Verstappen: Miami and Vegas won’t take away from Monaco’s F1 status

F1 staged its inaugural Miami Grand Prix final weekend, attracting a sell-out crowd and a number of huge identify celebrities in a vibrant new occasion for the sequence.

It was the newest signal of F1’s progress in america, which seems set to solely proceed subsequent 12 months with the addition of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The race will run on Saturday evening and use a part of the well-known Strip for the circuit.

Monaco has sometimes been referred to as the ‘jewel within the crown’ for F1, however Miami was considered setting a brand new benchmark for the sequence when it comes to the general occasion, drawing quite a few comparisons to the Tremendous Bowl.

However reigning F1 world champion Verstappen felt the success of latest occasions couldn’t draw something away from the historical past of a race like Monaco.

“I do not suppose you may change Monaco,” Verstappen stated final weekend in Miami.

“Monaco has such a historical past, and naturally it takes time to construct that. And likewise this can be a fully totally different to Monaco, there’s much more house right here and the entire ambiance is totally different.

“It’s a unique type of tradition as properly, which is sweet that we have now, as a result of it might be very boring to drive each time at [somewhere with] the identical tradition.

“It’s a must to discover a center approach between these type of [events in Miami], Monaco and, after all, everlasting race tracks.”

Some uncertainty stays over Monaco’s future given its lack of contract past the top of this season. The race has historically seen its internet hosting price get waived as a part of its settlement, however talks are persevering with concerning what a brand new contract could appear to be.

Alpine driver Esteban Ocon echoed Verstappen’s ideas on Monaco, citing the dearth of overtaking as being a part of the distinctive problem posed by the road monitor.

“Monaco is extraordinarily particular, it has the historical past additionally behind it, and it is one technique to race that you do not have wherever else,” Ocon stated.

“You really want to qualify and the race may be very troublesome to overhaul or you want to take a danger. So for us, it’s fully totally different.”

However Ocon acknowledged that seeing F1’s progress in america was encouraging, making him excited to see what the long run out there would maintain.

“Coming to the States, seeing how we’re welcome right here, it is nice, it is incredible and we have seen how a lot the game has grown,” Ocon stated.

“Miami, Las Vegas, all these cities, it’s a dream for us to come back right here. So yeah, I am unable to wait to find what the US has left for us.”