Lewis Hamilton has rejected the logic behind adding a Sprint race to the Monaco Grand Prix, arguing that Formula 1 needs a genuinely innovative solution for a circuit where overtaking remains extremely difficult.
Next year, Formula 1 will stage ten Sprint events across the season, with Monaco included among them. The decision has surprised many fans, particularly because the traditional Sunday Grand Prix often turns into a long procession after the opening corner due to the circuit layout and the limited number of realistic overtaking opportunities.
Lewis Hamilton questions the Monaco Sprint decision
The debate has also divided the drivers. Lewis Hamilton has strongly questioned the reasoning behind adding a Sprint to the Monte Carlo weekend, while Lando Norris, although also sceptical, offered one possible explanation for why the format could create something different.
Lando Norris suggested that removing two free-practice sessions could generate more uncertainty on track because drivers would have less time to find the optimum set-up. On a circuit as demanding and unforgiving as Monaco, reduced preparation could potentially make the weekend less predictable.
When Lewis Hamilton was asked for his opinion on the planned Monaco Sprint, however, the Ferrari driver left little room for interpretation.
“For me, it makes no sense,” Lewis Hamilton said. “Obviously I’m not the one making the decisions, but the positive is that perhaps we’ll have another qualifying session, which is quite interesting.”
Lewis Hamilton wants Monaco to use a different F1 format
Lewis Hamilton believes Monaco is sufficiently unique to justify abandoning the standard Formula 1 weekend formula altogether.
“I’ve always said that at Monaco we should do something different; I don’t think it should follow the same race formula as all the other circuits, it needs to be something innovative,” Lewis Hamilton explained.
“We’ve already introduced Sprint races, which I think have really brought a breath of fresh air to the sport, but I think for a place like that we should come up with something new.”
The difficulty of producing overtaking at Monaco is closely linked to the nature of the street circuit itself. Previous winners, pole positions and historical benchmarks at Formula 1 venues can be explored through the F1 Circuit Records & Statistics section.
‘A Sprint race is not the right answer’
Despite his criticism of the racing spectacle, Lewis Hamilton remains enthusiastic about the Monaco circuit from a driving perspective.
“Monaco is a beautiful place, a wonderful country, an incredible circuit to drive, but the race is boring as hell,” Lewis Hamilton said. “I don’t know what it could be, but I would say a Sprint race is not the right answer.”
Lewis Hamilton’s position is therefore not an argument against Sprint races in general. The seven-time world champion believes the format has added something new to Formula 1, but considers Monaco a special case where simply adding another shorter race does not address the fundamental problem.
For Lewis Hamilton, the challenge is finding a format that makes the Monaco weekend genuinely different rather than applying the same Sprint concept already used elsewhere.
Leave a Reply