F1 ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone’s greedy ways have shone through again, as he has revealed Monaco could be thrown off the calendar as soon as 2011.
“I think we can do without Monaco, they don’t pay enough. The Europeans are going to have to pay more money or we will have to go somewhere else,” Ecclestone said.
Monaco is the only circuit on the calendar which doesn’t pay a hosting fee, but in my view it should definitely not be removed from F1′s ever growing itinerary.
Sure, it may not produce the most entertaining racing, but everyone loves Monaco. It is completely different to every other circuit on the calendar, and the party atmosphere when F1 hits the principality is felt by all. It is the blue riband event, and the circuit that people think of when Formula 1 is mentioned.
It seems that Bernie just wants to cram even more money into his billionaire’s wallet, and the quality of the racing doesn’t matter. Well, it does and he’ll be in for a nasty surprise when he starts throwing classic circuits off the calendar and replaces them with Tilke-dromes in India and Texas, and F1 viewing figures slump dramatically.
There are plenty of circuits on the calendar that don’t produce great racing, and by all means throw off Valencia or Hungary, but I think Monaco does need to stay on the F1 calendar as it has done since 1955.
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What’s this, Bernie not getting enough attention lately, what with inter team politics and some great racing?
Silly old sausage.
I voted no – F1 does not NEED Monaco, but I am 100% against it being removed. Bring back IMOLA!
Like Chris, I voted no since F1 really doesn’t need a slow, boring track like Monaco. I find the races to be very dull. But I don’t think it should be removed. It’s different
How greedy can you get eccelstone, have,nt you got enough money, dont you realise that it is actually YOU who are turning a lot of people away from F1, you greedy little dwarf.
Monaco pays nothing for its race, while other circuits pay 10s of millions.
This in effect means the teams race at Monaco for free, as the lack of a sanctioning fee means nothing goes into the prize pot.
I like Monaco, but they shouldn’t be allowed to screw the teams out of some of their income.
Well I wouldn’t miss it one bit.You can talk about history and atmosphere but I don’t care about this,what I want to see is thrilling action on the track instead of a boring processional race like it always is in Monaco
No. Like Chris, I believe F1 doesn’t “need” it. However, it shouldn’t go at all. I’d like Imola back too.
I disagree with anyone who says Monaco is boring too
Just watch the onboards! It’s not about overtaking, let’s face it F1 isn’t about overtaking anyway, Monaco is about the speed and how close the cars are to the walls. One mistake and that’s it as we saw this year with Alonso. It’s got such beautiful flow at times too with Casino and then Tabac to the swimming pool. The wet races are always a cracker too.
Monaco won’t go though. Monaco doesn’t pay anything because it gets away with paying nothing. It’s probably grated on Bernie for a while and he’ll always try to squeeze a little more blood from the stone but it won’t go. If it goes I’ll shave off all my hair.
Also Jack, you know I always love your style and how you have an opinion so keep it up but I do disagree with you at times on this one. Firstly when you call Bernie greedy, it’s true but everyone in F1 is greedy. F1 drivers want to win, team managers want to win and now making money is Bernie’s form of winning. Look at all the places he’s taken F1 too, even if we don’t like the tracks (FIA’s fault because of the ridiculous long rule book that’s longer than the Bible) it;s now a global sport or at least becoming a proper one. Bernie’s crazy but he’s smart.
I voted NO, I don’t think F1 does need Monaco – it may have done a few years ago but not now. Having said that I do like Monaco, I think despite the lack of overtaking it is an excellent circuit. Certainly not boring.
As has been mentioned it doesn’t really pay, they get to keep the advertising money too which is a unique arrangement in Formula One so maybe this is a ploy to get them to cough up some hard cash!
Monaco is history, its a legendary circuit since the beginning of Formula 1 and the most anticipated race of the whole calender, how can u throw it away? Never!!
F1 fans think that we can do better than Bernie. That guy is MAD. Monaco is all about history name one more racing circuit where the walls are so close to the drivers so that they sometime have to kiss them to do a good lap time?
Bernie’s as sharp as they come. He may be a bit behind the times with things like the internet but he’s the best negotiater f1 could have. He’s not infallible. Before we all start having a go at him too this story has been run by planetf1. It’s good to debate but it won’t get dropped.
Not sure about the rumor. But I hope that the story is false as there are some circuits on the calender that shouldn’t miss the calender.
“Need”, it’s that word that I can’t quite come to terms with.
No, F1 does not “need” Monaco. I do not “need” 2 legs. Sure I could hop around if I only had one leg.
F1 is better for having Monaco. F1 would be worse of without Monaco. But does it “need” it, no.
What it really needs is someone a little (a lot) less mercenary at the top. Someone who cares about the spectators and the viewers and not how much money they can add to their already huge bank balance.
I get the thing about not necessarily NEEDING the track, and I get that people think it offers a processional race. BUT – there are some things that sports should just leave as is.
Many sports honour tradition. For over one hundred years England and Australia have hosted alternate tournaments in order to win what is possibly the world’s smallest trophy – supposedly encapsulating the ashes of the wickets that were burnt, symbolising the death of English cricket after the first loss the country every suffered at the hands of their (at the time) colonial child.
Formula 1 doesn’t stay as still as cricket, or football, or whatever other sport you might follow. Technology gets better, engines get more powerful, tyres become stickier, and cars cut through air more efficiently.
In a sport where history is so rapidly thrown out the door and into museums, wouldn’t it be nice to have at least ONE thing left, even as a traditional thing?
Why is it about money? The sanctioning fee means nothing is in the prize pot? NOTHING? I find that hard to believe. Perhaps nothing specifically from the track? But I’m sure the teams’ corporate friends will be putting forward pretty cash incentives for a top place on the podium.
Or any other step will do. It doesn’t really matter if it’s at Monaco.
Besides – ask the drivers. Do they care if they don’t win cash from Monaco? Of course not. Winning Monaco is special on its own, even without the cash.
That’s what Formula 1 is supposed to be.
Something special.