« Maybe we should throw bananas on the track »: drivers react to the two-stop rule in Monaco

The experiment implemented by the FIA for the Monaco Grand Prix this year, requiring each driver to use three different types of tires and thus make at least two stops, aimed at making the race more dynamic on the narrowest circuit on the calendar, did not result in the expected effects. The outcome was mixed; while some saw an improvement in the spectacle, others, like Max Verstappen and George Russell, did not mince words in criticizing this innovation.

The Dutch world champion, who finished fourth after leading a large part of the race by delaying his second stop, was particularly harsh on the Monaco event: « You can’t race here. No matter what you do. One stop, ten stops. Even at the end, I was leading, my tires were completely worn, and you still can’t overtake. Nowadays, with an F1, you can easily overtake an F2 here. I understand the idea, but I don’t think it worked. », Verstappen said after the race.

The Red Bull driver pushed his criticism even further by implying that if we really want to manufacture the spectacle, we might as well take the logic all the way and adopt rules worthy of video games: “Honestly, we were almost doing Mario Kart. So, we should install elements on the car, and why not throw bananas on the track! Slippery surface guaranteed,” he declared ironically.

Controversial tactics, Sainz denounces a manipulation.

The race was marked by questionable strategies from several teams. Racing Bulls and Williams used one of their drivers to deliberately slow down the pace, creating a sufficient gap to allow their teammate to make pit stops without losing positions. This tactic, although legal, caused outrage among several competitors.

At Williams, Carlos Sainz did not hold back in criticizing this system. The Spaniard described the race as manipulated due to the new rules. Speaking about his team, he admitted feeling uncomfortable with the strategy deployed but was forced to apply it: “It’s definitely something I don’t like to do and something I don’t like to see. Unfortunately, Lawson did it first against us, which we did not expect. It put us in panic mode, and the only solution we found was to do it ourselves to the rest of the pack,” he explained.

The Iberian driver was particularly disappointed with the entire weekend: « I’m just a bit disappointed with the whole race and the whole weekend. It shows that the introduction of two stops doesn’t change anything in Monaco, and people will continue to do what we did today. People will continue to manipulate the final result with driving. », he noted with disappointment.

For Sainz, the measure simply wasn’t effective, and therefore not conclusive: « I don’t know about the front pack, but in the middle of the field, it had the opposite effect. I’m glad everyone is trying things. We tried, and for me, it didn’t work. This is not the way I like to race or how I dream of racing in Monaco. »

The Spanish driver also called for a solution to be found, particularly to prevent teams from manipulating race pace, believing that in the absence of change, this type of scenario would inevitably repeat itself.

His teammate Alex Albon, who had described the race as “ugly” over the radio, acknowledged that the performance offered by his team during the race had not been up to par and admitted that some drivers behind them were probably annoyed by the situation. “It’s simply taking advantage of the circuit’s characteristics and the size of the cars. The two stops just forced us to do it twice instead of once,” he lamented.

The Thai driver also issued a direct apology to the viewers for the strategy: « Sorry to everyone who watched that because it wasn’t very good. », assuring that it was neither intentional nor planned but rather forced by their direct competitors during the race, who had implemented this strategy.

George Russell: I don’t care, penalty accepted for overtaking

The frustration was visible among several drivers stuck behind cars that were intentionally slowing down. George Russell ended up cutting the Nouvelle chicane to overtake Alex Albon, stating on his radio: “I’ll take the penalty, he [Albon] is driving erratically.” This action, evidence of the difficulties faced by the drivers against these new tactics, earned him a pit-lane penalty.

Speaking after the race, Russell summed up his position as follows: “We were damned if we did and damned if we didn’t. At some point, I said ‘damn it, I don’t care’ because I was out of the points and was going to finish nowhere. I just wanted to enjoy driving in Monaco. We lost everything because of the failure in qualifying.” The Mercedes driver pointed out, with a touch of irony, that despite having to make a pit stop, he finished better placed than if he hadn’t incurred that penalty. Without it, he would have been stuck behind Albon, Tsunoda, and Hülkenberg. It’s a way to criticize a system he considered failing.

Driving the point home with sarcasm, the Brit suggested, when asked for areas of improvement, that each driver could have a button in their cockpit to trigger sprinklers on the track and spice up the Monaco show. Before concluding on a more serious note: One could almost say: let’s have two qualifying sessions and award points for them. A qualifying race on Saturday, and that’s a win. Another one on Sunday, another win. I don’t know… because the race itself is quite absurd. Except in cases of torrential rain. […] But it’s Monaco. There’s no other race like it. Probably 95% of the people, maybe even more, who come here don’t do it to watch the race. So, it’s not really a race.

Williams team director, James Vowles, admitted to being caught in a system he did not appreciate and apologized to his former colleague Toto Wolff for the incident between Albon and Russell: “It’s not how I like to go racing but that’s what the rules have created. From my position, it’s a tough afternoon,” he shared after the event.

For his part, Wolff revealed having received a message from his former collaborator: « James texted me saying: ‘I’m sorry. We had no choice given what happened in front.’ I replied: ‘We know.’ » The Austrian defended Vowles, believing that the latter had no other choice, as both cars were in a position to score points.

Some advocates of change

Despite the criticism, some paddock figures defended the experiment. Zak Brown, McLaren’s boss, found the race much more exciting than the usual Monaco, while Christian Horner saw an improvement. Indeed, the Red Bull boss believed that the race had a stronger strategic interest than the previous edition, which he had described as a mere procession. According to him, where there was usually only one stop hoping for reliability to hold up, more things happened this time.

The Ferrari driver, Charles Leclerc, second in the event, also supported the innovation: “There were a lot of things happening, and it gave more opportunities.” His teammate, Lewis Hamilton, fifth, praised the effort and encouraged the continuation of experiments: “They must keep trying on this one.” However, the British driver admitted he could not fully comment on the rest of the race as he was “in the middle of nowhere” and was therefore not involved in the strategic plays that took place during the event.

The future of the Monegasque rule in question

Faced with these mixed reactions, the future of this specific regulation in Monaco remains uncertain. Toto Wolff suggested adjustments rather than a complete abandonment: « I think we can look to create more specific regulations where there is only a maximum slowdown we can have. We can say that one cannot go slower than ‘x’ seconds from the leaders. »

However, Frédéric Vasseur, the director of Ferrari, opposed such an idea, considering that it is impossible to control the race pace: « To police it, honestly, it’s impossible because it’s not the first time. If we want to start policing it, what is the limit? Three tenths? A second? Two seconds? Three seconds? », he questioned.

Indeed, trying to regulate the pace during the race in Monaco is akin to addressing a consequence rather than the cause. Deliberately managing the pace, particularly to control gaps between teammates, is already part of the classic strategies in F1, especially on a circuit where overtaking is a feat.

Furthermore, it would be arbitrary, difficult to control, and would push teams to drive right at the threshold, without improving the spectacle. The problem stems primarily from the unique characteristics of Monaco and the current cars, so regulating the pace won’t change anything.

The 2025 experience will at least have had the merit of reigniting the debate on the necessary evolution of the race format in Monaco, between those advocating more radical changes and those defending the traditional essence of this very special event.