Monaco - Alternative Race Format?

[steve_r]

This is something that I have said before on other threads, but I wonder whether it is time to rejig the Monaco weekend. It is clear that F1 cars outgrew this place many years ago. The modern F1 cars are too big and overtaking is practically impossible. I don't think that Monaco will ever be dropped from the calendar, but I wonder whether a traditional race around here is the best spectacle?

F1 has introduced sprint races, with those points counting towards the WDC / WCC. As such it is clear that F1 is open to other formats of racing that also count towards the championships.

How about a series of Race of Champions type match races? Two cars starting in different places on the track "racing" at the same time over 1 or 2 laps, knockout style. Winner goes through and the loser goes into a secondary competition to decide lower positions. Do a traditional qualifying to determine the initial draw. They could limit the softest tyres available for the whole event to throw in a bit of strategy.

They could even combine this sort of thing with a race of some kind as well - although even the Porsche super cup cars cannot actually overtake.

This is not something that I have panned out to the last detail, but surely the time has come with Monaco to think outside the box and do something different?

[NaBUru38]

The best match races I've ever seen were as the Argentine TC2000, on tracks with few tight corners or chicanes (so TC-friendly racetracks).

Cars would run side-by-side over multiple corners and straights.

Monaco is the opposite of that.

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by steve_r

This is not something that I have panned out to the last detail, but surely the time has come with Monaco to think outside the box and do something different?

with so many races on the calendar, i am all for using different formats for different venues. sometimes it will work, sometimes it wont but no way of knowing unless they try right?

no doubt an unpopular opinion tho, and i do get it that there is an inherent logic in sport that every match as it were should adhere to the same format but in fairness, Monaco has traditionally always been, in the past at least, a bit of a format outlier with practice on Thursdays, a day off, and then the regular Sat and Sun sessions.

it was a 4 day meet rather then a three day meet...in a way, the tradition of breaking away from tradition can be viewed as a very 'Monaco' notion so i would have no problem extending that philosophy here. more so if it can lead back to relevancy for the Monaco GP.

[bathurst77]

Two way racing
10 cars race clockwise and 10 widdershins (at the same time), at each pit stop you swap direction.

If you wonder what this would look like, check out the local highway at peak hour any Friday afternoon