Editing Monaco Grand Prix (section)

====Track alterations, safety, and increasing business interests====
[[File:Circuit de Monaco 1972.png|thumb|Monaco circuit from 1955 to 1972]]
By the start of the 1970s, efforts by Jackie Stewart saw several Formula One events cancelled because of safety concerns. For the [[1969 Monaco Grand Prix|1969 event]], [[Traffic barrier|Armco barriers]] were placed at specific points for the first time in the circuit's history. Before that, the circuit's conditions were (aside from the removal of people's production cars parked on the side of the road) virtually identical to everyday road use. If a driver went off, he had a chance to crash into whatever was next to the track (buildings, trees, lamp posts, glass windows, and even a train station), and in Alberto Ascari's and Paul Hawkins's cases, the harbour water, because the concrete road the course used had no Armco to protect the drivers from going off the track and into the [[Mediterranean]]. The circuit gained more Armco in specific points for the next two races, and by 1972, the circuit was almost completely Armco-lined. For the first time in its history, the Monaco circuit was altered in 1972, as the pits were moved next to the waterfront straight between the chicane and Tabac, and the chicane was moved further forward right before Tabac, becoming the junction point between the pits and the course. The course was changed again for the 1973 race. The [[Rainier III Nautical Stadium]] was constructed where the straight that went behind the pits was, and the circuit introduced a double chicane that went around the new swimming pool (this chicane complex is known today as "Swimming Pool"). This created space for a whole new pit facility, and in 1976 the course was altered yet again; the Sainte Devote corner was made slower and a chicane was placed right before the pit straight.<ref name="racingcircuits.info">{{Cite web|url=http://racingcircuits.info/europe/monaco/monte-carlo/#.WLBrgTsrJhE|title=Monte Carlo|website=RacingCircuits.info|access-date=28 May 2018|archive-date=6 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180606182046/http://www.racingcircuits.info/europe/monaco/monte-carlo#.WLBrgTsrJhE|url-status=dead}}</ref>

By the early 1970s, as [[Brabham]] team owner [[Bernie Ecclestone]] started to marshal the collective bargaining power of the [[Formula One Constructors Association]] (FOCA), Monaco was prestigious enough to become an early bone of contention. Historically, the number of cars permitted in a race was decided by the race organiser, in this case the ACM, which had always set a low number of around 16. In 1972, Ecclestone started to negotiate deals which relied on FOCA guaranteeing at least 18 entrants for every race. A stand-off over this issue left the 1972 race in jeopardy until the ACM gave in and agreed that 26 cars could participate&nbsp;– the same number permitted at most other circuits. Two years later, in 1974, the ACM got the numbers back down to 18.<ref name="Lovell, Terry 2004">Lovell, Terry (2004) ''Bernie's Game''</ref>

Because of its tight confines, slow average speeds, and punishing nature, Monaco has often thrown up unexpected results. In the [[1982 Monaco Grand Prix|1982]] race, [[René Arnoux]] led the first 15&nbsp;laps before retiring. [[Alain Prost]] then led until four laps from the end, when he spun off on the wet track, hit the barriers and lost a wheel, giving [[Riccardo Patrese]] the lead. Patrese himself spun with only a lap and a half to go, letting [[Didier Pironi]] through to the front, followed by [[Andrea de Cesaris]]. On the last lap, Pironi ran out of fuel in the tunnel, but De Cesaris also ran out of fuel before he could overtake. In the meantime, Patrese had bump-started his car and went through to score his first Grand Prix win.<ref>Henry, Alan (1985) Brabham, the Grand Prix Cars, p. 237 Osprey {{ISBN|0-905138-36-8}} Henry lists Pironi as having stopped with electrical trouble, but the official results show that the Ferrari driver ran out of fuel.</ref>

In 1983, the ACM became entangled in the disagreements between [[Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile]] (FISA) and FOCA. The ACM, with the agreement of Bernie Ecclestone, negotiated an individual television rights deal with [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] in the [[United States]]. This broke an agreement enforced by FISA for a single central negotiation of television rights. [[Jean-Marie Balestre]], president of FISA, announced that the Monaco Grand Prix would not form part of the Formula One world championship in 1985. The ACM fought their case in the French courts. They won the case and the race was eventually reinstated.<ref name="Lovell, Terry 2004"/>
[[File:Fenestraz Monaco 2017 Chicane.jpg|thumb|left|Nouvelle Chicane in the 2017 race]]
In 1986, the Nouvelle Chicane was added by expanding into the nearby water to make the track wider.<ref name="horner">{{Cite web |last=Cottingham |first=Ida Wood, Claire |date=2023-05-30 |title=Monaco land reclamation could offer room to improve track - Horner |url=https://www.racefans.net/2023/05/30/monaco-land-reclamation-could-offer-room-to-improve-track-horner/ |access-date=2024-11-14 |website=RaceFans |language=en-GB}}</ref>