Formula 1 News: Hulkenberg can barely ‘imagine’ Monaco GP axe

(GMM) With Liberty Media expecting Monaco to pay a lot more for its annual “Rights Fee” Nico Hulkenberg says he doesn’t want to “imagine” Formula 1 without Monaco.

The fabled race on the Principality’s unique and ultra-narrow streets is still much-loved by fans and drivers.

But during the Liberty Media era, criticism of the event has grown – including the near-impossibility of overtaking.

“What kind of show is it when the viewer can fall asleep during the race?” said seven time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

“Monaco is one of the pearls of the calendar, along with Silverstone and Monza, but it is not always spectacular,” the three-time Monaco GP winner added.

“I would suggest looking at the (weekend) format.”

Another criticism of the Monaco GP has been the special privileges historically bestowed upon the promoting Automobile Club de Monaco.

Bloomberg claimed this week that talks are currently underway seeking “additional funds” in the form of the annual race fee – currently the lowest in F1 at $20 million.

It has also been rumored that Monaco may need to accept being held only once every two years to make room for lucrative new non-European race deals – or risk being scrapped altogether.

“Monaco is there because of its heritage and its history. That’s all,” Red Bull team boss Christian Horner told the Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung.

“Even the jewel in the crown has to move with the times. If you stand still, you go backwards.”

However, the idea that Monaco could be scrapped is almost unimaginable for Haas driver Hulkenberg.

“It would be a great shame to lose such a traditional race with so much history,” he told DPA news agency.

“Never say never, and I can imagine anything, but I don’t want to imagine it.”