No more Monaco?

[Giblet]

I wouldn't lose any sleep over Monaco losing its place in the championship.

Sure, there are moments when it can sparkle and an F1 car though the swimming pool complex is just amazing but as a whole it is not suitable for modern F1.

If F1 wants to go to Monaco then it should be as an exhibition event. After all, lots of teams / drivers get involved in such things e.g. Goodwood Festival of Speed. Why not a Monaco festival?

I'd rather see Spa kept on the calendar than Monaco any day of the week.

I can see where you are coming from, but until the cars lose some downforce, there is no challenge like Monaco for the drivers. What other tracks punishes and rewards like Monaco? No matter the generation of car or level of downforce, Monaco will remain to be the challenge it is for the same reasons it always has been.

Eu Rouge is taken flat out in any car from the front to the back of the grid. I don't think it's an either/or situation. Spa, Monaco, and Monza are very important races to the history of the sport IMO. China can suck eggs. Nobody even goes to the race. Same as Turkey.

I don't see how any true fan of can't be simply awed by on board views at Monaco. And I have to agree with Pandamasque. Killing Monaco would take the glamour aspect out of F1, and that has always been there and a selling point of the sport.

[ringo]

I say drop it and return every other year.

[Just_a_fan]

@Giblet

There's more to Spa than Radillon.

Monza is only worthy of note because it's about the only race now where the cars are properly low downforce. Other than that it's often nothing special as a race. I'd rather they went to Imola (with the old Tamburello, not the mess they made after Senna's death) than Monza.

I agree that Spa, Monza and Monaco are historic but so is Silverstone and people weren't shouting about it losing its place quite so vociferously.

Turkey has a real challenge in Turn 8. Such a corner should not be dismissed.

Don't care about China and I'd happliy see the back of Hungary too (the race, not the country or its people!).

The problem with Russia and India and some of the other proposals is that they will be empty circuits. The locals won't be paying Bernie-satisfying levels of cash to watch F1. The same problem as China and Turkey in that regard.

Bernie won't care though because he's only interested in the contract sums. If F1 folds in a couple of years and he has watertight contracts with circuits for the next 10-15 years then he's laughing all the way to the bank. The fact that no one is racing won't alter the fact that the circuit owners will still have to pay him or go to court and risk losing a costly legal battle as well.

As it happens, I think Bernie is just trying to scare Monaco in to paying a few quid. He knows that the race is too precious to too many in F1 to ever be dropped. They'd probably threated a race strike or something...

[Just_a_fan]

I say drop it and return every other year.

There is some merit in this approach.

No reason why there can't be 40 circuits that get visited on alternating years. More likely to see full grandstands in poorer areas that way too.

[andrew]

Monaco is only for those who want to be seen not the true F1 fans.

[Giblet]

@Giblet

There's more to Spa than Radillon.

Monza is only worthy of note because it's about the only race now where the cars are properly low downforce. Other than that it's often nothing special as a race. I'd rather they went to Imola (with the old Tamburello, not the mess they made after Senna's death) than Monza.

I agree that Spa, Monza and Monaco are historic but so is Silverstone and people weren't shouting about it losing its place quite so vociferously.

Turkey has a real challenge in Turn 8. Such a corner should not be dismissed.

Don't care about China and I'd happliy see the back of Hungary too (the race, not the country or its people!).

The problem with Russia and India and some of the other proposals is that they will be empty circuits. The locals won't be paying Bernie-satisfying levels of cash to watch F1. The same problem as China and Turkey in that regard.

Bernie won't care though because he's only interested in the contract sums. If F1 folds in a couple of years and he has watertight contracts with circuits for the next 10-15 years then he's laughing all the way to the bank. The fact that no one is racing won't alter the fact that the circuit owners will still have to pay him or go to court and risk losing a costly legal battle as well.

As it happens, I think Bernie is just trying to scare Monaco in to paying a few quid. He knows that the race is too precious to too many in F1 to ever be dropped. They'd probably threated a race strike or something...

I partly agree, and should have added Silverstone in that list. Turkey is a fine track IMO, but it has no spectators, and they are the income. Fielding a sport in front of nobody but a TV audience is not a good recipe for the future of a track, that only gets used for the F1 race AFAIK.

[andrew]

2010 Calender:

Bahrain GP - Bahrain International Circuit
Australian GP - Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit
Malaysian GP - Sepang International Circuit
Chinese GP - Shanghai International Circuit
Spanish GP - Circuit de Catalunya
Monaco GP - Circuit de Monaco
Turkish GP - Istanbul Park
Canadian GP - Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
Europe European GP - Valencia Street Circuit
British GP - Silverstone Circuit
German GP - Hockenheimring
Hungarian GP - Hungaroring
Belgian GP - Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
Italian GP - Autodromo Nazionale Monza
Singapore GP - Marina Bay Street Circuit
Japanese GP - Suzuka Circuit
Korean GP - Korean International Circuit - Undecided
Brazilian GP - Autódromo José Carlos Pace
Abu Dhabi GP - Yas Marina Circuit

Races that should be kept in black.
Races that should be dropped in red.

Instead, F1 should go to the Nurburgring, Inola (the original mans version, not the watered dow version with pointless chicanes), Laguna Seca, A1 Ring, Donington, Fuji Speedway, Estoril, Magny-Cours, Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez and Zandvoort. The Le Mans circuit might be too long but that would be something.

[timbo]

German GP - Hockenheimring

You're crazy!
Remember that?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK7OCLlQKg0

On topic -- I can't imagine Bernie dropping Monaco.
Where else he can draw as many celebs?
He's just making noises.

[andrew]

The old Hockenheimring, yes. The new version, no.

[timbo]

The old Hockenheimring, yes. The new version, no.

I disagree.

[andartop]

The only way I'd have Monaco out would be to have two races per season at Spa or Suzuka!

[ringo]

I'd give Yas Marinas the benefit of the doubt. Let's see what no refueling does for it. I kinda like the track.

[Carmack]

Well, i think Monaco should stay, just because of glamour and stuff. It's not a track for pussies, if you want to be in the front, you have to lick all the barriers and that is worth watching.

Off topic:
I would like to see Suzuka on the calendar every year, I also miss the A1 Ring very bad..

[Just_a_fan]

Instead, F1 should go to the Nurburgring, Inola (the original mans version, not the watered dow version with pointless chicanes), Laguna Seca, A1 Ring, Donington, Fuji Speedway, Estoril, Magny-Cours, Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez and Zandvoort. The Le Mans circuit might be too long but that would be something.

Please, not Donington. Why do you want to ruin a great track? The only way F1 can run there is if all of the best bits are wrecked. The circuit should be returned to its state of 24 months ago, not ruined in order to allow F1 to run once a year there.

Same with people who argue for F1 going back to Brands Hatch. The only way to make that circuit F1-useable is to ruin the very heart of it.

Silverstone may not be as good a racing track as Donington but it is already an F1 circuit and the alterations they make to it won't ruin it in the way that Donington would be ruined.

[mx_tifoso]

That's precisely why I didn't want F1 to use current American tracks. They would be neutered and have their souls ripped out just to cater to the F1 levels of safety, looks, and demands. IMO it's best that they're building a completely new one that will never have a soul to be deprived of.

As for Monaco, I quite like it even though the circuit itself isn't the highlight, the spectacle of the entire GP weekend is special and deserving of it's place on the calendar.