The tunnels, winding and narrow tracks, and many ups and downs along the route make this Grand Prix venue such a historic place for F1 fans since its first race in 1929. What was once one of the most anticipated F1 events of the year is not going so well today, as the race has been receiving harsh criticism from the audience and experts in the sport. Is it possible to improve the most famous circuit in automobile racing? Find out which GP track has received criticism and what is being said about it.
Why is this famous GP track no longer exciting?
This Grand Prix is one of the most important in F1, not only because it is one of the circuits with the most beautiful landscape in a city that exudes elegance, but also for being the oldest F1 GP track, as well as being one of the most difficult circuits. Despite that, this GP is receiving many complaints from those who watched, calling it boring. This is the Grand Prix de Monaco.
What has caused the Monaco GP to receive harsh criticism is exactly what makes it so remarkable: the structure of its tracks. The place is narrow and visibility is bad in its famous tunnel, making overtaking almost impossible. The consequence is that the race is slow and less dynamic than in other GPs, and in this scenario, the Monaco GP is always very predictable.
With no room for major overtaking, the cars stay lined up almost throughout their nearly 78 laps, making the positions that the pilots occupy at the grid, especially the pole position, basically define what the podium will be like. The race may have worked well in this structure in the past, but today, the monotony of the Monaco GP has been a weak point in its success with the audience, which sees the event as no longer exciting.
What do fans, pilots, and experts think?
The Monaco Grand Prix has become a source of frustration for F1 pilots and fans, but not only for them. BBC, one of the biggest and most respected broadcasters in the world, published an article saying that “the race has lost its ability to entertain”. As much as they respect the event and everything it represents, they said that the Monaco GP no longer delivers exciting racing as an F1 race should.
On social media, the comments are no different from that. Some people blame the size of the cars, which are too big for the Principality’s narrow streets, taking away much of the excitement that the audience expects for limiting overtaking, which can become very risky sometimes.
Possible solutions and what F1 is doing about it
Experts believe that there are some viable alternatives to make the race more competitive and dynamic, and some of these changes are already being implemented. In response to the complaints, one of the proposals made by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) is to make two pit stops mandatory.
This change could actually be the most effective way for pilots to make more overtaking moves. This is because pit stops require a very precise timing strategy: If done well, it can help pilots gain positions in the race, overtaking those who made their obligatory pit stops at a bad time of the race, dropping a few positions.
Despite the ups and downs of the Monaco Grand Prix, it is a classic that will not be easily surpassed. A victory in Monaco is something that every F1 pilot dreams of achieving, and with these changes, we could see a Monaco that represents the glamour and tradition of F1, become relevant again by reinventing itself. We will see much more exciting races from now on.
