F1 looks to spice up races with two mandatory pit stops, Pirelli agrees

Formula 1 has been experimenting with several changes in 2025 to make races more thrilling for fans. In particular, at the Monaco Grand Prix, a double mandatory pit stop was introduced, while at Zandvoort, the pit lane speed was increased from 60 to 80 km/h, all aimed at encouraging more pit stops. These measures are clearly designed to cater to an audience seeking adrenaline and spectacle, but in doing so, they alter an essential aspect of the races, especially in the streets of Monaco.

The idea of externally regulating the character of a Grand Prix has been discussed for some time, with proposals to force teams to perform two pit stops in every race. Pirelli has always expressed support for this concept, but Formula 1 itself has held back, as teams are generally reluctant to take unnecessary risks and prefer more conservative strategies. Mario Isola explained to Motorsport Italia: “On paper, the pit stop jump works. In reality, however, to save a pit stop, teams end up running the soft tire at the pace of the hard. This is why we need to widen the performance gap between compounds and propose the tire jump. At that point, the delta becomes significant, and the plan is to move in that direction.”

Teams reluctant to take risks

Both cases observed this year, in Monaco and the Netherlands, proved largely unsuccessful. Initially, there was a surge of excitement, but ultimately, races ended up in the usual train-like formation, with traffic and Safety Cars acting as the real wild cards. This happens because the various team strategists always push for the most conservative approach. As Mario Isola continued, “Strategy is based on three parameters: tire degradation, pit stop time, and a coefficient teams use to indicate the difficulty of overtaking. This varies from track to track and defines the performance gap needed to execute a pass. Teams refer to this algorithm as Monte Carlo, especially on tracks where overtaking is more difficult. The coefficient naturally favors a one-stop race, helping teams avoid ending up in traffic after a pit stop.”

There is no speculation yet about how Formula 1 will officially implement these changes, but it is safe to assume the sport will not let anything come between itself and the spectacle fans crave.