Formula One has in effect given up on the Monaco Grand Prix. For too long the cars have been getting much bigger, the brakes allowing for much later braking, and all in all there is just no overtaking at one of F1’s most historic venues.
Back in 1960 when the cars were smaller and more nimble, Stirling Moss was leading the race before his Lotus developed a mechanical issue. He pitted and his crew found a swift solution. Now at the back of the field, Moss began to work his way back through the pack, reclaiming the lead and going on to victory.
Such a feat today would be impossible given how F1 has allowed the manufacturers to increase the dimensions of the race cars with ever more technology requiring ever more space to fit inside the chassis.
Saturday’s Crown Jewel: Qualifying
Now the most excitement in Monaco for the spectators is during qualifying on Saturday. The drivers start the weekend giving plenty of margin to the concrete barriers, but as each practice session passes, their risk profile increases and they get closer to the walls.
This climaxes with the qualifying hour on Saturday afternoon, where the drivers now push themselves to the very limit in order to eke out what may be that all-important tenth of a second to claim pole position.
The Flawed Solution: Adding a Sprint Weekend
Now F1 appears to have ‘solved’ its Monaco problem by awarding the venue the status of a Sprint weekend. Is this really a good idea? Well, given qualifying is the most interesting part of the weekend, some would argue we will now have two of these sessions: one on Friday afternoon for the Sprint on Saturday morning, and the other in its regular slot on Saturday afternoon to sort out the starting order for the Grand Prix on Sunday.
Two qualifying sessions is surely double the excitement for the fans. Yet the first problem is that the Sprint format remains flawed and F1 appears not to want to fix it. The mini race on Saturday morning with no pit stops is most often something of a procession, whatever circuit hosts a Sprint.
The pecking order for Sprint qualifying and the mini race is often reflected later for qualifying, so the jeopardy of qualifying is somewhat nullified. The fastest cars start at the front and finish roughly where they start.
There was talk of reverse grids being introduced for the Sprint, but retaining two qualifying sessions means some of the top drivers would simply not try as hard in an effort to qualify sixth or seventh—where they would benefit from the reversing of the order of the top eight.
Reimagining the Sprint Format
Whilst there’s little that can be done to improve the Sprint—for example, forcing a mandatory pit stop merely makes it even more like the Grand Prix—Sprint qualifying needs to be more imaginative. Instead of just repeating the format for Grand Prix qualifying with reduced time in each of the three sessions, qualifying could be completely reimagined.
The drivers could be sent out one by one and given one flying lap which will go towards setting the pecking order for the Sprint. Further, the drivers could be sent out in championship order—so presently that would see Kimi Antonelli first on track.
Normally the track improves throughout the qualifying hour, which would mean the Cadillac and Aston Martin drivers would benefit from the asphalt being in its optimum condition. This in turn would create a different pecking order, with the likes of Alpine and the Racing Bulls potentially able to start from the front of the grid. Then, with the faster cars behind, overtaking would become more of a feature at tracks where this is of course possible.
Diluting the Magic of Saturday Afternoon
The problem with Monaco having a Sprint weekend in its current format is that it takes away from the buildup to qualifying on Saturday afternoon. Yes, there will be two qualifying sessions, but given the jeopardy of crashing and ruining their car for the weekend or forcing an expensive rebuild, will the drivers take the Sprint qualifying session as seriously as they do the one for the Grand Prix?
Probably not. And this is reflected in Sprint qualifying and Sprint races wherever there is a higher chance of wrecking your car. So Sprint qualifying in Monaco will not be as electric as the qualifying for the Grand Prix. The pecking order will remain fairly similar, and the exclusiveness of Saturday afternoon’s excitement is now diminished.
Sprint weekends tend to make the promoters more money and so are a commercial consideration, with important on-track competitive action on all three days of the race weekend. F1 has revealed that Sprint weekends attract more viewers for the broadcasters and increase the revenue for the host by some 12%.
Yet Monaco doesn’t need to be more commercially attractive to the hosts, given it is a sellout across all three days each year already. Something needs to be done about the Monaco Grand Prix given the processional nature of the racing, but throwing in a Sprint does nothing to solve that problem.
Real Solutions vs. Lazy Fixes
Yes, Formula One tried mandating two pit stops in Monaco to add more jeopardy, which simply didn’t work. Teams simply used one of their drivers to slow the cars behind him so as to allow their other driver to build a gap so he could return after his pit stop with track position.
There was some talk that the circuit could be extended into the new areas of land reclaimed from the sea, yet this appears highly unlikely. But there are things which should be tried to allow for more overtaking opportunities.
Alex Wurz has suggested there could be tweaks made to improve the circuit without destroying its historical integrity. These include moving the Nouvelle Chicane further away from the tunnel and closer to Tabac; this would lengthen the braking zone, making defending more difficult.
The entry to the Fairmont (Loews) Hairpin could be widened, which may encourage dive-bombs down the inside. Finally, re-profiling the entry into Rascasse is another suggestion, although the cars would need to be able to get side by side for switchback-style overtaking moves to work.
Handing Monaco a Sprint race weekend just appears a lazy response to a problem F1 has had there now for decades. It won’t increase revenues for the host, and it takes some of the glamour away from the drivers building through the weekend up to that all-important Saturday afternoon qualifying session where they are literally brushing with the walls.
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A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
At TJ13, Andrew plays a central role in shaping the site’s output, working across breaking news, analysis, and long-form features. Andrew’s responsibilities include fact-checking, refining editorial structure, and ensuring consistency in reporting across a fast-moving news cycle.
Andrew’s work focuses particularly on the intersection of Formula 1 politics, regulation, and team strategy. Andrew closely follows developments involving the FIA, team leadership, and driver market dynamics, helping to provide context behind the sport’s biggest stories.
With experience covering multiple seasons of Formula 1’s modern hybrid era, Andrew has developed a detailed understanding of how regulatory changes and competitive shifts influence the grid. Andrew’s editorial approach prioritises clarity and context, aiming to help readers navigate complex developments within the sport.
In addition to editorial duties, Andrew is particularly interested in how media narratives shape fan perception of Formula 1, and how reporting can balance speed with accuracy in an increasingly digital news environment.
As I read the moans about Madring, I was thinking about Monaco. LeClerc was ecstatic over HIS win there but it was THE MOST farcical GP I have ever watched (and I’ve been watching since the ‘60s) … and folk suggest Madring is WORSE? It’s certainly not MUCH better, but …
F1 is becoming a real turn-off. All they powers-that-be think of is profits. But when spectators get bored of the processions, they might wake up – but that may well be too late