Monaco Grand Prix ‘guaranteed’ to still be F1 race after 2022 despite Las Vegas threat

F1 confirm new 200mph Las Vegas track for 2023

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Organisers of the Monaco Grand Prix have “guaranteed” that the famous race will remain part of the Formula One calendar for years to come. That declaration comes despite the threat posed by the recently announced addition of Las Vegas to the schedule and the declining prestige of the annual Monte Carlo meeting.

Monaco has for decades been the host of the most iconic race on the F1 calendar. It is even regarded as part of the ‘triple crown’ of motorsport, which challenges racers to win the Grand Prix in Monte Carlo, as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Indianapolis 500. Graham Hill remains the only racer in history to win all three.

Even just a few years ago talk of Monaco losing its place in the schedule would have been unthinkable, but the winding street circuit no longer suits the modern cars and races have largely become rather dull. Off the track, F1 owners Liberty Media have forced organisers to start paying a hosting fee and chief Stefano Domenicali has warned that races will not be saved from the axe solely because of their “pedigree”.

From next year, Las Vegas will host an annual race, an arrangement which could see Monaco replaced as the most glitzy destination of the season. That addition takes the number of races to 24 – the maximum allowed in a calendar year under the current arrangement.

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F1 bosses are expected to soon announce a deal to bring Kyalami back to the schedule after a 20-year absence. Adding the South African Grand Prix would take the number of races over that limit of 24, meaning at least one of the races on this year’s calendar would not keep its place in 2023.

Monaco’s contract ends this year, so as it stands the race on May 29 is the last one guaranteed to be held going forward. If it were to not return next year, then it will be only the second time since the 1950s that the paddock has not descended upon the principality – the other being in 2020 as the season was disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Michel Boeri, president of the Monaco Automobile Club, has expressed his confidence that the event will continue to be an annual fixture on the schedule. This week he told race marshals: “It was implied that the fees required were too excessive for Monaco and that the grand prix would no longer be held. That’s untrue. We are still in talks with them and must now seal the deal with a contract. I can guarantee you that the Grand Prix will keep taking place beyond 2022. I don’t know if it will be a three or five-year contract, but that’s a detail.”

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Even if Monaco were to miss 2023, it would not mean a permanent absence from the annual F1 schedule. The current Concorde Agreement restricting the sport to 24 races per year ends in 2025, so after that there will be a chance to increase the number of Grands Prix every season.

F1 chief Domenicali believes there is still more scope for expansion, and has even talked up the idea of a 30-race season in the future. “I think there is potential to go to 24,” he said. “I would say there is potential to go to 30! In terms of the interest we see all around the world. It is up to us to try to find the right balance considering what are the venues which would like to be in F1, what are the historical values we need to see on the calendar.”

While a greater number of races would mean increased revenue for the sport and more exciting action for fans to watch, concerns have been raised over the logistics of an even longer season. Staff burnout is already an issue with the current calendars the biggest they have ever been, so staff welfare will need to be a priority for the sport’s bosses if the number of Grands Prix is going to increase more.

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