For most people, the Principality of Monaco conjures up images of grandeur, luxury, and excessive wealth. On any given day, the roads are chock-full of the finest exotics and luxury cars, with the Hotel du Paris Monte-Carlo proving a veritable godsend for the world's car spotters. But for one weekend a year, supercars like the Ferrari SF90 are barred from some of the roads, as the Formula 1 circus rolls into town.
But if the latest rumors are to be taken as gospel, this age-old tradition may soon be no more. According to journalist and F1 podcaster Joe Saward, the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix may very well be the last of its kind. In the Missed Apex Podcast, Saward said there's a possibility that Monaco may not be on the F1 calendar from 2023.
"[It] could happen. There is no contract for Monaco in Formula 1. Well, there's a contract this year. [But] It could be the last [for] Monaco," said Saward. Reputedly, the deal the sovereign city-state signed with Formula 1 dates back as far as eleven years and was brokered by former F1 chief executive, Bernie Ecclestone.
Saward elaborates on his statement, remarking that Formula 1 doesn't particularly enjoy its Monegasque visits. "Monaco has always had a cheap fee because it thinks it's more important than all the other races," he added. While Monaco's future as a Formula 1 destination remains up in the air, recent shifts suggest that changes are afoot.
As per the Concorde Agreement, Formula 1 can host 25 races per year. With Las Vegas now joining the race schedule - and China and Qatar set to make a return next year - one can assume that several other races will have to bid adieu. It would be hard to imagine Formula 1 without the Monaco Grand Prix, though, as it has only once missed out on hosting a race in the last 68 years, and only due to COVID-19.
The infamous track has been part of motorsport for years and has been the setting for some of the fiercest four-wheeled fights. In 1993, the late Ayrton Senna raced to victory, clinching a first-place finish in his McLaren MP4/8A. Sadly, it would be the last McLaren he got behind the wheel of before his untimely 1994 passing.