How To Make the Monaco Grand Prix Interesting

[TrapezeArtist]

People have been complaining about boring races in Monaco for years, but 2024 has really raised (or lowered!) the bar. The closeness in performance of all the cars and drivers combined with the lack of pit stops to give us the worst race in living memory. Yet for similar reasons, qualifying was thrilling.

In his C4 interview, George Russell suggested different tyre rules as a solution, for instance a requirement to use all three compounds during the race. With all due respect to George (who is the best thinker in F1) that would help but would still leave it as a race of strategy and not speed.

I think the excellence of qualifying is the clue to the way forward. Run the Grand Prix as a time trial. Here's one idea, but others may think of something better:
Send the cars out five at a time. One warm-up lap and then they start from the pole position spot at 10 second intervals. Run for 5 laps. On current performance no-one will catch or even get close to the car in front in 5 laps, so no problems of being held up or even encountering dirty air. After the five laps, repeat the process with the next 5 cars, and do the whole process 3 times. Results to be based on aggregate times for the 15 laps.
Obviously this would negate qualifying, except to set the running order for Sunday. In order to maintain the importance and intensity of qualifying, give good points for Saturday too.

[Jimmy Magnusson]

I've always felt changing the area around the chicane could be an option. It is the one place where passing seems to be closest to happening usually but the run is a bit too short. Av J.F. Kennedy continues for a few hundred yards more and could perhaps be used to extend the straight and move the chicane back a little. You would probably have to fell some trees and extend the quay some, but that's peanuts compared to most F1 track changes.

[Sodemo]

Change the cars, not the track. The track is fine in my opinion. Put a bunch of Porsches, Clio Cup or historic sports cars on there and the racing would be loads better.

[morninggents]

The cars are the problem. They are too big and heavy.

[Mike Harte]

Wasn't it planned to extend the circuit by turning left just before Portier, Turn 8, running towards a round-a-bout being constructed for a new development thus creating another hairpin, and then an almost straight track joining the existing circuit before the tunnel?

This would have created more overtaking opportunities plus the opportunity to widen that part of the circuit.

[S griffin]

Monaco is fine. It’s not easy to overtake on any track without DRS. If we got rid of Monaco it would make the sport even more sterile. It certainly helps drivers earn their money

[chillibowl]

Will echo the comments about the cars.

If the teams genuinely derive value from Monaco, value the history of the place, like spending time with their sponsors, attracting new sponsors, want to bring racing closer to population centres , etc….then start designing cars that justify its place on the calendar.

Really this is true for all the street circuits. Either be entertainment or be road relevant as places like Monaco specifically make it look like these two are not mutually inclusive goals anymore.

[steve_r]

Turn it into a head-to-head time trail. One starts on the start line, the other starts near the tunnel and do a flying lap head-to-head - fastest progresses to the next round knockout style. Live on-screen timings and split screen TV coverage.

The purists would hate it but it would be more interesting than what we just witnessed. Lack of overtaking would be irrelevant.

[flatlandsman]

Cars, tyres, aero, the whole thing needs root and branch change really.

I did not see any of the support stuff, was that any better?

Pirelli seem utterly obsessed with massive degradation of tyres, their tyres have this year been introduced to the smaller MotoGP classes and tyre wear has now become a thing even in the smallest 250cc class.

This is no bad thing overall as it teaches riders about this skill, but for years we had Dunlops that hardly ever wore our but were clearly a bit hard! Yesterday we had guys 5 secs a lap off the pace after going too hard, not usually a thing in smaller lower power categories in bike racing, I simply think Pirelli make tyres that are fast but way too soft. Yes the riders fault, but not a great look.


The cars are huge, too long and too wide, this needs a massive change. And for me somehow the track needs to be longer.

AS someone said earlier, this event is not about F1 or racing, it is about being seen, as a lot of F1 is these days, this is clearly what Liberty want too, as you can see by the placement of the cameras in flats and apartments, and the endless tirade every race of pointless people who are being paid to be there who the majority of F1 fans have zero interest in. I actually find it rather in your face wealth flashing, but again that is what these kind of people often want to do.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Monaco is fine. It’s not easy to overtake on any track without DRS. If we got rid of Monaco it would make the sport even more sterile. It certainly helps drivers earn their money

You realise you're saying that after the most sterile race that most of us have ever witnessed?

I doubt that many of those drivers felt that they earned their money running so far off the pace.

[Tourer]

Personally I don't think that the experience in the GP itself will change much in Monaco whilst we have these big, lumbering behemoth "F1" cars, which let's not forget can harvest energy and kick off corners hard, making it impossible for the car behind to get close enough to challenge on the short straights.

Qualifying though is epic and high-stakes and as a viewer, the location with its unique backgrounds, history & vibe is genuinely special.

The early red flag took away any opportunity for strategy calls and over/under cuts around pit stops, so maybe what's needed (for Monaco only) is a pit stop "window" setup similar to that Australian Supercars have had for a long time. Means that you can only make your compulsory stop to change tyre compounds in non-red flag conditions between laps X & Y. At Monaco, if it was between laps 10 (or 15) and lap 57 (just before ¾ distance) that would probably give a wide enough spread for strategy calls.

Something like that might have helped on Sunday but the core problem of the cars (not the circuit) is something that will take a long time to change (unfortunately).

[Taxi645]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Wasn't it planned to extend the circuit by turning left just before Portier, Turn 8, running towards a round-a-bout being constructed for a new development thus creating another hairpin, and then an almost straight track joining the existing circuit before the tunnel?

This would have created more overtaking opportunities plus the opportunity to widen that part of the circuit.

AFAIK it was only discussed here and a few places, but nothing official.
https://tentenths.com/forum/showpost...9&postcount=50


I think it would be a nice addition, however I can also imagine official not being fond of approaching the tunnel entry ceiling and going through the tunnel at even more speed.

[Mike Harte]

Thank you for that, Taxi; at least I now know that I haven't lost all my marbles!

[Sodemo]

Cars with lower downforce would in theory make mistakes more common and be trickier to drive. Lower downforce would also mean that the cars would likely be able to follow through corners like Tabac and Casino Square a bit closer. Take a look at cars from 30 years ago, they can follow a lot closer than today's cars.

[TrapezeArtist]

So there's a fair consensus that blames the cars (I don't entirely disagree), but being realistic, we're stuck with them. The circuit is what it is and we're stuck with that too. If we want some entertainment at Monaco, it's the format that has to change.

[GTRMagic]

Reverse grid race…
Start the Alpines and the Haas at the front and watch the field go wild.

And put a second safety car on standby, the first one will most definitely run out of go go juice…

[Sodemo]

I don’t see any options to revise the layout unless they spend big money to do so.

[Taxi645]

Only soft tires could work, or at least help a bit:


https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/t...s-block-anchor

“I think if we only brought soft tyres,” he said. “A soft tyre wouldn't last the whole race. And you may even need to do two stops. Somebody might try a one-stop. I think just having the whole weekend on softs would solve a lot of problems.”
He is totally correct. Having the soft only would be a challenge to manage and would prompt a host of different strategies up and down the field – from those who choose to go flat out in the belief that extra stints on fresh rubber are better than 'slow and steady' and not needing that extra stop. Tyre performance offsets could even open the door to some passing, and the undercut would be very powerful.

Of we would combine:
1 Only softs for the Monaco weekend.
2 The track layout change to go left at Portier around the round about.
3 From 2026 onwards smaller, slightly narrower cars.


Perhaps the three elements combined would do just enough to make it exciting enough (just).

[Taxi645]

Just noticed somebody more or less made that change on youtube:
https://youtu.be/YyB4rVFr5Ys?si=R5bF83gPrJdmKFy3&t=55

Or for the whole lap, including one other change:
https://youtu.be/YyB4rVFr5Ys?si=R5bF83gPrJdmKFy3

I would like it because:

1 Making it easier to drive an alternative line and stay closer to the front car accelerating towards the tunnel (the guy in front has has to balance keeping the inside closed on the one hand and maintaining exit speed). The guy behind can choose a line to optimize exit speed compared to his opponent, unlike the current Portier corner where exit speed will be equal. This way the second car will be closer exiting the tunnel with more chances of out braking.
2 Slightly longer straight allowing the natural slip stream to have more time (marginal effect is suspect).
3 Slightly higher speed approaching the chicane, resulting in longer braking zones and more chance of an overtake. (again marginal effect I suspect).
4 A nice flowy chicane added to the lay-out.
5 Cheap and realistic layout change.

[broadrun96]

One-off 60% scale all ICE Monaco cars, or let the teams build up an F3 motor and aero one-off

[Taxi645]

Another left field option would be to reduce the max fuel flow rate for the Monaco event by say 10-15% so the engines make less power. You achieve two things that way:


1 The straights last slightly longer giving more time to slip stream.
2 When an accident happens it will be at lower speed.


How was the F2 race? Similar size to the 2026 cars, bit less power still, but would be a good indication.

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by Taxi645

Only soft tires could work, or at least help a bit:

that is an interesting suggestion.

would like to see that one tried perhaps even offer Pirelli an opportunity to create a one off Monaco special for promotional purposes....make money money!

could also have the added benefit of really putting more emphasis on hot quali laps.

Originally Posted by Taxi645

Another left field option would be to reduce the max fuel flow rate for the Monaco event by say 10-15% so the engines make less power. You achieve two things that way:

or a 3rd option,

in one of these threads or perhaps another, someone had mentioned the battery effect as well...at tracks where DRS is limited to not effective then perhaps the battery/energy collection should be disabled as well? i want to say Chuck used it to great effect by bunching up those behind him but then being able to take back that gap every time he deployed (or at least that is what i assume he was doing)?

both would be 'artificial' or overly manipulative of course but more reasonable than expecting massive changes to cars or track layouts and perhaps a prudent first step in trying to save this race.

the flip side side with both ideas tho, the more chances drivers feel like they can take here the more potential accidents and s/c periods we may get, which would ruin the race in another way.

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by TrapezeArtist

So there's a fair consensus that blames the cars (I don't entirely disagree), but being realistic, we're stuck with them. The circuit is what it is and we're stuck with that too. If we want some entertainment at Monaco, it's the format that has to change.

Are we stuck with them?
One post from comments on Racer Magazine was to turn the race into an 'All Star' race. A one-off annual event that actually used an entirely different car, smaller, more like the F Atlantic or 2.0 F2 cars from the 80's with a halo etc.
Run the event with all the drivers in the same car but prepped by their own teams in team colors and over a similar distance.

This wouldn't be that expensive running a common engine and tyres because the cost to teams would be a fraction of what it cost to run a F1 car so the actual real cost to the teams would be much less.
You could probably fund the whole grid for what it cost RBR and Haas for their accident damage.

And the racing could be superb.....

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by Teretonga

One post from comments on Racer Magazine was to turn the race into an 'All Star' race. A one-off annual event that actually used an entirely different car, smaller, more like the F Atlantic or 2.0 F2 cars from the 80's with a halo etc.

I guess it depends upon what the OP means by "Monaco Grand Prix"? Are we talking F1 or something else? If F1, then yes, we are stuck with the cars. Anything that is substantially different technically (as you suggest) means totally different technical spec and that is not F1.

If we are not talking about F1, then sure, the sky is the limit. Then to play this game, I say put them in karts.

The race is what it is from an F1 perspective.

Richard

[Skam85]

I would suggest being the F1 forum, Grand Prix would refer to F1