Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Monaco, 2022

F1 must not leave tough, challenging Monaco track, says Leclerc

2022 Monaco Grand Prix

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Charles Leclerc believes the Monaco Grand Prix deserves a place on the F1 calendar even in the modern era.

The famous race around the streets of Monte Carlo has long been a part of the Formula 1 calendar, hosting the second-ever world championship grand prix in 1950. This Sunday’s race will be the 68th time Monaco has hosted a round of the world championship as well as the 79th edition of the grand prix.

With increased demand for venues to host grands prix with multiple new additions to the calendar having been announced in recent years, speculation about the future of the Monaco Grand Prix as a part of the schedule has increased, given the regular criticisms over the race’s safety, lack of overtaking opportunities and overall excitement.

However Leclerc, the third driver from the principality to race in F1 believes that the challenge posed by the tight, twisting street circuit – especially in qualifying – justifies its place on the current calendar.

“I really think that Monaco is one of the best race tracks out there,” said the Ferrari driver.

“In terms of qualifying, there’s no place where I enjoy as much as I do here and as much as the driver can make a difference because the rails are so close.

“The danger, you can still feel it because you’ve really got the sensation of speed. And in terms of qualifying, I think it is probably the most exciting qualifying of the year.

“I agree that in the races that there might be some things that we could change here and there to try and help the overtaking because cars have changed, evolved and it might not be the best track to overtake, but in terms of challenge for the driver it is one of the toughest challenges for us throughout the year. I think a track like this should stay on the calendar.”

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Leclerc admitted that he had considered ways that the circuit layout could be modified to help improve overtaking opportunities, including re-routing the course at Portier in order to make the straight leading into the tunnel and along the harbour longer than it is currently.

“I’ve thought about it sometimes,” Leclerc said. “Whether it would improve a lot overtaking, I don’t know.

“Maybe before the tunnel you can go to the left and do a big straight there. But how feasible it is, I’m not sure.

“Of course overtaking is difficult, but I think what we all love as drivers is the challenge. Especially in qualifying to do that lap, just pushing – there’s no track that comes close to the adrenaline we get in Monaco. For me, it’s part of F1’s history and should stay in Formula 1.”

Leclerc arrives at his home grand prix as a genuine championship contender for the first time in his Formula 1 career. Asked by RaceFans whether he felt more pressure than usual ahead of this weekend, Leclerc said it was no different to his three previous races in the Principality.

“I honestly don’t feel the pressure,” he said. “I’m just really happy to be here, to be back on this amazing track.

“I love it here. Obviously it’s a very special event for me, having grown up here with these roads that I know so well since being born. So no, there’s no added pressure.

“I know that the performance is in the car for us to do a great result this weekend and I just have to get into the car, do the job and hopefully the results will be there at the end of the weekend.”

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2022 Monaco Grand Prix

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Author information

Will Wood
Will has been a RaceFans contributor since 2012 during which time he has covered F1 test sessions, launch events and interviewed drivers. He mainly...
Claire Cottingham
Claire has worked in motorsport for much of her career, covering a broad mix of championships including Formula One, Formula E, the BTCC, British...

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51 comments on “F1 must not leave tough, challenging Monaco track, says Leclerc”

  1. If they insist on making the cars the size of buses then, it should go. It just a horrible place for these big cars, if we can start to morph back to the late 90’s and early 00’s cars then it should stay

    1. Hear hear!

  2. Paul (@frankjaeger)
    27th May 2022, 8:02

    ‘Don’t stop racing at my home grand prix!’ – Driver from Monaco

  3. Nope – its an anachronism – its a race that’s there because it’s glamorous rather than because of the sport – it does not suit the cars and it needs to go.

    1. + 1 zillion!!!

    2. Everything about F1 could be argued as anachronism though (rich people touring the globe in planes playing race cars burning fuel, and that’s not half of it), so this argument is without foundation when applied to F1 and motorsport in general. If Monaco is anachronistic, it all is.

      F1, as is most sport, built upon years of heritage and history.. and it’s that that gives it value and culture. To deny the importance of culture & heritage is an anachronism in and of itself.

  4. It’s always been one of the toughest tracks to drive no doubt about that. I’ve never heard a driver say they don’t like the track or that it’s boring.
    Unfortunately, it’s not so exciting for TV viewers, but then again some of the rubbish street based tracks that have been added make Monoco look positively brilliant.
    So it should stay.

    1. Great justification…. “There’re worse places, so this should stay.”

      I’d agree F1 should continue to come here, but strictly on at least one of two conditions – either make the cars substantially smaller and with a reduction in grip, or change the event format to make it a series of time trials.
      ‘Racing’ isn’t working here with these F1 limousines.

      1. Or we could leave it and enjoy the idiosyncratic spectacle that it is. Not everything in the world needs to be fixed and intervened with.

        There are plenty of F1 tracks that satisfy the demand for whatever constitutes ‘good racing’ today.

        1. IfImnotverymuchmistaken
          27th May 2022, 10:14

          Agreed, if anything, overtakes have become commonplace, and for the most part extremely boring. I don’t care to see the best drivers swapping places three times per race by pushing a button and easily flying past, I want to see them fighting for every corner, trying to pressure the opponent into a mistake, carefully calculating where and when to attack.
          This generation of drivers is more than capable, but why try hard when you can just press a button?

          The only time I remember seeing a proper overtake this season was in Imola, before the DRS was enabled.

          On topic, Monaco has produced some of the most exciting races in F1 history and is still the ultimate test of driver skill. Literally blinking in the wrong moment can cause a mistake, and for me this track most of all shows the drivers truly are superdrivers.

          Also F1 without Monaco is like F1 without Ferrari, not F1 anymore. Really, with this DRS nonsense, all I really need to stop watching F1 is for them to remove Monaco from the calendar.

          1. Also F1 without Monaco is like F1 without Ferrari, not F1 anymore.

            Would F1 still be F1 without Tyrrell? Or Matra, Ligier, BRM, Hesketh, Lotus, March, Brabham, Shadow, Benetton, Minardi? Or Williams, even?

            It is, isn’t it. F1 goes on even when things end.

            F1 would move on very quickly without Monaco. Then we could look back on it and write eulogies about it. You know, where we only remember all the good bits and forget all the awful and boring bits.

      2. S

        Great justification…. There’re worse places, so this should stay.

        I’m glad you agree 😀
        OK seriously, there are rumours of the cars getting smaller. Time trials? That’s not F1 that would be a hill climb.

        1. Who wouldn’t want to see F1 do a hill climb? :)

          Incidentally, when modified ex-F1 (and F1-style) cars do tackle hillclimbs, they are very popular.
          Not just at Goodwood, either….

  5. Monaco is the only track on the calendar where you can write about F1/driving in a book and the reader can immediately envisage what you are saying. Nothing really has to be over-explained. It’s just there. Everyone understands how magic the place is.

    I really struggle to comprehend how anyone can be negative about the most unique challenge on the F1 calendar. A track which almost all spectacular driving ‘moments’ come from. All the shots of being 1mm from the barrier. The moments where a driver might lose the rear end and you’re like “uh oh”. Even FP1 is exciting.

    The whole argument about the race being boring… for me every DRS overtake is null-and-void. SO really all race tracks don’t produce great racing nowadays either… but one certainly produces a spectacular display of driver skill above the rest. We go into Monaco not really knowing what to expect. Some are even punting on Bottas for the front row. How is that kind of excitement and expectation a negative for F1?

    And what about those unique moments only Monaco can deliver. Bianchi getting those points? Senna Vs Mansell, Senna in ’84, Verstappen and his blue flag exploit etc… etc…

    I am completely bemused how anyone who loves driving can call for it to be removed from the calendar. It’s literally what makes F1 ‘F1’. If you don’t embrace the eccentricity of it, then you’re missing the point of F1 in my opinion.

    1. This post is a great insight into the mind of an F1 tragic.
      Selectively picking out the positive elements of the past and ignoring the realities of the present.

      1. The positive elements of the present are easy to find.

        The entire weekend is the single-most engaging weekend from the perspective of the driving skill.
        It is the only weekend where journalists are predicting a possible front row upset (Bottas)
        It is the only weekend where the level of mistake that produces a dramatic outcome is at its lowest.
        DRS will not influence any overtake scenario in a significant way. Any overtake will be genuine (hurrah!)
        It is the only weekend where a front running driver may see a performance drop (see Hamilton 2021)
        It is the most unique track on the calendar.
        It’s is the best qualifying session of the year by a country mile.
        The race still produces some dramatic action despite what people say (and cut to Stroll!!!!)

        Also the positive elements of the past are what constructs cultures. That’s how culture works, it defines who we are. F1 without Monaco is without culture. It becomes grey and dormant. It becomes a cookie cutter race series like everything else – a philistine’s dream.

        I am not an ‘F1 tragic’ (whatever that means). I can write essays on my problems with F1 (move to franchise model, the drivers standards are uniquely high compared to other series, I don’t like the engine formula etc… I can go on). I just don’t understand how the one thing that is actually good people think needs to be fixed or removed and replaced with what exactly? You can’t replace the history and heritage and culture, that’s for sure.

        1. These are all your opinions, i.e. I disagree with most of them.

          I do agree about qualifying, because the narrow circuit of course creates ‘hide behind the settee’ angst whilst watching Q3 – as we see the best go that extra mile.

          But then again qualifying at Singapore is also great, i.e. Hamilton 2018 and I’d argue that tight street circuit is more suited to modern F1.

          1. “These are all your opinions, i.e. I disagree with most of them.”

            What track other than Monaco are people predicting that Bottas might get a front row?

        2. Yeah, I’m with @banbrorace.
          Your opinions on F1 at Monaco are perfectly valid – but they are yours and are not the same as everyone else’s.

          I find the Monaco event as a whole to be a sad show, with the (only) highlight undoubtedly being Saturday afternoon most years.
          Yeah, DRS sucks, but it’s not as bad as no racing at all – which is a perfect description of what happens at Monaco.
          Every venue F1 visits is unique.
          Sure, qualifying is usually one of the better ones of the year, but that’s primarily because nothing happens in the GP.
          Some dramatic action. Some. Not a lot, not enough, just some.

          F1 can have plenty of culture without Monaco. It’s just a legacy event that wouldn’t exist if it didn’t already. Some might say it’s this aspect that is holding F1 back.
          F1’s history and heritage isn’t all that important to some people, Alan. The present and the future are also important, and the F1/Monaco combo isn’t delivering for these.

          What track other than Monaco are people predicting that Bottas might get a front row?

          This just shows the sad state that F1 is in. Every circuit should allow this possibility because the cars should be more equal in performance over a lap (though not necessarily making that speed the same way).
          BTW, Bottas won’t be getting a front row. Those people are extremely…. optimistic.

          Okay, you like F1 at Monaco. Good for you.
          But you are in a shrinking minority.

          1. I offer my opinions yes, but you offered, or presented an opinion, as one

            “But you are in a shrinking minority”

            What evidence is there to back this up?

            I would argue that not every F1 venue is unique in the way Monaco is. Most F1 venues are designed, even the modern F1 street circuits, by a company like Apex or whatever. Monaco is unique in that it’s completely a product of the streets of Monaco.

            It also is an exception to the 260km race length rule within the F1 Sporting Regulations. So even from an evidential not opinion based standpoint… it is provably unique.
            .

            F1’s history and heritage isn’t all that important to some people, Alan.”

            F1 isn’t important to some people. Motorsport isn’t important to some people. That’s not a statement worth make. Some people think music and art and culture aren’t important either.

            The question is whether Monaco is important to F1 and its culture, and evidently it is to the people that matter. Despite all the changes that have been implemented to F1 to ‘improve overtaking’ the one track on the calendar that is not congruent with those objectives… remains. FE certainly make a big deal about racing in Monaco? Why? Because it maters, because its history… its heritage.

            To say Monaco isn’t important, in my opinion, is to say culture isn’t important. That’s the inference.

          2. What evidence is there to back this up?

            I hate to use this site’s comments sections as evidence, but there are an increasing umber of anti-Monaco comments appearing. Same goes for pretty much every other motorsports site, along with the usual social comment and conversation sites (reddit, twitter etc, etc).
            A lot of people like the idea of what it is and what it used to offer, but the problem is it just isn’t satisfying anymore. F1 has outgrown it. It represents the past, and not the future. Society as a whole is looking forward more now than back. We can only learn from the past and use it to create a brighter future – we shouldn’t be held back by it.

            No thing is more unique than another thing, unless two things are identical.
            Monaco’s streets are no more unique than Monza’s parklands, Silverstone’s old runways, Miami’s football stadium carpark, Suzuka’s figure-8 layout, Shanghai’s smog or Abu Dhabi’s marina. There isn’t two of any of them on the calendar, or off it, for that matter.

            F1 isn’t important to some people.

            That’s absolutely true.
            Equally true is that Monaco isn’t important to a large number of F1 viewers, regardless of it’s history.
            You think it is important, and that’s wonderful for you – but not for everyone who watches, or is involved with, F1.

            You’re right. Monaco is on the calendar because it is a freak show. It is a rich person’s plaything, and holds little actual sporting value at all. Nobody goes to Monaco to watch a good car race, they go for the show and the weirdness.
            So let’s not pretend that F1 is a sport, eh?

            To say Monaco isn’t important, in my opinion, is to say culture isn’t important. That’s the inference.

            While I don’t agree with your use of the word ‘culture’ – I’m ok with the inference.
            Culture isn’t important to everyone. The reality of what happens on the day is to many people, though.

          3. “I hate to use this site’s comments sections as evidence, but there are an increasing umber of anti-Monaco comments appearing. Same goes for pretty much every other motorsports site, along with the usual social comment and conversation sites (reddit, twitter etc, etc).”

            Selection bias.

            “F1 has outgrown it. It represents the past, and not the future”

            I suggest you don’t follow denied planning applications for new race venues if you want to ignore the ‘past’. The ‘past’ is what gives some level of security to motorsport as a justifiable activity.

            “You’re right. Monaco is on the calendar because it is a freak show. It is a rich person’s plaything, and holds little actual sporting value at all. Nobody goes to Monaco to watch a good car race, they go for the show and the weirdness.
            So let’s not pretend that F1 is a sport, eh?”

            No sporting value? It has as much sporting venue as any other track on the calendar. You base ‘sporting merit’ on whether the venue offers a certain amount of overtaking oppurtunities? I base sporting merit on the challenge faced by competitors. Monaco is pretty much the most challenging circuit on the calendar.

            “While I don’t agree with your use of the word ‘culture’ – I’m ok with the inference.
            Culture isn’t important to everyone. The reality of what happens on the day is to many people, though.”

            Culture embeds itself in every facet of people’s day to day life whether it be as simple as accent and dialect. Culture is extremely important to F1 because its the ‘culture’ that makes it a justifiable activity, it’s what gives its value. Good luck justifying motorsport as an activity (which we will be doing more and more) without the history and heritage aspect of it.

          4. Selection bias.

            Yeah, that’s what I was thinking about you take on it too.
            I guess we are both human after all.

            You base ‘sporting merit’ on whether the venue offers a certain amount of overtaking oppurtunities?

            To some degree, yes. Opportunities being the operative word.
            Would we call a race around a one-lane wide circuit sport? Some might, but there isn’t going to be much actual competition is there? Nobody behind can do anything to change the outcome, because no matter how good they are or how many risks they take, there simply isn’t room for them to get by.
            Monaco works in a manner similar to this. Merely making it to the end of the event is not exactly dripping with sporting achievement.
            With F1’s race format being based entirely on position, overtaking opportunities are essential. Qualifying may be a time trial (as in, a ‘race’ against only the clock) but the GP isn’t – it is all about the order that everyone finishes in; so there must, by definition, be multiple chances for that to change. If it can’t change, it isn’t a race.
            We can see from Ricciardo’s last win there (among many others) that defence is so easy there that a driver can still win with a 20% reduction in performance compared to their competitors, simply by having track position. That shows a pretty major lack of competitive opportunity, wouldn’t you say?
            Also shows that a driver need not push their limits as much as at other circuits – somewhat going against your theory that it’s the most challenging circuit F1 visits. In qualifying during a tightly competitive season, it may be – but not for the vast majority of the time. Slow down at Silverstone or Bahrain and you’ll be overtaken, but slow down at Monaco, and you’ll just slow everyone behind you down.

            Good luck justifying motorsport as an activity (which we will be doing more and more) without the history and heritage aspect of it

            That’s really easy.
            “I like to drive fast on private roads at my property. Maybe I’ll build a loop road somewhere where there are no other cars and drive as fast as I like without endangering any unsuspecting people. Nobody’s done it before, but everything has a first time.
            Then I’ll tell my friends about it, and they’ll want to come and drive fast too. Maybe we’ll all do it at the same time, and see who can do 10 laps first and call them the winner.”
            Should I go on, or does this pretty much sum up how someone might start motorsport today?

            Unless you are running on the assumption that the internal combustion engine still wasn’t invented either?
            In which case, we’d probably race something else, just like they were, you know, before the internal combustion engine was invented.
            Come to think of it, battery powered motive machines pre-date combustion engines, and steam pre-dates that – so they were probably racing those too.
            Actually they were, weren’t they. Trains and steamships were used for time trials back then to set records…. Why? For the same reasons that F1 goes to Monaco today – to make money!

      2. Ah! S – the present is not at all what it should be!

        1. I agree 100%

    2. If this was a new track about to make it’s debut, everyone would be complaining about how terrible it was for overtaking and who on earth thought we’d get great racing here.

      The big problem is that because F1 has (rightly) been sanitised (i.e. manouveres that were fine back in the 80’s would now get you a potential race ban and certainly heavy penalties) it makes Monaco even more irrelevant.

      Let’s be honest unless it rains or a safety car throws up a situation where the leading car has to manage their tyres for 50 laps – it’s pretty boring. To me it’s worse than Paul Ricard

      And yes they’re are plenty of other poor tracks – which get far more criticism.

      Why should Monoco be exempt because of where it is and its history?

      I’m simply not a fan or keeping something, only because it’s always been there.

      1. “If this was a new track about to make it’s debut, everyone would be complaining about how terrible it was for overtaking and who on earth thought we’d get great racing here.”

        If motorsport didn’t exist, and it made its debut today, everyone would complain how dangerous and hugely wasteful it is… and there’d be almost zero chance (in the UK at least) of any motorsport venue getting planning permission. So this argument is without foundation. The fact is that Monaco does exist, whether it today’s context would it get homologated is irrelevant, because as I did, you could apply the same argument to motorsport as a whole. The sport itself, in today’s context, wouldn’t be allowed to happen if it didn’t exist.

        And thus importantly we keep Monaco precisely because it has always been there, that’s not a negative. That’s something we should hold onto and cherish.

        The idea that history isn’t important doesn’t correlate with how prestigious championships work i.e F1 and the FIA World Championship’s value is literally based upon it ‘always being there’. To say “always being there” is not a guarantee of sorts, is to say F1 and the FIA World Championship doesn’t have value.

        Monaco is symbolic of F1. It’s embodies motorsport culture. Without Monaco, there’s no culture. With no culture, what are we all doing?

        1. If motorsport was envisaged for the first time today?
          Of course it would still be allowed and would still become popular, because it exploits and satisfies a natural facet of humanity. People drive too fast on the road to satisfy this desire, so of course it makes more sense to move it to a purpose-built facility where it can be done safely, and some people can make money out of it.
          While cars and motorbikes exist, motorsport will exist.

          Nobody needs to hold a race around an unsuitable venue such as Monaco, though. That doesn’t make any sense.
          It didn’t make a lot of sense 90 years ago, and it makes even less now.

          F1 uses it’s long history for marketing purposes, but if that history didn’t exist, then just try to sell it on other features. And if it people liked it, they’d still want to buy it.
          New series pop up every now and then, and none of them suffer because they haven’t been around for 70 years already.

          Having an event at a venue so unsuitable isn’t a culture. It’s a marketing and business expo, with a car show on the side.
          In fact, in F1 terms – it is the epitome of the word “show.” More showy, flashy and extravagant than any other event that has ever been on F1’s calendar.
          And so many long-term, die-hard F1 fans denigrate modern F1 for becoming a show….

          1. It’s nigh on impossible to get planning permission today. You think local planning officers would allow noise pollution with this new sporting creation? Environmental pollution? Increased traffic in particular areas? tyre and fuel waste? Absolutely not. You think motorsport is safe… yet by what standard are you making this statement? You’re making it to current standards you are familiar with. But in a world where motorsport didn’t exist you think the culture would allow you children to drive vehicles that do 70mph? You think Motocross and karting would be fine if that was presented as a new activity? No chance in my opinion.

            My ‘thought experiment’ inferred that no one would have conceptualized racing as a thing during the period cars have existed so to say “as long as there is cars people would invent racing” is not an argument.

            “Nobody needs to hold a race around an unsuitable venue such as Monaco, though. That doesn’t make any sense. It didn’t make a lot of sense 90 years ago, and it makes even less now.”

            It makes perfect sense from a commercial and heritage based perspective. F1’s and its FIA World Championship’s value is based on its heritage and culture. You think all that money sponsors spend on F1 is so they can turn up to a race and spend a weekend in the Northampton countryside or a glorified industrial estate in some random place … or Monaco?

            “New series pop up every now and then, and none of them suffer because they haven’t been around for 70 years already.”

            F1 is by far the most dominant motorsport entity on the planet by a long long long way. Also, Monaco’s addition tot he Formula E calendar was and is treated as a very very big deal.

          2. S

            f motorsport was envisaged for the first time today?
            Of course it would still be allowed

            No it wouldn’t, I had a conversation with several other Safety Officers and two people from the NSW regulatory agency several years ago. All Motor Racing fans
            Motorbikes gone.
            Pushbikes gone.
            Motor racing nearly gone, as cars without mudguards would be too prone to be launched off the uncovered wheels.
            Tracks would be required to have huge runoff or high impact absorbing catch fences for the entirety of the circuit.
            Monoco would not be able to fulfil either of those. Not to mention the countless other changes that would be required under modern OH&S regulations.
            Obviously because of it pre-existing Motor racing gets a pass on many of these regs.

          3. You think local planning officers would allow noise pollution with this new sporting creation?

            I don’t live in the UK, but then, motorsport isn’t unique to the UK either. Purpose-built permanent racetracks are still being constructed and upgraded all around the world.

            You think motorsport is safe… yet by what standard are you making this statement? You’re making it to current standards you are familiar with.

            Do you think I’m only 12 years old? I’ve been around a bit longer than that, mate.
            Motorsport was born from basic human nature. Risk taking, pushing the limits, taking responsibility for oneself, being selfish, even… Of course motorsport would still exist, because it has existed within us as humans long before cars or even engines were created. People race push bikes, horses, each other – everything. Humans are competitive animals – it is impossible for motorsport to have never existed.
            Everything evolves over time.

            You think all that money sponsors spend on F1 is so they can turn up to a race and spend a weekend in the Northampton countryside or a glorified industrial estate in some random place … or Monaco?

            I don’t think too many of them care where it is as long as they are making money out of it. That’s what marketing and business is all about.
            If they just wanted to go have enjoyable day somewhere, they can do that in a million different ways that come with much lower pricetags.

            F1 is by far the most dominant motorsport entity on the planet by a long long long way.

            Compared to what? Which other series has ever even tried to be as global and expansive as F1? None of them have. Ever.
            You are comparing a global world championship with only 6 other world championships (3 of which are rally series and one is FE) – or worse, comparing with regional or domestic series.
            The FIA has control over this aspect and would almost certainly reject any serious competitor to ‘their F1’ anyway. Written permission must be granted by the FIA to any non-world championship series to hold more than 2 championship events offshore, because they see it as threatening to their flagship series.

            Yeah, of course FE’s move to Monaco was seen by some as a big deal. Especially by FE, of course – they aren’t going to talk themselves down, are they… They are a marketing series too.
            The other reason their move to the full layout attracted some interest was because F1 generally don’t like it when other series use their tracks. No doubt everyone who watches both noticed that while FE cars are slower, the racing was far better than F1 at the same venue.

          4. No offence, @johnrkh, but localised opinions don’t change the world, nor humanity.
            Motorsport would undoubtedly gain traction somewhere, and from there it would spread.

            What are you talking about – pushbikes gone? Who’s going to outlaw a push bike? As if.
            Cars without mudguards don’t even need to exist anyway.
            Tracks with huge runoff and absorbent safety systems are fine.

            Exactly my point. If someone came to the FIA to put in a proposal for a street race around Monaco for the first time today, they would be laughed out of the office. It doesn’t meet the FIA’s own Grade 1 standards, but they aren’t going to cut it out just for that reason.
            It’s worth too much money….

          5. S Haha localised opinions? Australian OH&S regulations are written for Australia yes but it you had any understanding of the regs you would see that many of the regs overlap or are at least similar to those in other first world countries, there’s a reason for that. As are many other rules a regulations, signage our monetary system, all designed to be workable with no or minimal adjustment because we work with other countries when we write them.

            pushbikes gone? Who’s going to outlaw a push bike? As if.

            I didn’t say they would be banned they would exist in the first place.

            Cars without mudguards don’t even need to exist anyway.

            A Formual one car is also called an open wheeler because of the lack of mudguards.
            But I can’t explain the Australian OH&S system here, far to big a subject.

          6. Australian OH&S regulations are written for Australia yes but it you had any understanding of the regs you would see that many of the regs overlap or are at least similar to those in other first world countries, there’s a reason for that.

            I know enough to understand, thanks. Been involved with risk-sensitive public events for decades.
            The biggest threat to such events isn’t regulatory, but financial. Insurance is the biggest issue in holding public events – not safety. Safety is just a set of rules, that can always be made to work. Bit of a red-tape dance and a bit of common sense is all that’s required.

            I didn’t say they would be banned they would exist in the first place.

            But they do exist, and they would have existed anyway even if they didn’t come about the way they did.
            It wasn’t a eureka moment by only one person, it would have just been developed by someone else instead.
            Even if the wheel itself had not been ‘invented’ – someone would have stumbled across the same idea anyway…

            Formual one car is also called an open wheeler because of the lack of mudguards.

            Well, duh. But it doesn’t have to be that way, does it. You made the argument that cars without guards are more dangerous – so the logical step is to put guards on, right?
            Indycar uses guards around the back wheels but leaves the fronts open, and FE has semi-open wheels but with guards to prevent interlocking wheels….
            If it became necessary, it wouldn’t be the end of the world if the idea of open-wheel race cars was abandoned, anyway. Under the bodywork of most race cars the same design philosophies as open-wheelers are implemented anyway – they just cover it up with carbon fibre or aluminium.
            It’s not a problem without a solution, is it….

            But I can’t explain the Australian OH&S system here, far to big a subject.

            It is and it isn’t. It’s not so complex that events can’t still be held.
            If there really is no way to hold an event to an acceptable level of safety, then it’s probably best not to be held anyway.

          7. S

            I know enough to understand, thanks. Been involved with risk-sensitive public events for decades.
            The biggest threat to such events isn’t regulatory, but financial. Insurance is the biggest issue in holding public events – not safety. Safety is just a set of rules, that can always be made to work. Bit of a red-tape dance and a bit of common sense is all that’s required.

            That statement clearly shows that you do not. But having had to deal with dozens of project managers (clerks) throwing tantrums because I wouldn’t rubber stamp their little projects. I’m not surprised by your reply :))

          8. That statement clearly shows that you do not

            Your reply shows exactly why I made my reply the way I did.
            Because to people in the entertainment business who intimately understand the risks and realities involved, it’s people doing your ‘job’ who seem to make rules just to make other’s lives miserable.
            Protecting yourself more than others….

            So I repeat – doing the red tape dance and applying common sense usually gets most things done – even if that sometimes means doing them in the least efficient way possible, just to satisfy someone who would never attend that sort of event anyway.

        2. S

          Well, duh. But it doesn’t have to be that way, does it. You made the argument that cars without guards are more dangerous – so the logical step is to put guards on, right?

          They would be called sports cars.

          It is and it isn’t. It’s not so complex that events can’t still be held.
          If there really is no way to hold an event to an acceptable level of safety, then it’s probably best not to be held anyway.

          ALARP

          1. They would be called sports cars.

            Are Indycar and Formula E open wheel or sports car series, in your opinion?
            Or is there an area in between where they can be both, or neither?

    3. I agree with Alan completely!

  6. Aren’t they going to bring in rules in the next few years to make the cars smaller? That should help a bit with the passing problems.

    the track is a super test of skill too. One of the hardest tracks on the calendar.

  7. Monaco is one of the races I most look forward to, if I was going to make any change it would be to make it the same length as other races.

    I can see why people don’t like the lack of overtakes but that’s only because it’s such a challenging track and it brings variety to the calendar. It’s easy to forget the skill required to just do laps here and watching drivers pushing is what F1 is all about to me.

    1. First shots of the Tabac and the Swimming Pool (the fact most people can recall all the corner names tells us something … quite important actually) section being driven flat out get me every year.

  8. I love the Monaco GP, Always have and It’s one of my favourite races of the year as i love the spectacle and challenge of driving these cars at these speeds around that track where they are millimetres from the barriers. Where one mistake can end your race and you need to keep your concentration up throughout because one lapse can put you in the wall.

    For me F1 would be worse off without Monaco as it would be like Indycar without the Indy 500, Sportscars without Le Mans & NASCAR without the Daytona 500 because it would be without it’s most prestigious, historic & best known race.

    I wouldn’t even try to move it from it’s traditional end of May date as the Monaco Gp/Indy 500 weekend is the most special weekend of the year with 2 of the biggest races one after the other.

  9. If you cannot remember a F1 car being driven at Monaco is because you have never seen a F1 championship completely.

  10. Nikos (@exeviolthor)
    27th May 2022, 12:20

    Even if we accept that Monaco is a boring track (I do not agree), no one can deny that if it rains it produces awesome racing.

    1. I deny.

      It used to, I would agree – but that’s in the distant past.
      What the rain does do is make the Monaco_turd a little more shiny

  11. Nikos (@exeviolthor)
    27th May 2022, 12:46

    Well the last time we had a wet race in Monaco was in 2016.
    It was pretty eventful with lots of errors and a close battle for first.

    1. You mean the one that Ricciardo effortlessly dominated until the team blew the pit stop?

      1. Nikos (@exeviolthor)
        27th May 2022, 19:30

        Yes that one.

  12. Let’s all gather to show how rich, beautiful, and exclusive we are while a fast parade happens in the background.

  13. José Lopes da Silva
    27th May 2022, 21:39

    I can accept that racing isn’t fit with modern cars.
    What I can’t accept is the definition of “sport” that is being brought lately.

    The Formula 1 Championship should have the most diverse kinds of tracks possible, to test cars and drivers. This should be plainly obvious. There is always a sporting place for the extremes that are Monaco and Monza. Monza is a straight line fest, but you don’t go and say that is “no sport”. Especially now that we 20+ races.

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