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MonacoIt’s hard to imagine a Formula 1 schedule without its crown jewel race the Monaco Grand Prix, but it was a real possibility until it was announced that F1 had cut a deal to keep the race on the calendar through 2031.

…however, there is one downside.

The future of the Monaco Grand Prix has been up in the air over the last few years, due in part to there being more cities interested in holding races than there are spots on the calendar. Plus, it’s notoriously difficult to overtake at Monaco meaning the racing hasn’t always been the most exciting, something that hasn’t been helped by the way F1 cars have ballooned in size over the last decade and change.

However, can you imagine an IndyCar season without the Indianapolis 500 or a NASCAR season without the Daytona 500? I can’t, and that’s what Monaco is to F1 (the only difference is Indy and Daytona always offer great racing).

The Cirtcuit de Monaco’s iconic corners — like La Rascasse seen here — will be on the calendar through the 2031 season. (Photo by Xavier Bonilla/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

So, it’s good to know that Monaco is here to stay on a new six-year deal that begins in 2026.

That year will bring some changes though.

The 2025 edition of the Monaco Grand Prix will be on May 25 and will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the race making its F1 debut (the race was first held in 1929, but F1 didn’t start until 1950).

However, in ’26, the race will be pushed back about a week to the first full weekend in June.

So, that means that the greatest day on the motorsports calendar — the Sunday before Memorial Day, which has been comprised of Monaco in the morning, the Indy 500 in the afternoon and the Coca-Cola 600 in the evening — is no more.

We still get Indy and the Coke 600, but I liked starting my day by guzzling coffee while watching Monaco…

On the plus side, 2026 will see the introduction of new regulations that will make F1 cars smaller and lighter, which should be helpful on the tight twisty Circuit de Monaco, which three-time F1 champ Nelson Piquet once described as being like “riding a bicycle around your living room.”