21/05/2025
🏁 F1: Geriatrics vs. Next Gen 🏁
F1 in Monaco is and isn’t what it used to be. And we know, we’ve been there almost every year for over 10 years. We come from the late-stage Bernie era. Yes, we are old-school. And yes, under Bernie Ecclestone, it was elite, exclusive, and profit driven (yes he loved money), however, it still walked the line of pure street circuit racing while always giving access to the lowest SES racing fans.
Now? Liberty Media has covered it in 9 layers of Glauser’s top-tier 90-line high-gloss content machine with finely ground flakes made from iridescent mica that are coated in a metal oxide—complete with influencers vlogging in pit lane, $100K hospitality suites, and A-list celeb cameos instead of tire strategy. Ok we realise Monte Carlo has always attracted A-listers, but J-Lo walking the Ferrari garage in a cotton candy slick suit seemed out of pocket. 💰
Insert generic auto journalist headline: Revenue’s booming ($3.41B in 2024), but is F1 trading legacy for likes (likes = dollars)? Don’t answer, that is rhetorical. Yes, of course it is.
The new F1 is a media win, a cash cow, an influencer’s mecca, a binger’s wet dream, and a purists nightmare. In years past our publication has encourged racing fans to make the pilgrimage to Monaco for the sights, the sounds, the access to drivers and cars on the pit lane, the paddock, the streets... It was the experience of a lifetime. Over the years as this jewel of the F1 calendar has evolved, so has our opinion. Liberty has severely restricted access to the exposure. It should be for the fans first. Don’t go. It’s not like it used to be. Don’t @ us.
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