Formula One’s most iconic race, the Monaco Grand Prix, will be staged in June from 2026 as part of a new six-year agreement to remain on the calendar.
Monaco appeared on the first F1 world championship calendar in 1950, and has been held in all but five years since then, gaining a reputation as one of the most challenging tracks on the calendar due to its tight street course configuration.
Questions were raised over the future of the race prior to its most recent contract extension that was signed in 2022. Drivers have regularly complained about the difficulty of overtaking on the narrow circuit, given the current size of the cars, while F1 was also eager to bring Monaco’s contract more in line with other tracks relating to sponsorship rights and the hosting fee.
On Thursday, F1 announced it had signed a contract extension with Monaco to ensure the race will remain on the calendar through to at least 2031.
As part of the deal, Monaco will give up its traditional end of May slot on the calendar from 2026 and will instead be held on the first full weekend of June each year.
F1 said the move was part of its “ambition to create a calendar which is sustainable for all stakeholders.” The sport is currently making tweaks to its calendar to help improve geographic grouping in a bid to reduce travel time and its own carbon footprint, piecing together its 24-race schedule.
“This agreement signals a new era of partnership and innovation between Formula One and Monaco,” said F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.
“It is the future focused leadership of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco which will allow us to create an optimized calendar, which reduces pressure on logistics, and to decrease the environmental impact of our global championship, as we continue the path towards our Net Zero goal by 2030.”
Monaco’s date change will also mean it no longer clashes with the Indianapolis 500, which is always held on the Memorial Day weekend.
Both Monaco and the Indy 500 are part of the ‘Triple Crown of Motorsport,’ along with the 24 Hours of Le Mans, an unofficial title for the three most iconic events in motorsport. Only one driver, Graham Hill, has managed to win all three events.
Barring another grand prix being staged on Memorial Day weekend, the move would open up the possibility for any interested F1 drivers to enter the Indy 500 without having to miss a race.
The last active F1 driver to take part in the Indy 500 was Fernando Alonso, who skipped Monaco in 2017 with the blessing of his McLaren team to be part of a joint entry along with Andretti and Honda.
Next year’s Monaco Grand Prix will take place on May 25.
(Claudia Greco/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
