Ecclestone: 'F1 doesn't have the balls to take that race away from Monaco'

The future of the Monaco Grand Prix is not yet certain. Formula 1 wants to go to 24 races from 2023, but it remains to be seen whether the street circuit will be on the calendar. Bernie Ecclestone thinks it would be a mistake to say goodbye to Monte Carlo.

Monaco's contract is expiring and because of its often boring races, the Grand Prix is at risk. Former F1 boss Ecclestone doesn't think the sport has the balls to drop the Monaco GP. According to him, this is a good thing, because abolishing the race would be a big mistake.

"I don’t think anyone’s got the balls to take that race away from Monaco. Whether it’s the worst race or the best race or whatever, it’s the crown jewel. Look at Miami. That wasn’t a Formula 1 race. It could have been a local club race, couldn’t it. They had those boats in the car park trying to make it look like Monaco," Ecclestone says in conversation with Reuters.

Monaco organizers not worried

The Monaco GP has been on the F1 calendar since 1955, making it the longest-standing Grand Prix. Only in 2020 was no race held at the street circuit due to the corona pandemic. The race is also part of the prestigious 'Triple Crown' along with the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

In any case, Monaco organizers are not worried. "They are still super, super-happy and confident with everything without any drama. So I don’t see any problems there at all," says Ecclestone, who spoke with the organizers during the race weekend.