Jordan Golson Wants You to Watch the Monaco Grand Prix ⇥ wired.com

Jordan Golson of Wired really, really likes the Monaco Grand Prix:

The Monaco Grand Prix is the greatest race in all of motorsport. It has everything: yachts, champagne, supermodels, royalty, parties, not to mention one of the world’s most historic racetracks that’s built to generate exciting moments.

Here’s an unpopular opinion: the Monaco Grand Prix is the most overrated race on the calendar. Golson himself explains why:

Most of the track is barely wide enough for two Formula One cars to drive side by side, making passing extraordinarily difficult, and heightening the excitement in the few spots where it is feasible.

On the contrary, the lack of passing ability makes it a tedious race to watch. That’s not to say it’s entirely unenjoyable: the racing through the tunnel is, indeed, spectacular, and the history of the track makes it worthwhile to have on the calendar. But it’s often not a very enjoyable race to watch. The lack of overtaking (especially in contemporary cars) means that it’s like watching a train circle the track. Every so often, someone will make a mistake and have an accident, but the finishing order is often very similar to the qualifying order.

Montreal, on the other hand, is one of the most underrated races on the calendar. That’s two weekends away (June 6–8), and it’s definitely worth watching.