Well, I’ve been grappling with this feeling for a few years now. I do love the history and the meaning this circuit holds for the sport—no wonder you might catch my beloved Senna in the photo for this post. Monaco and Ayrton Senna are inseparable in my mind. He won there six times, more than any other driver in F1 history, and his performances on that circuit are the stuff of legend.

And still… it’s tough to admit this: Is it still valid to hold a Formula One race on a circuit where the cars no longer truly fit—where they can’t race, not really?

I can’t forget the chaos of Monaco in 1996. Only three cars finished out of twenty-two starters. It was one of the most unpredictable, dramatic races in F1 history—and also the only win of Olivier Panis’s career. That race is etched into memory not because of precision or strategy, but because of its sheer unpredictability. There was something raw and human about it. That was motor racing!

I’ve defended Monaco year after year, hoping something could be done to make Sundays feel meaningful again. But today, more than ever, it feels unlikely. The idea that we’ll one day have cars small enough to suit the circuit again belongs to a different era—nostalgic, but unrealistic.

What we’re left with are strange strategies: hoping for a red flag, or watching drivers work together to deliberately hold up the pack behind them. Sometimes it might come off as clever—or even a bit amusing—but it’s far from what this sport is truly about.

And then there’s the mandatory two-tyre change… Honestly, the whole thing felt more like a circus. No offense, of course—circuses are wonderful. But Formula One shouldn’t feel like one.

Formula 1 shouldn’t forget its history.

But maybe it’s time to let Monaco go—gracefully—while we still hold it with affection. We can look back on the iconic moments it’s given us, the way we do with the athletes we’ve loved and watched retire. We remember their greatness not because they kept going forever, but because they knew when to step away. Monaco deserves that same kind of farewell: bittersweet, respectful, and filled with love.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia