Monaco's top motor racing chief declared the most famous race in Formula 1 is "likely to be renewed" again after its immediate future was secured this week.
The Monaco Grand Prix has, for the first time, been in genuine danger of being axed from the annual F1 schedule. For all its history and past glamour, there has been a feeling in recent years that the gathering in Monte Carlo is no longer the spectacle it once was.
The narrow and tight street track is considered by many to be unsuitable for modern F1 cars, which are longer and wider than ever before. As a result, races tend to be more of a procession with very few chances for overtaking.
But despite all the speculation, it was confirmed along with the provisional 2023 race calendar that Monaco's place on the schedule is safe for now. A new agreement has been signed which will see the event remain on the schedule up to and including the 2025 season.
In response to the news, Automobile Club de Monaco president Michel Boeri did not come across as a man who was worried about the future of the race. In fact, he made the declaration that he feels the Monaco Grand Prix is likely to stick around even longer than the end of its new deal.
"In the interest of the Formula 1 world championship, and after several months of negotiations, we are proud to announce that we have signed a three-year agreement with Formula 1, and likely to be renewed," he said.
He was not the only high-profile figure to react, as the news also got the royal seal of approval. Prince Albert II was in New York for the UN General Assembly when he was asked for his feelings about the continuation of the annual event in the principality.
"I personally could not imagine a Formula 1 season without the Monaco Grand Prix, for historical reasons," he told reporters. "The Monaco Grand Prix is an important event in the life of the principality, both economically and in terms of prestige and notoriety.
"It is a tradition that has existed for almost 100 years. I would like to thank the Automobile Club de Monaco, Formula 1 and the FIA for having reached an agreement, so that we can move forward together to grow motor sports and F1."
