New pit stop rule shakes up F1 Monaco GP: what it means for Ferrari. Pirelli’s Mario Isola explains how Monaco’s new mandatory two-stop rule could disrupt race strategies.

To increase the variables in the historically monotonous Monaco GP, a rule has been introduced requiring teams to use three sets of tires during the race. This means two pit stops must be made on a circuit where single-stop strategies have always been preferred. Therefore, this change will surely bring about new scenarios, altering the GP’s strategic framework and shaking up team plans. Mario Isola, Head of F1 & Car Racing at Pirelli, analyzed some of these scenarios during the post-qualifying debrief in Monaco; let’s try to understand how they could affect Ferrari’s battle for the win in Monaco.

Goodbye to DRS trains?
Given the tight and twisty nature of the track, which makes overtaking extremely difficult, “track position” becomes crucial at Monaco. This has traditionally led teams to favor one-stop races. Often, the race leader would slow the pace to keep the pack close, waiting for the ideal moment to make their pit stop.

However, with the mandatory two-stop rule, this tactic could backfire. If the race leader manages the pace too much, the chasers could pit early to push in clean air and undercut him. For this reason, Mario Isola believes this once-standard tactic — a source of monotony — is now less likely, in favor of more uncertainty and new variables:

“There’s less incentive to do it, because under the normal regulation — with only one stop — everything is geared towards maintaining track position. So you slow down, manage your pace based on the compound you’re running, pit at the right moment to avoid traffic, and keep your position. With this new situation, it’s harder to predict… it’s very complicated. There are more elements to manage.”

The inability to comfortably control the race from the front will likely penalize Lando Norris, benefiting Charles Leclerc, who starts in second. In situations like this, the leader often finds himself in the trickiest position: having more to lose, he’s forced to make more cautious decisions. The chasers, on the other hand, can afford more aggressive strategies — which may prove decisive.

But pushing harder also increases the importance of tire management and race pace. If the Monegasque can stay close to the McLaren, he’ll definitely have more chances to attack strategically. Conversely, if Norris manages to build a significant gap, the McLaren team will have more breathing room in race management.

Will Mercedes shake things up?
Adding another variable is Mercedes, which after a poor qualifying session will start from the midfield. For this reason, Mario Isola says an early pit stop to get into clean air and escape slower traffic cannot be ruled out.

“They’re clearly not in an ideal position, starting mid-pack, and if they have slower cars ahead, they’ll want to clear the traffic. So it’s possible they’ll use the first stop for that reason.”

Such a move would further push the front-runners to increase their pace to avoid being undercut. Thus, even from the back, the Silver Arrows pose a potential threat to the leaders, who will need to be ready to respond to bold, disruptive strategies.

In conclusion, all these additional variables highlighted by Mario Isola — brought about by the two-stop rule — likely make Lando Norris’s position less comfortable, as he won’t be able to manage the race at his leisure. This potentially gives Charles Leclerc more of a chance. However, now more than ever, the key will be correctly interpreting the strategy and reacting appropriately to every possible scenario.