The five factors that will decide Monaco’s F1 fate

The street race around the streets of Monte Carlo had long been viewed as F1’s jewel in the crown, and a weekend when sponsors were wowed and more eye balls were on the sport than any other.

But times have changed and, under new owners Liberty Media, big-hitting additions like Zandvoort and Miami have ticked all the boxes that F1 chiefs want for fans and commercial interests.

It has meant that, as F1 begins its contract discussions with the Automobile Club de Monaco over a new deal, it is approaching things with the mindset that if it doesn’t get what it wants then it will walk away.

There are some key factors that will be at the heart of these talks and it will be up to Monaco and F1 to either come to a compromise if they want to continue, or agree to disagree and call it quits.

And insiders suggest that, however sceptical some are that F1 would go the full distance and ditch the Monaco GP, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali is absolutely determined for Monaco to fall into line with his vision for what grand prix events need to deliver.

Race hosting fee

There was a long-held urban myth that Monaco was so essential to F1 that it never paid a race hosting fee. That was not quite the case, as organisers do pay a fee – although it is not quite at the same level as other races.

The fee, believed to be somewhere in the region of $12 – $15 million dollars, is around half that which many other venues provide – and well short of some eye-watering deals like Saudi Arabia and Qatar that are more than three times as much.

While F1 will not expect Monaco to match the best of what it gets elsewhere, it does want to see some movement on what has been paid so far.

And it will also likely demand Monaco be more flexible with its race date, as F1’s regionalisation of its calendar makes it want to run Miami and Montreal together in May which could have knock-on implications.

A camera operator at work

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