The Monaco Grand Prix has been an anachronism for decades. Overtaking at the track has long been borderline impossible, and it somehow became even harder when Formula 1 made its cars 200mm wider eight years ago.
But the clamour for F1 to do something about the processional nature of racing in Monaco grew louder after the extreme circumstances of last year’s race.A first-lap shunt led to a red flag, during which almost every driver completed their mandatory tyre change. Charles Leclerc was therefore able to nurse his tyres all the way home, at times several seconds off the pace, with no realistic prospect of anyone behind being able to attack him.
“We must not let that happen again,” F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali declared afterwards. “We must anticipate such scenarios better and cover them with the rules,” he said, adding F1’s rules “are generally too complicated.”
This week the FIA revealed its fix for the problem. In a highly unusual move, it is enforcing a special rule for the Monaco Grand Prix alone. While one mandatory tyre change is enforced everywhere else, in Monaco drivers will have to change tyres twice, though they will still only have to use two different compounds. In a further change, in Monaco the requirement to change tyres twice will still apply even if they use intermediate or wet-weather tyres.
Has the FIA hit on the right solution to improve racing in Monaco? Do more pit stops equal better races? And should F1 resort to special rules for some races? Give your verdict below.
For
Forcing two pit stops is the most realistic way to improve the racing. It’s easy to call for changes to the circuit, but it is not practical with the limited space available in Monaco.
There is no harm in having special rules for some races, and Monaco already does. Its race is run to 260 kilometres instead of the usual 305.
Requiring drivers to make two pit stops will ensure they have one more chance than usual to make up positions.
Against
This is a knee-jerk over-reaction to last year’s unusual race. A better fix was possible: F1 could have simply decreed that tyre changes made during stoppages do not count as the mandatory switch.
Adding special rules for some races creates needless complexity – yet more rules to explain and understand.
But most importantly, a second mandatory pit stop won’t create real racing on-track, only in the pit lane.
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I say
The point of a race is to get to the finish as quickly as possible. So I don’t agree F1 should have a mandatory tyre change rule to begin with – it’s arbitrary and unnecessary.
If one mandatory pit stop is bad, two is worse. The fact it’s being imposed for one race only underlines what a contrivance this is and, by extension, F1 is turning itself into.
Whether it will ‘work’ or not is beside the point, but it seems more likely to incentivise teams to try bizarre strategies in the hope of getting lucky, or using one car to hold up the chasing pack to benefit the other.
As Formula E’s regularly excellent races in Monaco show, it is not the venue’s fault that F1 has consistently chosen to change its rules in such a way as it make racing there impossible. F1 should either change its rules (and next year’s appear to be a small step in the right direction in this regard) or accept that this is one race where the grand prix matters less than the spectacle of qualifying, which is always a sight to savour in Monaco.
You say
Has the FIA found the best way to improve Formula 1 races in Monaco by forcing drivers to change tyres twice? Cast your vote below and have your say in the comments.
Do you agree having two mandatory pit stops is the best way the FIA could improve F1 racing in Monaco?
- No opinion (0%)
- Strongly disagree (44%)
- Slightly disagree (23%)
- Neither agree nor disagree (9%)
- Slightly agree (15%)
- Strongly agree (9%)
Total Voters: 88
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Ideals (@ideals)
2nd March 2025, 8:44
Worst case scenario here is that it changes nothing. Best case scenario is that it helps make the race more interesting to watch. I don’t really see a downside to the attempt.
Tony Mansell (@tonymansell)
2nd March 2025, 16:18
+1. Wasnt there a race they mandated 3 x changes as the tyres were not going to last. Was it Vegas? It made for a great race. Monaco is broken as a race but it will not be leaving the calendar so lets have some fun with it
S Arkazam
3rd March 2025, 8:16
Why would more tyre changes make a better race (when the ‘non racing’ isn’t linked to tyre performance)?
An expert, much more into the sport than I, once said:
Scotty Ciao
4th March 2025, 5:30
I have been watching since the late 90s. Every year jt becomes more and more apparent that Monaco doesn’t belong in the calendar, and fans need to admit it and stop waxing nostalgia. The sport has evolved, and despite what anyone feels, the fact remains that the Monaco Grand Prix is not capable of hosting an F1 race. This is indisputable FACT. If you’re going to make special rules for Monaco, then why not male a rule that says cars beed to be 90s size?
El Pollo Loco
2nd March 2025, 19:58
Exactly. This is a nearly pointless topic/debate. As you say, worse case scenario nothing changes.
Tony Mansell (@tonymansell)
3rd March 2025, 11:17
Its not pointless at all but if you do think it is why are you engaging? This article is for people who think it will or wont make a difference.
El Pollo Loco
4th March 2025, 6:26
As usual, you aggressively and somewhat amusingly (since I was essentially agreeing with you) misinterpreted my comment. I meant it’s pointless from the POV is this the wrong thing to do since the worst that can happen is that the race remains boring. Not that there isn’t any alternative solutions. But don’t let me stop you from reveling in your animosity.
BasCB (@bascb)
3rd March 2025, 9:12
Actually, the worst case scenario is that it makes the race even less interesting (since teams will just plan to go with 2 stops and possibly change positions at pitstops), just like S Arkazam mentions, having more pitstops, especially on a track where overtaking is only possibly in rather rare circumstances will only mean the teams will focus on that.
Sure, it might be “interesting strategy battle” for some who are in to that, but there really is little chance it actually makes for better racing on the actual track. But I’m sure the commentary teams will be hyping up how exciting it suddenly has become.
Renee (@renee)
3rd March 2025, 18:07
Pitstops and strategy have been an important part of F1 for a very long time.
If there is no immediate chance to fix the Monaco GP, then why not make it more interesting and challenging on the strategy side of it?
And contrary to what you say, the worst case isn’t that the race becomes even less interesting. What ever, risky or seemingly safe strategies teams will come up with, watching the train going around in the same exact order for the whole race will always be the most boring thing possible.
I don’t hate it, although it may seem like it, but the whole Monaco GP is a gimmick. Racing there is impossible due to the huge cars. So if we are gonna have it, then make it more interesting at least.
Tony Mansell (@tonymansell)
3rd March 2025, 18:16
+1 seems pretty simple to me. Its totally broken as a race so try it. It CANT, by definition, be worse. A couple of people extrapolating from other tracks is bizarre
S Arkazam
3rd March 2025, 23:34
It’s also bizarre that there is no capital version of the apostrophe.
El Pollo Loco
4th March 2025, 6:28
Even less interesting? Provided there’s no weather/cross over drama, it is impossible to be even more boring. Monaco is one of the few races I almost inevitably fall asleep during.
Euro Brun (@eurobrun)
2nd March 2025, 8:57
Has there actually been any specific wording to define 2x “pit stops” and not just 3 sets of tyres?
Can they still use a red flag to substitute for am actual “pit stop” and box tick the tyre change requirement?
If so, are we just gonna get two red flag periods and someone still getting away without a pit under green?
Jere (@jerejj)
2nd March 2025, 10:14
To my understanding, the specified ruling for Monaco is about mandating the use of all three compounds rather than directly two stops regardless of compound use.
Therefore, the possible red-flag situations are still fully possible.
Robert
3rd March 2025, 1:06
According to the article, they will have to change tires twice, but still only use two different compounds. But it sounds like the possibility to change under red flag is still there, since the wording is about changing tires, not making pit-stops.
BasCB (@bascb)
3rd March 2025, 9:13
LOL, so if they have 2 red flags, that would still completely annule this rule … Not even that unlikely at Monaco. Also, as soon as they do a lap on wets/inters the tyre compound rules go out the window anyway.
Jeanrien (@jeanrien)
2nd March 2025, 14:52
It also gives a big opportunity to any fast car having a bad quali as they’ll have the possibility to pit and catch back the back of the train, making their pit stop early and being catapulted to the front when the rest pit.
The case of the double red flag has also be mentioned.
So basically it just increases the lottery effect but not improve the racing.
I still defend the idea to add a predefined delta time in case of tire change under red. It would have the least possible effect on the outcome.
Adrian Hancox (@ahxshades)
2nd March 2025, 10:06
The resolution to Monaco is very simple – race elsewhere – Monaco has overstayed its welcome on the calendar.
Dex
2nd March 2025, 18:31
I suppose you’re aware that many do not share your opinion. I’m much more curious about a race weekend in Monaco than Vegas or Saudi Arabia.
anon
2nd March 2025, 19:03
Dex, it would seem there are quite a few on this site who do seem to share a similar opinion though, as the Monaco circuit is currently one of the lowest ranked circuits on the calendar in the “Rate the race” polls – it’s current rating is only marginally better than that of Jeddah, whilst Las Vegas is currently rated higher than Monaco.
S Arkazam
3rd March 2025, 8:22
I hope you are aware that the comment section is primarily created to share one’s own opinion, rather than that of others.
I suppose you’re aware that many do not share your opinion?
Johan
2nd March 2025, 10:15
I was hoping that they would change to only use the softest tire in the Pirelli range, or having an even softer Monaco only tire. That tire shouldn’t last a race distance making natural tire changes a requirement. With the current rule surely someone will try to change from soft-soft on say lap 5 and then change to hard on lap 6 and go to the end. By only having a soft tire available, that kind of strategy becomes very risky forcing natural tire changes and actual interesting strategies.
S
2nd March 2025, 11:18
The current soft tyres wouldn’t last a full race distance now were it not for the fact that everyone can easily defend their position while driving around 5 seconds per lap off the pace.
Being unable to overtake on track neutralises most of the benefits of strategic divergence.
Perhaps a better option would be to run only the hardest tyres available – they’d be so far out of their optimum operating window that the cars would be a real handful to drive and would actually make driving slowly unavoidable rather than simply preferable. That would be far more interesting than going softer.
anon
2nd March 2025, 11:34
Johan, they have already tried that a few times, and the response from the teams and drivers has been to just drop the pace further to compensate for the tyres being made softer.
Colin Spencer (@colin999)
2nd March 2025, 10:15
No work on cars under red flag conditions and that includes tyres for ALL races would make more sense to me and would prevent some of the gamesmanship we have seen in recent years.
Ideals (@ideals)
2nd March 2025, 10:41
So instead of benefitting the drivers that didn’t pit yet, we benefit the drivers that did pit yet while shuffling the remainder to the back of the grid because the field is now bunched up when they pit.
All we’re doing here is switching who suffers, while also making the penalty for getting caught out by the red flag during the pit stop window bigger than the current penalty of getting caught out by the red flag. Pitting from P1 before the red flag drops you to, what, maybe P6 in a normal race providing nobody else pits. While pitting from P1 three laps after a red flag puts you in P20.
Either way, someone suffers, but the current method certainly seems more salvageable to me than the latter, so why change?
MichaelN
2nd March 2025, 13:43
This is the core issue with any neutralisation. It’s utterly unfair that someone who built up an advantage gets that taken away. Any further advantages due to slower pit times or free tyre changes just compounds that. It’s purely ‘for the show’ that F1 hasn’t addressed this. Even something as basic and low-tech as the Nordic Combined skiing sport has figured out how to stagger start times.
Get all the cars in the pitlane, release them 1 by 1 restoring the pre-incident gaps. Anyone who does work on the car gets that time plus the normal in-out time added to their pre-incident gap to the leader. Simple.
It won’t ever happen of course, because a neutralisation adds drama and excitement.
BasCB (@bascb)
3rd March 2025, 9:15
Good point there, yeah
Jere (@jerejj)
2nd March 2025, 10:17
Strongly disagree was an easy choice since the reality is as pointed out in the ‘against’ section & what I’ve also pointed out before that more pit stops on such a circuit will only promote position changes via pit stops rather than on-track overtaking for a position.
Overtaking is simply too difficult under normal circumstances regardless of pit stop amount, so I simply fail to see how a higher pit stop amount could realistically promote anything other than overtaking via pit stops, be that undercutting, overcutting, or getting jumped.
Tony Mansell (@tonymansell)
2nd March 2025, 16:21
We are just talking about Monaco where there is ZERO overtaking. Your comment only makes sense at other tracks where undercuts and overcuts reduce on track overtaking. Just once more, there is ZERO overtaking at Monaco
StefMeister (@stefmeister)
2nd March 2025, 13:25
I’ve never seen multiple mandatory pit stops really improve the on-track racing in any category i’ve ever seen try it and I don’t expect it will do anything here.
What I expect it will do is just encourage drivers to take fewer risks and maintain gaps to manage tyres and wait to try the over or under cut to try and make some places through the pit cycle at the expense of actually looking to try & make something happen on the track.
Yes overtaking is harder at Monaco than anywhere else, Always has been and always will be but it is possible if you get a better run through certain corners and are able to position your car accordingly into one of the places where overtaking is just about possible. And I just worry that having multiple stops will just end up discouraging drivers from taking risks and actually looking at making something happen on the track.
And sure right now this is just a one off for Monaco but we have seen with things in the past that they can be very quick to deem that something worked and then push to find ways to make it happen everywhere without thinking about the unintended consequences.
S
2nd March 2025, 13:28
While this is a tiny step in a positive direction, it certainly isn’t the right solution to the Monaco GP being boring.
Either massively change the cars, or change the event from a racing format to a time-trial format.
It’s far too easy to defend for 2 hours here – that’s the problem that needs a solution, and adding an extra pit stop doesn’t really address that.
Dave
2nd March 2025, 14:44
Can’t they remove the chicane just after the start line?
Jere (@jerejj)
2nd March 2025, 16:10
You mean the Sainte Devote curbing?
I think the only issue with removing that curbing is that the racing line & pit exit routes would directly clash.
BasCB (@bascb)
3rd March 2025, 9:17
Indeed, that is the whole reason of why that chicane must be in place, otherwise cars would be heading out of the pits bang right on the inside of the racing line leading up to a critical corner to get right.
Theo (@theodorium)
2nd March 2025, 14:57
Make the cars smaller or get rid of the race.
Jere (@jerejj)
2nd March 2025, 16:11
That’ll indeed happen for next year, although I doubt anything will change in Monaco racing-wise.
Wer
3rd March 2025, 10:40
Car size has nothing to do with anything!
It’s not like drivers attempt 200 overtaking manoevers in the Monaco GP but can’t complete them at the final stage of the move due to lacking space. Come on man!
F1 cars are unable to follow one another closely enough and then with the super short braking distances, they cannot make enough ground on braking to even come close to the car ahear. For that reason they drive spaced apart with no overtaking ATTEMPTs produced, let alone being done. THAT is the problem.
Solution?
Just like special oval specs in IndyCar for oval race tracks, F1 needs a Monaco (tight circuit) spec.
Give the cars: smaller/weaker breakes to extend braking distances, simplify the aero and add a drag producing element to the rear wing (just like they once did in IndyCar with great success). Problem fixed.
michael
2nd March 2025, 15:31
As always a lot of moaning and we’ll never hear the end of it. The reality is overtaking on track isn’t really going to happen and that’s fine. In the 90s and 2000s that was the case at basically every dry race at any track and I still watched F1. Monaco is about track position and staying out of the walls.
So 3 tyre compounds at least creates the increased chance of a strategic battle balancing performance and track position with the chance of safety car / red flag at any time.
Maciek (@maciek)
2nd March 2025, 15:49
Easy choice, since mandatory pit stops shouldn’t be a thing at all. Design a formula that works on track – i.e. less sensitive aero and smaller cars, for starters – and you won’t have to tack on patchwork ‘solutions’.
Jere (@jerejj)
2nd March 2025, 16:12
Less sensitive aero has already proven to have zero impact on Monaco’s racing quality, so next year’s technical regulation changes are unlikely to make any difference on this front & the same with width-length dimensions getting smaller as the 1998-2016 period shows.
Maciek (@maciek)
3rd March 2025, 14:18
I was speaking more generally in terms of making better racing more likely no matter the venue. But there is simply no way that Monaco, like any other tight circuit, doesn’t suffer from longer cars and super wide front wings.
sam
2nd March 2025, 17:17
Monaco should be night race.
Grapmg
2nd March 2025, 18:32
Maybe 2 stops will give us some interesting strategies and spice up the race. However if that influences the race too much its an other gimmick we don’t need. I still love the Monaco GP hope it will stay on the calendar if only for the thrilling qualifying. I guess they should shorten the race to only sprint and make it a two hour qualification.
Coventry Climax
2nd March 2025, 18:39
Will extra pitstops improve racing? Ofcourse not. In the extreme, having 20 pitstops is horrible, and racing is what happens outside of the pitlane.
So pitstops themselves will do no good.
To avoid the situation we had on Monaco last year from happening again – which is a different matter -, I’ll repeat my comment of a couple of days ago:
The only thing that would amend a situation like we had in Monaco last year, but then for any circuit and without creating exceptions, requires adding just 3 words to the rules regarding tyre changes:
‘under racing conditions’.
That excludes tyre changes from counting when under red, however many reds.
Time and again, I’m apalled at how the FiA thinks to solve issues, that frankly, almost always arise from just poor wording to begin with.
At least that’s something Domenicali seems to admit to now.
Sergey Martyn
2nd March 2025, 18:41
Please get rid of mandatory tyre change and give a point to the car which complete the race on just one set of tyres no matter which place it scores. This will not only make Greta and other green loonies smile, but enliven the show dramatically raising the chances of midfield and backfield.
RH
2nd March 2025, 18:57
Someone’s gonna muck up a pitstop and that’s gonna lead to some controversy. Not the brightest move by a clearly dim organization.
Tacit (@tacit)
2nd March 2025, 21:19
Yay more “racing” that occurs off track.
It’s Monaco, let’s just make the team owners play cards to determine the winners. If they make vroom vroom noises it’s still better than what we have now.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
2nd March 2025, 21:37
Went for slighly disagree cause I still think they could’ve made it so that changing tyres under red flag doesn’t count towards the mandatory pit stop, however as others said I don’t think it’s a negative to have an extra stop, gives more strategic opportunities at a track where otherwise passing is almost impossible nowadays.
PeteB (@peteb)
2nd March 2025, 22:12
I don’t like gimmicks but let’s be honest, the Monaco GP itself is one big gimmick so I’m ok with this. It might work well, it might fail spectacularly or it might be really weird (I know if I was starting in last place, I’d pit at the end of the formation lap!). Either way, it’s very unlikely it’ll make the Monaco GP less interesting than it usually is.
Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
2nd March 2025, 22:16
It sounds like the race track needs to be wider. I don’t suppose the Monaco city council will be delighted at this thought.
Peter707
3rd March 2025, 1:34
Widening at the expense of the marina at the Chicane-Tabac section?
Haas Khan (@haas918)
3rd March 2025, 0:11
It is likely to be still a boring race.
Ibex
3rd March 2025, 1:51
F1 still hasn’t learned learned that forcing everyone onto the same strategy makes for dull races.
It took two decades before they finally dropped the rule forcing everyone (lather the top 10) to start the race on their qualifying tyres – originally the same set, later just the same type. It was introduced as part of changes intended to make the races less predictable, but it arguably had the opposite effect. The Monaco rule will do the same. (Personally I would alter the two tyre type rule to allow drivers to attempt non-stop race.)
If they want to change the rules to prevent a repeat on last year’s Monaco race, they should just say tyre changes made under red flag conditions do not count for the two tyre typre rule, and changing to a different type of dry tyre must be done under racing conditions to count.
Bobby T
3rd March 2025, 3:56
I might be in the minority but there are 23 races. I can live with one that lacks overtaking and is something’s decided on Saturday.
I watch some practice seasons, all qualifying and the main event. While the Monaco race might lack some drama its qualifying is the best in the calendar… by a lot.
I think this is okay. It’s a long season. The technical skill and bravery it takes to win qualifying in Monaco is one of the things I like the most in F1. I think if you look at both Saturday and Sunday Monaco has plenty of drama.
I would avoid changes that may have unintended consequences at other races if it was up to me.
FlyingLap (@flyinglapp)
3rd March 2025, 5:05
To create some excitement alternate tires should be determined by grid position. So pole starts on mediums, 2nd on soft, 3rd on mediums, 4th soft and so on. Since it’s very difficult to get the exact grid position you’d prefer it will make for some interesting strategies.
Cranberry
3rd March 2025, 7:35
MAKE THE CARS SMALLER!
tielemst
3rd March 2025, 10:14
I think the best option is to have the F1 presentation of the cars not in the O2 but in Monaco. They can than use that weekend to race on a track where racing is actually possible.
Matt Buck
3rd March 2025, 10:20
Remove the rule which says it’s 260km instead of 305km. Longer race = more need for tyre changes.
Tommy Scragend
3rd March 2025, 13:19
If it was 305km it wouldn’t be possible to complete the race within the two hours – I’ve always assumed that’s why the lower limit exists in the first place.
In the 2023 Monaco GP (2024 isn’t a fair comparison because there was a red flag), Verstappen completed the 78 laps in just under 1 hr 49 mins. An additional 45km is another 13 or 14 laps which would add over 20 minutes to the race time.
Tommy Scragend
3rd March 2025, 13:22
Just realised there was rain in the 2023 race. The last full distance, dry race was in 2021 which Verstappen won in 1 hr 38.
Still not really enough time to have done another 14 laps.
pcxmac (@pcxmac)
3rd March 2025, 13:00
how about this, no stops, and they have to use the softest compound.
BMW p85 V10
3rd March 2025, 13:50
Adding more pit stops doesn’t automatically make for better racing. Yes it may stir up results based on quali performance and you can only loose if you are not able to bring your good qualification performance to a race win because of this rule.
I’d say take qualification time and make sure everybody needs to lap within a 105% (or 107% and slowly building down to 102%, let FIA do the math of what is feasible) of their qualification result. If you go over your 105%, you are required to pit. (exceptions, for yellow flags or being held up by back markers (but you’re also required to overtake the back markers).
I think that would make for some more interesting racing, because drivers are required to keep pushing.
MazdaChris (@mazdachris)
3rd March 2025, 15:21
The issue of Monaco being ‘boring’ isn’t going to be fixed by increasing overtaking on circuit. The characteristics of the track make overtaking extremely difficult and risky. This is nothing new; people have been making this argument for at least the four decades I’ve been watching the sport, including in decades where the cars were significantly smaller than today. It’s also an issue that affects both F2 and F3. It’s also not really feasible to change the circuit in a way which would give more overtaking opportunities without compromising safety to an unacceptable level.
Personally, I don’t really feel like anything needs to be done. Monaco has a charm and a character all of its own, and it’s one of the races I always look forward to and enjoy. There are over twenty circuits on the calendar, and not every race needs to be defined by close battles.
That being said, if we agree that something does need to be done, here’s my suggestion. Rather than mandate the number of stops, instead mandate the maximum number of laps for a set of tyres. Specifically, that the maximum length of a stint on a set of tyres should be 50% of the race distance plus one lap. In other words, 40 laps. This would make it technically possible to do a one-stop race, but a driver who wanted to do that would need to pit exactly in the middle of the GP. You’d get the potential benefit of fewer stops, sacrificing fewer positions on track, but your strategy would be predictable, and you would be compromised by having to run half the race on the softer tyre and deal with the degradation.
It would mean that, even if you took tyres during a stoppage in the first half of the race, you would still need to make a stop in the second half. And if there was a stoppage in the second half, you would already have taken a stop.
It would need a bit more thought about different scenarios, such as safety cars, weather changes, extra formation laps, shortened race distances, and so on. But overall I would prefer this to a mandatory two-stopper. Because all you’ll get is the same scenario as you have with the current one-stopper – teams are going to be more or less following the same optimum strategy, with winners and losers being determined more or less by pot-luck based on who else happens to stop when, and when things like safety cars occur. A strategy which relies on luck to be successful, is not really a strategy at all.