Despite facing uncertainty over its future in F1, the Monaco GP’s stay has finally been confirmed. The Crown Jewel of F1 will remain on the calendar for at least seven more seasons [till 2031], but there will be a slight change in when things will occur.
Rather than being held in the last week of May, as it has been for many years, the Monaco GP will move to the first full weekend of June starting in 2026. For next season, however, the dates will remain the same, with drivers heading to the Principality from May 23 to 25.
The date change likely aims to avoid a clash with the Indy 500 — which will continue to run in the last week of May—according to F1 journalist Chris Medland. As both events are part of motorsport’s Triple Crown, organizers seem keen to prevent any scheduling conflicts.
The Monaco Grand Prix is staying on the calendar until 2031 after the signing of a contract extension, and the date will shift to the first full weekend in June from 2026 onwards #F1 #MonacoGP
— Chris Medland (@ChrisMedlandF1) November 14, 2024
For F1, keeping the Monaco GP on the calendar is a huge boost. It is an iconic circuit, having been part of every Championship since 1950, except for five seasons. For legacy reasons alone, it is a significant commercial asset to F1. However, negotiations between the two parties were not swift whatsoever.
There were second thoughts about granting a long-term contract to the circuit’s organizers due to financial reasons and concerns about its lack of racing action. Because of the twisty, narrow, and tight roads, Monaco has proved exceptionally difficult for drivers to overtake.
F1 does its best to hype up the qualifying session on Saturday, which has a lot of drama due to the circuit’s layout. However, the 78-lap Grand Prix often becomes a monotonous affair, with minimal overtaking, and the only moment of interest coming in the form of pit-stops.
Can F1 find a solution to Monaco’s issues?
There is little that can be done to make the Circuit de Monaco more suited to modern cars. F1 has made changes to several other tracks on the calendar, including removing the sector three chicane in Barcelona, eliminating chicanes in Abu Dhabi, and modifying multiple corners in Melbourne.
However, Monaco is right on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea, limiting any scope of modifications. Plus, the circuit essentially spans through half of the Principality of Monaco.
Unless F1 finds an out-of-the-box idea, the issue of overtaking may persist in the coming years.
A different kind of solution could be on the cards, one that fans of the Monaco GP wouldn’t like. F1 is considering rotating between races in Europe, to accommodate more events from the Americas and the Middle East. While Monaco is not on their list yet, if the race turns into a flop, decisions could be made.
