F1 Monaco GP 2023 Pre-Race Report
Everything Monaco All At Once.
Monaco was historically the biggest F1 spectacle, but that is changing when compared to the surreal GPs events in the US. The Euro-taste of F1 is slowly being eroded for the sake of a broader N.American, audience. And so, the validity of the Monaco GP will continue to be questioned. Is the Monaco Street circuit still exciting in the modern era?
Every year, fans bemoan the 2-hour parade on this has-been city-state, yet nothing has changed. It seems, for those in charge, that this race is not for fans but merely for the rich and famous. And that’s all fine and dandy if this is the only race for the high-rollers, but that is certainly not the case any longer. With Vegas and Miami being the uber spectacle it is, Monaco’s appeal is not so distinctive anymore.
So what can be done about it? We know track changes are limited as the streets are limited, and there’s a desire to keep the tradition of the layout. We know qualifying will be the most important session of the weekend as that usually determine the winner. And we know most of us are bored for the 2 hours on Sunday. With that in mind, why couldn’t we shorten the race and add other events to keep the excitement above sea level? Have your qualifying session, a sprint race session, a time-trial event (one or two cars on track at the same time), and maybe throw in an E-sport race; All with healthy points attached to them. Keep things changing, and keep the GP exciting while not changing what can’t be changed.
As for the driver data, it’s obvious that LeClerc has a high percentage of poles and also a high percentage of retirement. We can’t help but correlate the two. Pole is just not good for him.
Lastly, with Honda’s return in Alonso’s car, I wonder if he will bring his lawn chair just in case…
Meme of the Grid:
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