Formula 1 | ‘We can’t live in the past’: F1 teams put pressure on Monaco
Times are changing in F1 and what we suppose to be unthinkable is now on the order of probable: Monaco could lose its place on the F1 calendar, to make way for other Grand Prix, notably in the United States and in Asia.
The circuit would perhaps pay for its lack of spectacle on race Sunday, but its eviction is still far, far from certain.
And besides, for team managers in F1, losing Monaco is still inconceivable. As for example on the side of Christian Horner.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s unimaginable to think of Formula 1 without Monaco, it’s the jewel in the crown. »
However, the boss of Red Bull calls on the Grand Prix to agree to modernize. Change or leave, that is the dilemma?
“But you know, everything evolves over time. And when you look at Wimbledon, they now have a roof over their heads when it rains. So they have to evaluate as the sport develops. If Monaco was a new circuit arriving on the calendar and told: “You are going to be entitled to pay the lowest of all the circuits, and F1 could not overtake”, it would never be accepted on the calendar . So we welcome Monaco because of its heritage and its history. That’s all. »
“And you have to judge, that you have to continue, go with it… If you stay still, you go back, and that applies to all aspects of the sport. »
Günther Steiner, at Haas, also calls on Monaco to modernize: F1 must look to the future, not become an archive box.
“Things change, you know, in Formula 1, and nothing stays in place, we always have to assess and develop, we have to stay up to date and if being up to date means the model has to change, I think it has to. changer. We cannot live in the past. »
“What Liberty is trying to do here, again, is the right thing to do. But obviously Monaco is very important for Formula 1 and it’s a very good event, so hopefully it can stay on the calendar. »
For Frédéric Vasseur, at Alfa Romeo, Monaco should follow the example of a new place on the calendar, that is to say the Zandvoort circuit which established a new benchmark last year.
“F1 saw a big change last year at Zandvoort. Not just in terms of show. Everyone will have to follow suit. »
“At the end of the day, it’s not just about the show, but about everything that surrounds the Grand Prix. And I think Monaco will have to do the same. Of course, Monaco is important to us. We know perfectly well that this is a historic Grand Prix. But in the end it will come, it will come from them, I’m sure, because they can’t stay old fashioned. And I’m not just thinking of Monaco. But it’s a good lesson for all Grands Prix. »