Former F1 driver backs sprint race addition to Monaco GP
By Zak Jackson, MonacoViews Editorial
Franck Montagny, now a Canal+ F1 pundit, has welcomed news that a sprint race will be added to the Monaco Grand Prix from 2027.
Franck Montagny, the former F1 driver who now works as a consultant for Canal+, has given his backing to plans for a sprint race to be introduced at the Monaco Grand Prix from 2027. Speaking at Le Castellet during the Bol d'Or endurance race, Montagny said he is a fan of the sprint format and welcomed the news that the streets of the Principality will host such a race for the first time.
The addition marks a significant change to the traditional Monaco weekend, which has long resisted format experiments applied elsewhere on the calendar. For residents and visitors who plan their May around the Grand Prix, an extra competitive session means additional track action through the harbour circuit, though organisers have yet to confirm how the revised schedule will affect road closures and access around Monte-Carlo and Casino Square.
Montagny's comments add weight to a change that has been debated among F1 insiders since Monaco's historically conservative approach to circuit format was called into question by rivals adopting sprint weekends. With 2027 still some way off, further details on timing and logistics are expected to follow from the Automobile Club de Monaco.