First things first, Hooray! – the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix is here to stay – at least according to the latest contract that has just been negotiated. It is guaranteed to be a mainstay event each year through to and including the 2025 season … and the contract can be renewed by negotiation after that.
The second exciting piece of news is that another Casino capital is going to feature in the 2023 season. Las Vegas will be the second to last race of the 2023 season in November.
Las Vegas is ecstatic. This is how they communicated their excitement: “Formula 1 will light up the Las Vegas Strip on November 16-18, 2023, for an unforgettable race cutting right through the neon heart of the city.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix’s 3.8-mile track will weave past world-famous landmarks, casinos and hotels as drivers push their luck to breaking points at speeds of up to 212 mph. The stakes have never been higher.”
That makes 3 venues in the United States as well as the good old faithfuls and the mythical Grand Prix races in Europe like the Monaco Grand Prix.
The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) has published its full calendar for 2023, including the iconic Monegasque event and the Automobile Club de Monaco and Formula 1 have publicized the signing of the new three-year contract.
80th Monaco Grand Prix
That means the 80th Monaco Grand Prix is scheduled for May 28th, 2023. Sighs of relief approaching glee could be heard in the Principality. The Grand Prix season without Monaco … is it even imaginable!
“In the interests of the world championship, and after several months of negotiations, we are relieved to announce that we have signed a three-year agreement with Formula 1, which is subject to renewal”, said Michel Boeri, president of the Automobile Club of Monaco.
Having the American financiers and public more and more invested and engaged in Grand Prix racing has got to be good news. Imagine the viewing audience growing due to the extra market of motor racing fans drawn from a few hundred million potential viewers in the United States.
The Top Executives closely involved were quick to go to press with the news.
Stefano Domenicali, the current CEO of Formula One Group: “I would like to thank everyone involved in this renewal of the contract and in particular Prince Albert II, Michel Boeri and his entire team. We look forward to being back next season to continue our collaboration together.”
FIA formalized the calendar for next season. It already promises to be historic with 24 meetings scheduled between March 5th in Bahrain and November 26th in Abu Dhabi, a first. About this number of races precisely, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the president of the FIA, assures: “It is further proof of the growth and the attraction of the sport on a global scale. The addition of new destinations and the maintenance of traditional races underline the good management of the sport by the FIA”.
The Monaco Grand Prix will be the eighth event of the season, between those of Imola and Spain, over three consecutive weeks. China should also make a return. Formula 1 has not been racing there since 2019, due to the pandemic.
Amid a boom in popularity worldwide, F1 and its American owners Liberty Media have been trying to up the calendar of races for some time. 2022 was due to be a 23-race season before the Russian GP was cancelled – but this is the first time the race calendar has ever risen to 24.
