Red Bull chief Christian Horner and his former driver David Coulthard agree that there should be no threat to the Monaco Grand Prix's future on the Formula 1 calendar.
No doubt, the streets of Monte Carlo make for one of the most historic and iconic venues in the sport. But those roads have not got any wider over the decades while the cars themselves are larger and heavier than ever before.
It means they are sluggish by comparison on this twisty track and makes overtaking on the track extremely difficult. A rain shower in this year's edition of the race caused some jeopardy and excitement but, overall. it remained short of too much entertainment.
Horner is aware that changes to the track need to be considered, but is in no doubt that the Monaco GP is deserving of its place on the annual F1 schedule. "It's a must-have race on the calendar and you accept the compromises of the circuit because of the history," he told Mirror Sport in the principality.
"But that's not to say you can't improve things for the future and we need to be looking 10 years down the road. The cars are so big now you can barely get them around the circuit, let alone side-by-side. That's something Formula 1 needs to think about for the future. Even in the Formula 3 race earlier there was no overtaking, or in Formula 2, and those cars are a lot lighter and pretty agile.
"What we need to look at, is there a way to generate at least one overtaking area on the circuit? But it's unimaginable to think of Formula 1 without the Monaco Grand Prix. All the races have the same points but some of them just mean that bit more – and this is one of them. This is the one you want to be seen winning."
Coulthard, a former Red Bull driver during his own F1 career who now lives in Monaco, agrees that this event must stay. Asked by Mirror Sport if he felt there is still any danger to its place on the calendar, he pointed to reasons other than the racing itself as to why the Monaco GP's future was ever in doubt.
"Not any more," said the Scot. "There was a need to align with the new owner. The Automobile Club has run this Grand Prix and there were some very obvious issues. If you look at the global partners of Formula 1, there's Rolex and all these other brands, and the Automobile Club, because of their historic contract, can put Tag Heuer and other brands around.
"It's kind of a slap in the face for the other partners who buy into Formula 1 as a global partnership and then they come here and have their rival above the start/finish line. I think we can all agree that is a little uncomfortable and embarrassing. That has been readdressed and, if you are a global partner of Formula 1, you have the right to branding at all of the 23 Grands Prix we have. It was over things like that that there was an issue.
"I don't think there was any issue over the fact that Monaco doesn't pay as much as Saudi or other events. They've earned the right by investing heavily over a long time and building the history. So you've got to be fair. It's like a new team coming into Formula 1 – they can't just come in and get all of the benefits without having taken the time to invest in the long-term.
"A lot of teams have fallen by the wayside and taken a lot of pain to get to this point. So if someone invests over a long time they should reap the benefits of that. Everyone has to deliver and this industry is about elite performance.
"For people who operate here, everyone in the team, there is a huge demand on their time, emotional energy, travel – all of those things you imagine must be fantastic are if you're doing it socially actually takes a hell of a commitment. So this brings the best of people together and that's one of the reasons why I still like being involved in the sport."
