The Monaco Grand Prix 2.0 split the paddock. On one point everyone agreed: trying to change something to make the race in the Principality more lively was the right choice. Now, with engines off, it’s time to weigh the issues and improvements that emerged over the 78 laps yesterday to understand whether the future of the Monaco race will follow this format or return to what was done up to 2024. The choice will likely be much more debated than when the F1 Commission decided on February 26 to test the double stop.
The initial impression was of a more dynamic race, with a faster pace and less extreme tyre management, but looking closer, not much really changed. The first four positions at the chequered flag were the same as on the starting grid. Only Lewis Hamilton managed to move from seventh to fifth place thanks to Fernando Alonso’s retirement and an overcut on Isack Hadjar. Even from seventh to tenth place nothing changed from the starting positions, with everyone moving up one spot due to Fernando Alonso’s stop.
As the two-stop rule was set, the only real chance to shuffle the order was a race freeze due to a safety car or red flag—scenarios hoped for in vain by those expecting more unpredictability. The guarantee of the new format is that in case of a red flag in the early stages, all drivers would still need to stop again, unlike last year.
Compared to twelve months ago, something did change. Teams that found both their cars within the required pit window (19 seconds) did not hesitate to ask one of their drivers to go into ‘cruise mode’ and slow down the group behind to allow the other car to gain the 20-second gap needed for a tyre change without losing positions.
This, besides being quite frustrating for the driver asked to hold up the pack, triggered very slow trains. When the Williams pit wall asked Alex Albon to hold back the group, George Russell reached peak frustration and deliberately cut the chicane just to pass a rival who was lapping four seconds slower than the pace he could have maintained. Race control penalised him with a drive-through, but George didn’t lose any positions.
At one point during the race, Williams team principal James Vowles took his smartphone to send a message to Toto Wolff. “He wrote to say he was sorry for what they were doing,” Wolff recounted, “but they had no other choice. In the end, they did what was right under the circumstances. We tried something that didn’t work as expected. Track position remained the most important variable, and there were no surprise outcomes. Maybe we should impose minimum lap times to prevent drivers from acting as roadblocks, but that would mean adding yet another rule. Some solution to modify the circuit layout should be considered, but we’re between the sea and the hills—there’s very little space.”
Between the sea and the hills, even yesterday, the crowd presence was impressive. Stands, balconies, hospitality areas, boats—everything was sold out. Of course, the VIP parade was there too, and the starting grid was packed to the limit with barely any room to move. This is Monaco, and in certain aspects, racing in the Principality still makes a lot of sense.
The problem begins when the engines start, and the attempts made over the years to make Monte Carlo into something it’s not have failed.
The solution to give this race a meaningful future is probably far from Monaco, as Andrea Stella pointed out. “The main limitation on this track is that you can’t overtake. It’s a problem that can’t be solved by mandating a certain number of pit stops. Looking ahead, I think it’ll be interesting to see what happens next year when the cars are a bit smaller, with less grip, and much longer braking zones than now. They’ll be cars with a completely different power unit strategy—it will be a radical change—and I hope that change will make overtaking possible. Because at the moment, even if you’re three seconds faster than the car in front, you still can’t think about passing.”
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