
Bernard
28th July 2010, 17:31
Strangely, I know how that feels ;)
Calum
28th July 2010, 17:31
Did anyone ever doubt this was going to happen.
Oliver
28th July 2010, 17:39
So much hot air for nothing.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
28th July 2010, 17:53
Comment from sato113 moved here
Hairpin
28th July 2010, 18:03
Why bother, it’s just a procession usually. Nothing to do with Motor Racing these days, the circuit just isn’t up to it, nowhere to overtake and quite boring unless your into crashing into barriers and safety cars
Only held for the filthy rich to parade their latest girlfriend, yacht, whatever, do a lucrative deal or two and sip champagne. Not that there’s anything wrong with that per se it’s just not F1 racing the cars are to fast for it and have been since the eighties.
Hairpin
28th July 2010, 18:05
Sorry wrong thread!!! reposted on Monaco get new deal.
John H
28th July 2010, 18:10
It’s there for historical reasons, and for this reason we need to keep as many of these tracks regardless of the amount of overtakes (yawn). It’s unique. It’s F1.
And what’s with this comment:
“Only held for the filthy rich to parade their latest girlfriend, yacht, whatever, do a lucrative deal or two and sip champagne….it’s just not F1 racing”
That’s exactly F1 racing!
rampante (@rampante)
29th July 2010, 11:45
I’ve been to Monaco 8 times and while there are many very rich people there they are many more true racing fans in the cheap seats and they have been there for years. While the show in very much on if you really want to talk about people with money that can buy countries have a go at the 2 races in the Gulf. Monaco has more character on Thursday morning than the other 2 have in a weekend.
beneboy
28th July 2010, 18:15
That’s the fault of the car design regulations, not the track.
It’s not that the cars are too fast for Monaco, the cars are just too fast through the corners and that is down to the aerodynamics.
If the aero was significantly reduced and the cars went back to relying on mechanical grip and power there wouldn’t be an international circuit in the world that they couldn’t race on, the way things are going F1 cars will soon only be able to race on purpose built Tilkedromes and fans will be kept a safe 2 miles away from the action in order to give them enough run-off space for the high-speed corners.
Either that or every single piece of new technology developed by the teams will go the way of active suspension and laser ignition in an attempt to keep the cornering speeds down.
I’d much rather ban wings and most other aero devices and keep tracks like Monaco !
US_Peter
28th July 2010, 19:05
Exactly. Monaco itself is a great track, and overtaking IS possible there, we saw that this year when Alonso started last. The aero is definitely the real problem…
Patrickl
29th July 2010, 15:07
Of course Alonso mostly made up places with the strategy and safety car.
Spud (@)
28th July 2010, 20:04
Did you see Buemi’s car when he was punted by his teammate in Germany and lost his rear wing?
Could the F1 cars of the future look something like that??? (Not exactly like that but similar)
BasCB (@bascb)
28th July 2010, 18:40
As expected, they were working on the deal. I am curious, what are the conditions in the contract, but we might never learn about it.
PJA
28th July 2010, 19:47
It is probably my memory playing tricks on me but I thought when there was the threat of a split last year it was reported that Monaco’s contract was on a year by year basis so it could have chosen either side, or was it just because the current deal ran out this year they then could have decided which series to join from 2011?
Magnificent Geoffrey (@magnificent-geoffrey)
29th July 2010, 0:31
Great news. I love the whole Monaco weekend every year. Glad that there’s still a place for it in this era of our sport’s history.
Mike
29th July 2010, 1:48
I was directed to a report a while back that said Monaco could get the chop, I’m very happy it’s still here.
Admittedly, I should know that it is just Bernie playing politics, There’s a thought… What is the actual deal they have agreed to?
wasiF1 (@wasif1)
29th July 2010, 2:50
We need Monaco on the calender even if the race is boring, it is unique & sometimes does provide some racing.
Macca (@macca)
29th July 2010, 3:55
Having been to my first Grand Prix this year I now relise that there is more to the event than just the race.
What I mean by this is that a Grand Prix weekend is about the culture, the atmosphere the time spent with friends and the time making new friends, the actual race is just a small part of the weekend. Just to be at a race meet is a very exciting thing and if the race is boring, it doesn’t really matter because the overall experience is so fantastic.
It is for these reasons that I am glad that Monaco has kept it’s spot on the calendar.
Syd
29th July 2010, 7:16
Good sense prevails !!! Great to see such a historical track not turn into “history” :D !!!
Go F1 !!!
DGR-F1
29th July 2010, 8:24
When I read this elsewhere yesterday I thought ‘so much for Bernie’s posturing’, but I wonder, did he manage to get a better deal out of this, or is this what was on the table all along?
As for why Monaco is here, and should stay, I agree its not really much of a circuit for the current F1 cars, but at the same time, its where the drivers have to drive the beasts with extra care and thought otherwise they end in the wall, and in these days of Tilkedromes, we need as much variety as possible to challenge the teams and drivers.
Also, its here for historical reasons, the Principality has been supporting motor racing of all kinds since the 1930s, so deserves to be included just as much as Silverstone or Monza.
And finally, its just great that such as small but dramatic area can be transformed into a racing circuit for a weekend. Yes, theres Albert Park, Singapore and Valencia, but Monaco has the feeling of cars racing down my local High Street, and theres nothing to beat it…..
SoLiDG (@solidg)
29th July 2010, 13:52
Boring or not. Monaco is special and needs to stay on the calender at all costs!
JC
10th January 2011, 14:40
monaco like all the historical circuits left has become a victim of its own history, you wont get great races every year but its still better than the likes of valencia bahrain ect… love it while we have it because the green brigade will oneday get it stopped.
t s
11th January 2011, 3:17
boring boring boring racing there