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.”
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…