Monaco Grand Prix handed name change for 2026

The Monaco Grand Prix will change its name for the 2026 F1 season, as a new title sponsor is invited onboard for the iconic race.

F1's race around the streets of the principality has been a part of the sport since the very first season of F1 back in 1950, with there being just four seasons since then that have not seen the race on the calendar.

Juan Manuel Fangio won the first event back in 1950, while the legendary Ayrton Senna is the king of Monaco having won the race on six occasions, an all-time record.

In recent years, the excitement factor of the event has been called into question, with the modern day F1 cars seemingly too wide for there to be any meaningful overtaking action throughout the races.

Nevertheless, it will remain a vital part of F1's future for years to come, with the circuit recently signing a contract extension to stay on the calendar until at least the 2035 season.

Now, it has been confirmed that it will have a different name in 2026. The event will be called the Formula 1 Louis Vuitton Grand Prix de Monaco, partnering with the luxury fashion brand.

It had previously been named the Formula 1 Tag Heuer Grand Prix de Monaco. Tag Heuer were actually the first ever title sponsor of the historic event.

Monaco GP changes

In recent years, the race has seen some changes to try and boost its excitement, beyond just the introduction of the title sponsor.

A mandatory two-stop race was introduced for the 2025 event to try to ensure that teams couldn't just pit on lap one and go to the end, like they did in 2024's event after Sergio Perez's early crash.

While the introduction of two stops did increase jeopardy with pit crews having to get at least two stops correct, it didn't necessarily improve excitement, with all teams adopting the same strategy.

Nevertheless, the mandatory two stops will be in place for the 2026 event too, while the diminishing size of the 2026 cars amid the wholesale regulation changes could mean that there are more overtaking opportunities at the Monaco GP in 2026.

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