Monaco maintains its place on the calendar. Despite certain fears, the historic circuit of the principality renewed its contract with the FIA until 2031, an extension of six years. A necessary agreement given Stefano Domenicali's recent statements. The F1 CEO raised the possibility of a rotation for races in Europe in order to free up several places on the calendar for the benefit of other countries and continents, notably Africa or South America.
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An alternation of Grand Prix in Europe envisaged
“We have some news to share very, very soon regarding the possibility, in the medium term, of having rotating European Grand Prix and other new options to come later”said the Italian during a meeting with Liberty Media investors. This decision could allow certain countries to make savings, such as Belgium with the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, Spain with Barcelona or the Netherlands with Zandvoort. The former Ferrari director explained the reasons for this policy which would lead to a reduction in the number of races in Europe:
“It is true that we have a strong demand for possible new sites, and our choice will always be balanced between the economic advantages that we can have as a system and also to take advantage of the growth in the markets where we see potential and which will allow us to further develop our activity. »
Increasing interest in F1 around the world
The Italian faces growing demand from new countries and continents wanting to join the Formula 1 calendar. Recently, Africa, with a planned Grand Prix in Rwanda, has been the subject of discussion. Asia would also like to host more races, and the arrival of Franco Colapinto at Williams has reignited interest in the discipline in South America.
This balance is all the more complex as the Concorde Agreements authorize a maximum of 25 races per year. With already 24 events on the program this season and many candidates at the gate, certain historic routes are in danger. However, this will not be the case for Monaco, which obtained a new agreement for six years after six months of negotiations with Formula 1 authorities.
Michel Boeri, president of the Automobile Club of Monaco, expressed his satisfaction while painting a worrying picture of the future of racing in Europe. “Faced with a bulldozer, the bicycle I was on was not crushed, that’s not bad”he told Monaco Info.
He stressed that Monaco retains some specific advantages: “Then, compared to the other European Grand Prix, we have some small advantages, but above all, there is no alternation. We will be there every year while not only will many European Grand Prix disappear, but those that remain will often alternate. I believe that with the current demand for F1, there may only be two or three Grand Prix left in Europe, with interest shifting to China and other continents.” he said during an interview for Monaco Info.
Fewer and fewer Grand Prix in Europe according to Michel Boeri
According to him, the number of races in Europe, currently set at 10, will gradually decrease under the pressure of foreign competition. Boeri also revealed that the renewal of Monaco's contract was a complex process, due to differences with Stefano Domenicali and important administrative procedures: “It’s I love you neither. Negotiations lasted at least six months. The problem was that as soon as we had a verbal agreement, we had to finalize it with a 60 to 70 page contract, written by American lawyers, with no room for error so we had to be careful.
“It was a legal fight that went beyond the small clashes we had with Stefano Domenicali, who defended interests different from mine and vice versa. Now we must look to the future, and our successors will still have plenty of time to adapt and get up to speed. »
With Monaco still on the calendar until 2031, F1 retains a monument to its history. However, recent speeches by the CEO of F1 suggest the possible disappearance of certain historic circuits, like Spa. Reconciling financial aspects and sporting interests remains a major challenge for the future of the discipline.
