At the end of the Monaco F1 GP, it’s time to take stock: did the mandatory double pit stop rule work or not? The day’s key players responded with differing opinions on the success of the new regulation.
The change was introduced due to growing concerns about the Monaco GP becoming too predictable, with drivers largely holding the same positions as in qualifying.
Last year, in particular, a red flag on the first lap allowed drivers to change tires immediately and go to the end, resulting in very little on-track action. So the decision was made to introduce the obligation to use three compounds, in an attempt to make the race more dynamic — but did it work?
Lewis Hamilton stated that, although the rule “didn’t necessarily make a big difference for me, we need to keep trying.” Max Verstappen was more direct, saying, “In the end it didn’t make any difference.”
And the race winner, Lando Norris, said the rule “simply gave people a chance based on luck, waiting for a red flag or a Safety Car.” In the end, it doesn’t produce a more deserving winner, something he doesn’t completely agree with. He added, “I think it should be the one who drives the best race and deserves to win.”
Norris’s statements reflect what happened in the race. Red Bull’s Dutch driver delayed his final pit stop until the last lap. With no hope of reaching the podium, Max Verstappen stayed out as long as possible, hoping for a red flag that never came — which would have allowed a “free” tire change.
Norris added, “Overtaking has never been Monaco’s strong point, never. So I don’t understand why people have such high expectations. But I also think F1 shouldn’t just turn into a show to entertain the public. It’s a sport. It’s about who races better and qualifies better.”
His McLaren teammate, however, said, “It definitely made things a bit more tense at times. In certain moments you had to push more to either catch the Safety Car window of the cars around you or get outside someone else’s Safety Car window. So there were some strategic elements at play. But in the end, at the front, I don’t think much changed.”
“It would have been a completely different story if there had been a red flag five laps from the end and Max had won,” he added. “I’m sure if we keep doing this in the future, sooner or later a result like that will happen. Is that what we want to see? I don’t know. But at the front, I don’t think much changed this weekend.”
These are just some of the opinions on this first experiment with a mandatory double pit stop, which could be extended to other tracks in the future.
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