3 Euro F1 Races Could Be Gone...Monaco?

The loss of Monaco would tear the heart out of F1. It's not an exciting race at all, but it is the essence of what makes F1 different from CART/IRL/etc -- the history and pagentry

 

Bernie is just popping off again. Monaco is F1's Superbowl, Daytona 500, Indy 500 etc... Granted it is rarely a competitive race.... yet it will always be on the schedule. Monaco is a status symbol for F1. It lets the world know that F1= money / exclusivity etc... I always look forward to watching the Monaco race. Just hearing the cars in the tunnel makes my day.

 

Precisely.

But I don't see Monaco being axed. Ever. Money rules and in Monaco are all the sponsorship deals made. That weekend is not just about the race itself, but it is payback time for all the sponsors and their entourage. F1 needs that event to oil its own machinery.

Also AFAIK Monaco allows tobacco sponsorship, so there is no thread there.

If they kill off France I won't cry over it. Same goes for one of the German GPs.

 

Yeah but the Monaco race sucks. Unless you get pole, or pass some one in the pit lane, you are not getting around them. The only place to pass is coming out of the tunnel right be for they break for the turn. Othen than that you are not passing unless you do something crazy. Monaco is nice because of all the wealth that is there. But as far as racing on track, it sucks.

As far as Bernie looking at other venues, it all boils down to money. With so many countries not allowings cigarette advertizing on the cars, I would imagine this is making it hard to get the big dollars needed for F1. So maybe that is why he is looking to more Arab and Asian countries. In F1 money talks, and Bernie wants more of the talking stuff.

 

spa has already disappeared this year (only???)
magny-cours was "about" to disappear the last two years

only one more even if spa is a great loss for F1

 

Monaco can't be abandoned. Magny-Cours on the other hand ... Hockeneim as well. Not sure I'd miss those tracks either ...

 

agree, what a BORING "race". Although I agree its highly unlikely it will ever get axed.
Now, I do think a country should have only one race, spread it around; expecially that there is more interest and ability to support F1 races than there was years/decades ago.

 

Having been there as a race it is not terribly exciting. But as an event it is spectacular, and as an F1 event, only an earthquake in the Med would stop that race from happening. So I would not agree with you that is "sucks". It's F1's version of Daytona, Indy 500, and Le Mans.

 

Wasnt this discussed last year with the results of the F1 survey last year?

Doesnt he say this crap everyyear? Bernie and his good buddy Max really needs to retire.
Monaco has never been a boring race, even with limited passing opportunities it is still 1000x more exciting then watching Hungary or the Spanish GP. Ofcourse he is going to say Monaco isnt safe, but he would be shooting himself if he was to pull the plug on Monaco. Magny-cours on the other had could go and I dont think many would care besides the French. Hungary would have to be next cause that is by far the most boring race of the season or maybe equal boring to Spain(but that wont go till Alonso stops winning). San Marino isnt the track it was back in the old days b4 the "safety" measures and while its tough to see her go, would have to be 1st b4 Monza.

The problem with all these "new countries" is that most of their people cant even afford to get to these races and Im unsure how viable all these new tracks really are even with tobacco sponsership.

 

Monaco will not be axed, but magny cours and Nuremburging can go. I love Hockenheim though.

The solution is rotating Grand Prix, the sooner that happens (and it will), the sooner we can move on to other things.

 

I agree with Andreas, and as for MC being "boring" without any passing opportunities, think back to '92 and the great Senna/Mansell battle. It may not always be the most exciting race, but it's certainly a spectacular event.

 

Have to agree with you about Monaco and we're going there this year! tickets are WAYYYY over priced. When we went to Magny Cours it took some 3+ hours just to get to southeast of Charles de Gaulle Airport - best way is to fly into Lyon rather than Paris. I liked Hockenheim - it was easy to get to and we had great seats with lots of action.

Carol

 

my "boring" comment is derived from watching on telly. I'm sure my opinion would change watching live and being immersed in the M F1 pomp and circumstance.

 

Just imagine walking through a city where there is no street without at least one Ferrari in it. THAT is the F1 GP weekend in Monaco.

 

I wish they would axe Monaco and two other Grands Prix, and have one that does rotate to a different track each year and call it the European Grand Prix. There are several circuits around that could host a GP for that event and could give some countries an occasional opportunity to host two races. As for Monaco, there is no racing, let alone passing, which is why my slot car track is more enjoyable than watching that race. For as long as Bernie has been stumping for safety and some tracks have been eliminated for that very reason, the least safe track is the one that gets the most hype.

 

Well, yeah, but in the grandstands at Monaco how many folks are REALLY die-hard F1 fans ?

If F1 dropped Monaco, you can bet your hind-end another 'series' will be there to takes its' place.

Bernie just wants more money........

 

Actually the folks in the grand stands are most likely to be F1 fans. It is the folks on the yachts, restaurants and balconies that might have ulterior motives.

 

I went to Monaco Grand Prix in 1999. Sat a restaurant at turn 4(Mirabeau). I must say I have been to Montreal twice and Barcelona once. Out all of them Monaco was by far my favorite. It may not be the best place to watch an F1 race on tv, but in person it is the best experience. Listening to those V10's screaming through the city and drinking champagne is something else. I have been planning to go back for sometime, but every year I have something going on around that time. I hope they never get rid of it.

 

You hit it right on the nose. Monaco is more of a showcase weekend, where the race is almost an afterthought. Think of this: whenever the topic of racing comes up with the less-imformed and they try to distinguish between CART/IRL/F1, inevitably what distinguishes F1 is that it's the series that races in Monaco. EVERYONE knows this. Monaco defines F1--as a series it sees itself as blue-blooded, the elite of the elite, best of the best, untouchably expensive. No place on earth exudes those characteristics more so than Monaco. For Formula 1, racing in Monaco is almost akin to a homecoming weekend, with most of the drivers living there and the F1 brass parking their yachts in the harbor.

If Bernie truly believes that he could axe an event of Monaco's stature in exchange for another Malaysia, where they practically gave away tickets to fill the stands to 75%, then he is certifiably over the rainbow. He needs to realize that growth for growth's sake isn't always the most prudent move. Because then you end up becoming some sort of transient, gypsy-like sporting series whoring itself out to the highest bidder, history be damned. TV is where the big bucks are, and if every race weekend features another dull, featureless track in some town few of the viewers will ever visit, then all the sanctioning fees in the world won't matter since viewers will systematically tune out.

 

Unless he had a recent stroke I'm sure he knows all that. As a matter of fact I remember reading an interview with him in which he was so happy that the US GP finally found its home (Indy) after having been that transient gypsy whore. And that was only the USGP.

Bernie makes a lot of whopping statements with the intention to create some fears and anxieties. Who knows, maybe he is currently renegotiating a TV deal with Monaco and wants to squeeze more $$$ out. I'm pretty sure he is only posturing. As the organizer of the French or German GPs I'd be however a lot more nervous.

 

Again, I agree with Andreas. I've been to MC every year since '92, and my impression is that the fans in the stands are fairly serious, while the poseurs are on-board the yachts, etc.

 

The Hungaroring is a bit of a lame track also.

 

You may have seen me waving at the masses from a Renault Spider race car just before the Grand Prix in 1998 then

 

Probably so!