OCTOBER 14, 2001

Monaco GP moves from traditional date

IN an unprecedented move, the Monaco Grand Prix of 2002 has been moved away from its traditional Ascension Day date. This means that the Friday will no longer be a national holiday in Monaco. It remains to be seen however whether this will mean that practice will take place on Thursday as is traditionally the case. There is likely to be much opposition to that idea from the local businesses as hotels charge a five-night minimum and will not want to lose out on the income if the race is reduced from four days to three.

The move was necessary as the F1 calendar could not fit in with the fortnightly pattern. The fact that the Automobile Club de Monaco agreed to the switch is a significant one.