F1 Monaco GP: how the new mandatory two-pit stop rule works. The Monaco GP introduces a new rule requiring drivers to use three different tyre sets during the race.

The 2024 edition of the Monaco GP delivered intense emotions for Ferrari fans, with Charles Leclerc finally claiming his first home victory. But beyond that, it was mostly uneventful. For this reason, the Federation has decided to make the Monaco GP more exciting by changing the pit stop rules.

Aside from the emotional win for the Monegasque and the terrifying opening crash involving Sergio Perez, the most iconic race on the calendar was marked by heavy monotony.

The reason was that, after the early crash involving the Mexican and the two Haas cars, all the drivers switched to the hard (white) tyre. With this more durable compound and on the slowest circuit on the calendar, the drivers made it to the end of the race without returning to the pits and without practically any overtaking.

To make the Monaco race more exciting, the Federation has decided that from this season, teams will be required to make two pit stops to run all three tyre compounds. Let’s take a closer look at what the new rules involve.

Each driver must use at least three different sets of tyres during the Grand Prix, instead of the usual two. As usual, drivers must use at least two different dry-weather compounds, such as soft and medium. These rules also apply in case of wet-weather tyre use.

Regarding potential penalties, a driver who finishes the race without using the required number of tyre sets will be disqualified. However, if the race is suspended and cannot be resumed, a driver who used only two sets will receive a 30-second penalty. A driver who used only one will be penalized by one minute.

Moreover, drivers are only required to change tyres, not to make a pit stop per se. This means tyre changes can also be done during red flag phases.

Previously, the mandatory tyre change rule in F1 had no impact on wet races. Once a driver used a set of intermediate or full wet tyres, they were no longer required to use two different dry compounds.

However, this will not be the case in Monaco. According to the new rule, even if a driver uses a set of intermediates or wets during the race, they must still use three distinct sets of tyres. Will all of this be enough to make the Principality circuit more thrilling? We’ll find out on Sunday.