Monaco Grand Prix to be called different name in 2026

The Monaco Grand Prix is set for a name change next year, taking on only its second ever title sponsor.

F1's race around the streets of Monaco is one of the most iconic events on the calendar, and it has played an important part in almost every season since the sport's inaugural year in 1950.

Barring four years off since then, it has been on every F1 calendar, with its narrow winding streets cementing legends' legacies such as Ayrton Senna, Graham Hill and Juan Manuel Fangio.

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.

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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