Last year, Charles Leclerc brought Ferrari to the top by winning the Monaco GP. This year, however, the outlook is far less optimistic—even though the SF-25 seemed to show a flicker of potential in Imola.
Both Ferraris demonstrated decent race pace, with Lewis Hamilton finishing in fourth and Charles Leclerc in sixth. For the Monegasque driver, a two-stop strategy proved costly, as it did not deliver the expected results.
Despite what was, overall, a fairly encouraging outcome—especially considering the disastrous qualifying session that saw both drivers eliminated in Q2—Jacques Villeneuve believes that the Monte Carlo circuit will present a completely different kind of challenge.
“I don’t think there’s any track that suits them,” the former Formula 1 driver told Sky Sports F1. “This year the car just isn’t good enough. At Monaco, you need a car that can change direction very quickly and be extremely precise between the guardrails,” he pointed out.
“It wasn’t like that [in Imola], especially in qualifying.” According to the Canadian, qualifying will—as expected—be absolutely critical in Monaco. However, he warned that “with two mandatory pit stops now, there could be some strange strategies. Maybe a team will wait until the last five laps to make both stops, hoping for a Safety Car.”
The Monaco GP will be the first race to introduce a new rule requiring teams to make two mandatory pit stops. As stated in the official release: “The FIA World Motor Sport Council has reviewed a proposal for the implementation of a mandatory two-stop strategy (both in wet and dry conditions) for the Monaco GP, with the primary aim of improving the sporting spectacle of this event, given the significant difficulty of overtaking on this circuit.”
“Following recent discussions within the F1 Commission, a specific requirement has been approved for the Monaco GP that mandates the use of at least three sets of tyres during the race, with a minimum of two different compounds to be used in dry conditions.”
The two mandatory pit stops are intended to enhance the excitement at a track where overtaking is notoriously rare. As such, strategy will be everything if Ferrari hopes to fight for at least a place in the top five.
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