Monaco GP Faces Overhaul Talks Amid Contract Crisis
May 26 - Amid critical contract talks, Formula 1 personalities think the sport should make some tweaks to the iconic Monaco GP.
Bloomberg claimed last week that F1's commercial owner Liberty Media is pushing for race organisers to pay more to secure a new deal beyond 2025.
Former F1 driver Alex Wurz thinks scrapping the event altogether would be F1 "cutting off its roots" - even if the Principality may have more to lose than the sport does.
"It would not change anything about the fame and finances of Formula 1," the Austrian told ORF. "But for me it would still be a shame."
The problem isn't just financial. As the speed, the size and the weight of the cars have progressively grown over time, F1 has arguably outgrown a circuit on which overtaking is now basically impossible.
"To have a really entertaining race here, we ought to at least look at whether we can open up some areas to create at least an overtaking opportunity," said Red Bull boss Christian Horner.
"To protect the next 70 years here, I think it's obvious that there needs to be some evolution."
Seven time world champion Lewis Hamilton thinks "special tyres" could spice up the race strategies, or an experimental race format just for Monaco.
Fernando Alonso blamed the ever-worsening Monaco traffic for bowing out of Q1, agreeing with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff that dividing qualifying into two groups could be a "great" help in the future.
Wolff said on Saturday: "I think this track has its limits and we have surpassed them."
As for Alonso, he estimated his chances of even scoring a point on Sunday at basically zero.
"There is no plan," said the Aston Martin driver. "Start P16, do 72 laps, try not to damage the car, and arrive with the car more or less whole for Canada."
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Overtaking has always been effectively impossible on merit, & nothing really to do about this aspect.
I wouldn't mind grouping for qualifying like in F2 & F3, though.
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