Domenicali said the series has spoken to the event promoters regarding making changes to the circuit, which has run on the streets of Monte-Carlo since 1929.
“I think that [over] 75 years, they want[ed] to try to do something different,” he said. “I mean, we are talking with the city, but as you can imagine, it’s not easy at all. So let’s enjoy the event that has been, at the end of the day, fantastic.”
“The Monaco event has been amazing,” Domenicali stressed. “We never had so many people, so many boats, so much attention. That means that the event itself is what Formula 1 wants, and that is really great.”
“The Monaco event has been amazing” Domenicali stressed. “We never had so many people, so many boats, so much attention. That means that the event itself is what Formula 1 wants, and that is really areat”
Domenicali brands the Monaco GP as an open-air festival for the rich, so of course it was a success to him. As long as tickets were sold, he could not care less that it wasn’t entertaining as a sport.
Does sport have an obligation to be entertainment? Monaco is the most gruelling feat of endurance for drivers in F1. Is sporting excellence not enough?
Yes. If it wasn’t entertaining as a whole, people wouldn’t watch and the sponsor money would dry up, then the sport would die.
I would argue that the whole point of any sport is entertainment, either for the watchers or participants. And I’m not sure the drivers had any fun either.
Most drivers will say that Monaco is one of the highlights of the season, as it is a pure test of driving skill to keep out of the barriers for 78 laps. It’s just that doesn’t televise well.
Fair enough. I don’t pay much attention to driver interviews and such, but most of what I’ve heard and read has been frustration. Probably that’s what makes the best headlines…
“I made money, what’s the problem?”
Domenicali’s face when racing fans complain about the Monaco parade:
I appreciate they tried something new, but the race was once again awful. There’s no fixing Monaco. It’s a qualifying weekend only and the race just feels like a formality.
At this point just make it a qualifying only weekend. Run two sessions, make the points average or something. Just don’t make us watch 72 laps of absolutely nothing
Most boring experience since getting my teeth cleaned. And about as enjoyable.
I barely watch the Monaco GP as find it the most boring of them all. Yeah I get the history and such but the modern cars are just too big for the streets.
Well, what is important here is that there is enough space for boats. That “is what Formula 1 wants, and that is really great.”
I’d like to know what he thinks “fantastic” is
It was boring, I turned the stream off half way through.
I’d rather see the drivers do 78 laps of the swimming pool
My suggestion for Monaco: the drivers are positioned equidistantly around the track and then everyone races 78 laps of Monaco. The starting position is also each drivers individual finish line/timing line.
There is no SC, only VSC (to avoid bunching up the pack) and red flags (obv.). After the red flag each driver is put back in their previous position by the VSC timing delta.
So if you try to block ppl, they end up in front of you.
After 10 laps, you’d just have everyone stuck behind a Sauber or Haas with that slow car in “first” place and no-one able to overtake.
But you could have a format of first person to get within a second of the car in front is the winner, and they immediately retire. Then next person to catch up is in second, and they retire, etc. Probably wouldn’t work either I guess…
