Monaco’s Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (IMSEE) is currently working on a comprehensive assessment of the real economic impact of the 2026 Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix, with findings expected before the end of the year.
The study aims to move beyond the spectacle of race week itself and put concrete figures behind a question that reaches far beyond motorsport: just how much does hosting Formula 1’s most glamorous weekend actually contribute to Monaco’s economy?
It won’t be the first time IMSEE has attempted to answer that question, though it will be the first update in almost a decade. The institute’s last such assessment, covering the 2017 Grand Prix, found the race generated €90 million in total economic impact over four days, made up of €21.7 million in direct visitor spending and a further €68.3 million in indirect economic activity across the wider economy. That study also flagged a notable shift already underway: growing numbers of high-spending visitors drawn more by the festive atmosphere surrounding the race than the sport itself, alongside a widening gap between those visitors and larger crowds attending primarily for the race, who tend to spend comparatively less.
The timing of this new assessment is notable. It comes as Monaco’s broader economy continues to post strong growth, with the accommodation and food sector alone generating €1.14 billion in revenue in 2025, up 6.3 percent year-on-year and 81.7 percent over the past decade, according to IMSEE’s own figures. Against that backdrop, quantifying the Grand Prix’s specific contribution takes on added significance, both for policymakers assessing the long-term value of hosting the race and for the wider business community that builds its calendar around race week.
With Formula 1’s ownership and commercial strategy having transformed significantly since Liberty Media took control of the sport in 2016, reshaping it into a global entertainment franchise rather than a purely sporting championship, this year’s findings are expected to offer a considerably updated picture of just how central the Grand Prix has become to Monaco’s economic identity.