The 2019 Formula One season was the last to feature the Monaco Grand Prix, which is normally followed in F1 by a stop in China and a stop in Europe. The Monaco GP has been only a one-day race for the last five years. F1 chief executive Chase Carey wants to change that going forward:
“Monaco is a race we are not going to have every year, but we are going to continue to run the Monaco Grand Prix,” Carey said. “… If we have three weeks that we run, it makes more sense to go to some of those venues and see what we can do to bring in more fans and to deliver that experience.”
Carey told The Guardian, “The prospect of Monaco, one of the most famous races in world sport, being cut to three days at the end of our regular season is both unsettling and unfortunate. “
The return of another Formula One race in Europe after Europe’s around-the-world round schedule will no doubt be a boon to the sport, particularly given how close the 2017 season, held in Monaco, came to breaking the regulations. Formula One and its broadcast partners scored record viewership at home thanks to the race, in part because it was filmed live on TV in the U.S. and was distributed via social media.
Other cities are reportedly on the F1’s shopping list if the Monaco Grand Prix is cut. Valtteri Bottas, who finished second to Lewis Hamilton on Sunday, suggested that the track at Spa-Francorchamps would be a nice fit. Stuttgart could also be on the table.