The Monaco Grand Prix and some other classic races are at risk of losing their place on the annual F1 calendar, but not everyone in the sport will lose sleep over that possibility
Guenther Steiner has given his thoughts on recent changes to the F1 calendar (
Image: Getty Images)
Haas chief Guenther Steiner “sees no problem” if a classic race such as the Monaco Grand Prix were to be excluded from the annual Formula 1 calendar.
The sport is expanding and bringing in a swathe of new venues as owners Liberty Media look to capitalize and build upon its recent growth spurt. The paddock traveled to Miami this year for the first time, while the Las Vegas Grand Prix will make its debut in 2023. Saudi Arabia and Qatar are among the other recent new additions.
F1 bosses have made little effort to hide their desire to cram more races into a season as well, though the current Concorde Agreement limits that number to 24 until at least 2025. This means that as more new venues are introduced, there may not be room for some of the more traditional ones.
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This includes the Monaco Grand Prix, which used to be the crown jewel of the sport but no longer holds mythic status among fans and those in charge of F1. The street circuit in the principality is too narrow for modern cars and races there in recent years have generally been largely dull processions with little action.
While some believe it would be a shame to lose such a historic race, others believe it is time to move on and, at the very least, make the trip to Monaco a biennial one. Steiner is among the latter group, and praised the modern calendar for offering different experiences so there is something for every type of F1 fan to enjoy.
“Today, the calendar consists of many different phases,” he told Motorsport Magazin. “The races are no longer alike, as they were in the ’80s and ’90s, when everything always looked the same. Now we understand that there can be different approaches.
The Monaco Grand Prix is iconic – but are its days numbered in F1?
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“For example, if you compare Austin and Miami, both of these events gather a huge amount of attention although they are completely different in nature.
“At the same time, I think Barcelona should not try to reproduce what we saw in Miami, as there are already enough spectators without all of that. There are many truly advanced fans who want only one thing – to watch fast cars race. But then there are others who also like the fun parties, and it makes sense for such people to go to races like Miami.
“I think the public now has a choice. We are only losing the races that are not financially feasible. But the legacy of Formula 1 is not in danger. And if one of these classic races is excluded from the calendar for a year or two , then it can also come back, so I don’t see any problems there.”
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