Formula One F1 - Monaco Grand Prix - Circuit de Monaco, Monaco - May 24, 2024 General view of Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton during practice REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo
(Reuters) -Formula One's iconic Monaco Grand Prix will remain on the calendar until at least 2031 after a six-year extension was announced on Thursday with a date change to June that also avoids future clashes with the Indianapolis 500.
The race around the streets of Monte Carlo was part of the first world championship season in 1950 and has been present since 1950, with the exception of 2020 during the global pandemic.
Formula One said the race would be held on the first full weekend in June from 2026 onwards, moving from the end of May date that has also historically overlapped with Indianapolis.
"I’m delighted that Formula One will continue to race in Monaco until 2031," said Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali in a statement.
"The streets of Monte Carlo are unique and a famous part of Formula One, and the Monaco Grand Prix remains a race that all drivers dream of winning.
"This agreement signals a new era of partnership and innovation between Formula One and Monaco."
Domenicali said the agreement "will allow us to create an optimised calendar, which reduces pressure on logistics, and to decrease the environmental impact of our global championship, as we continue the path towards our Net Zero goal by 2030."
This year's Monaco Grand Prix was sandwiched between Imola in Italy, which came after the round in Miami, and Canada's race in Montreal with the championship then returning to Europe.
Formula One wants a more logical flow of races based on regions.
This year's Monaco Grand Prix was watched by a cumulative audience of more than 70 million fans, according to Formula One, and in the United States was the third most watched F1 race of all time.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc won his home race from pole position.
"The Monaco Grand Prix is the most important sporting event here and continues to attract hundreds of thousands of spectators to the principality and millions of global television viewers worldwide," said Michel Boeri, president of the Automobile Club of Monaco.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru/Alan Baldwin in London. Editing by Mark Potter and Ken Ferris)
