Next year’s Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix is set to take place across a more conventional timetable, ending a tradition that stretches back decades.
Formula 1 practice has historically taken place on a Thursday around the streets of Monaco, with qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday.
The tradition dates back to the early editions of the event when it coincided with the Ascension Day holiday.
But from 2022 the usual two practice sessions are set to be shifted to Friday, in line with other Formula 1 events.
The move has been instigated in order to bring Monaco in line with other events, as well as to aid logistics, with the prospective preceding round in Spain due to take place the previous weekend.
Spain is currently without a deal but discussions are ongoing regarding a new contract.
Spain is due to shift to a later May date than usual owing to the expectation that Miami’s inaugural grand prix will be installed in early-mid May.
Monaco’s 2022 grand prix is scheduled to take place on the weekend of May 27 to 29.
Organisers of the event ACM have confirmed that Formula 1 running will take place across Friday to Sunday, though some track action for support series is expected on Thursday.
The exact timetable is still being defined by the organisers.
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali confirmed in an interview with CNN on Wednesday that a 23-race calendar is due to be presented at next month’s meeting of the World Motor Sport Council.
This year’s schedule was due to feature 23 events until various changes related to the pandemic forced officials to reduce the calendar to 22 rounds.
Bahrain is expected to open the 2022 campaign, with Saudi Arabia following a week later, while Australia is due to receive a mid-April slot, pending the country’s entry guidelines.
R.I.P. Formula 1. This change might seem insignificant to some, but eliminating small details such as the traditional quiet Friday in Monaco is only the beginning (and will also anger many Monegasque residents). If you thought F1 going libtard woke was bad, just wait until an even greedier company with even less respect for the history of the sport purchases F1 (such as Netflix), then it will become unrecognizable.