Earlier the year Formula 1’s governing body announced that it was examining the feasibility of increasing the number of pit stops at the Monaco Grand Prix, with the aim of “promoting better racing.”
FIA announces mandatory two-stop strategy for F1 Monaco Grand Prix
F1’s governing body has approved changes to improve the ‘sporting spectacle’ of the Monaco Grand Prix
Photo by Xavier Bonilla/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.
Those changes have now been approved.
In a statement released on social media the FIA announced that “following recent discussions in the F1 Commission, a specific requirement for the Monaco GP has been approved.” Under this change drivers must use “at least three” sets of tires in the Monaco Grand Prix, with a minimum of two different tire compounds to be used if the race is run in dry conditions.
According to the statement the implementation of a mandatory two-stop strategy — in both wet and dry conditions — is being made with the primary intent of “improving the sporting spectacle of this Race given the notable difficulty in overtaking at this circuit.”
While the Monaco Grand Prix is one of the races, along with the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, that makes up the Triple Crown of Motorsport recently the racing has been anything but spectacular.
Overtaking comes at a premium, often turning the Grand Prix into more of a parade. Last year’s race was a prime example, as an accident on the opening lap brought out the red flag and saw the field make their mandatory tire change, resulting in a drawn-out procession behind Charles Leclerc, the eventual race winner.
Speaking exclusively with SB Nation after finishing second, Oscar Piastri talked about how tough it is to overtake on the Monte Carlo streets.
“It’s incredibly tough [to overtake in Monaco]. I think for me the difficult thing is that whilst I was right behind Charles for a lot of the race, it wasn’t because he was slow,” started Piastri. “It was because he was deciding to go slow, right.”
“So it’s not like somewhere else where they have clear strengths and weaknesses and you can kind of set them up [for an overtake]. Like for him, if he wanted to go faster, he could have, literally depending on what he wanted to do with his right foot,” added the McLaren driver. “So that also made it tough.”
Over the years the Monaco Grand Prix has been decided on Saturday, with qualifying becoming a determinative factor. Now we will see if an increase in the number of mandatory pit stops for the Monaco Grand Prix can make Sundays in Monte Carlo a bit more exciting.
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