Street circuits have been around in the world of motorsport since the early 1900's and some of them, such as Monaco and Le Mans (is part street circuit), have become so infamous that any Tom, Dick or Harry could associate it with racing. However, avid motorsport fans may have noticed that in recent years these particular motor racing circuits are becoming ever more popular. Take Formula One, for example. In the inaugural 1950 season of the World Championship there was 1 street circuit; Monaco. In 2023 there are 8. The most there has ever been in a single F1 season. But, before I delve into why there is a much a higher number of street circuits, I'd thought I'd take a look at the history of them as way to teach myself more about them because, if I'm being honest, I'm one of those motorsport fans that has quite a dislike for them.
History on street circuits seems to be quite sparse when researching online, with the earliest recorded races being from the 1920's. However, one of the first and most infamous places to hold a motor race on a street circuit was in Monaco. The idea came from Antony Noghés, the president of the Monegasque Motor Club with the support of Prince Louis II of Monaco. The inaugural race took place in 1929 with a field of 16 drivers who got to take part by invitation only. The race lasted for 100 laps and was a relative success with only one crash and a handful of retirements due to mechanical failures. 9 drivers eventually crossed the finish line. To this day, Monaco still appears on the calendar of many motorsport series. From Formula One to Formula E to Karting. It's the one that everyone wants to win. And, since then many other cities have followed in their lead in creating street circuits of their own.
But, what we need to remember is that motorsport is the type of sport that is constantly evolving and the increasing addition of street circuits is a prime example of how this is happening. But why exactly is this? Why are they becoming ever so popular?
A city's own infrastructure is a big factor in the creation of a street circuit with the connection of existing streets and roads to make a very unique track. With a combination of straights and turns, some of them tight and narrow, a driver's skill and ability are tested to the max. This can lead to some of the most entertaining racing that we, as fans, have seen. Some street circuits are even slowly becoming fan favourites. Take Azerbaijan, for example. The circuit made it's F1 debut in 2016 as the European Grand Prix before changing it's name to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix for the following year. The inaugural race isn't well remembered due to it's slow pace. But, the 2017 one was the polar opposite with high-end entertainment and on the edge racing. It's what fans are looking for.
Staying on the subject of "fans," street circuits are, at times, designed with them in mind. Holding the races in a metropolitan area is ideal for easy access and viewing and opens up the world of racing to a diverse range of people who may not experience it other wise. Are non-F1 fan city folk more likely to go to a race in their city and experience the atmosphere of a race? Most likely. It's the accessibility to old and new fans alike which are playing apart in attracting the sport to new cities.
And then, with fans comes money, a benefit, not just for the sport, but also for the city with tourist figures getting a major boost on race weekends. Hotels and restaurants are booked up and race merchandise is flying off the shelves. It's attractive, extravagant and the perfect money maker.
Let's take a look at Formula E. The series predominately holds it's races on street circuits. Of course, the main reason of this is because of the complex requirements a Formula E car needs. Put one on a traditional, old-school track and the mechanics become complex. But still, with good racing and fans at the centre of the action, the series is thriving and it's no surprise that other series are also heading in the same direction. Is the traditional race track slowly dying out?
However, as much as I love Formula E, besides cost, I can't fathom as to why the likes of Formula One need to drop the traditional circuit for "extravagant," over the top street circuits. After being brought up in a world where F1 only really raced on the old-school circuits (bar Monaco, but that can stay), it's new found love for street circuits is frustrating, despite some of the interesting races we get. Therefore, I decided to get some more insight into peoples love/hate relationships with this kind of circuit and held a poll on Twitter to see the ratio of people who like street circuits compared to those who don't. Surprisingly, the majority were in favour. Are racing series giving the fans what they want? I can't say I'm convinced.
However, as mentioned above, motorsport is constantly evolving, so is it time for us to accept this change and learn to love them? It's very plausible. The future of racing circuits looks to be heading in the direction of the inner city tracks and I fear that we will one day lose the historic tracks that we have come to love. F1 CEO, Stefano Domenicali said himself that“to be arrogant and believe that you have a granted race because you had a race for 100 years, to be very honest, is not enough.” I get his point and it ties in with the evolution factor but for long time fans like myself, it's a worrying time to see our sport evolve in ways that we believe will not benefit it in the long run. Until then, we wait and watch and enjoy the racing that we get to experience in the present day.
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