F1 teams 'not ready to handle' radical change to Monaco Grand Prix for 2025
Exclusive: Every driver will have to make at least two pit stops during the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix after a major rule change with the intention of making the event a more exciting race
A former Formula 1 star predicts some teams will be caught out by the unusual rule that will be in force at this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix. For 2025, the race is a guaranteed two-stopper – at least – with every driver required to use all three types of slick tyre during Sunday's race.
At every other race, the rule is that, in the dry weather, every car has to use at least two of the three different compounds – soft, medium and hard rubber. But that rule has been altered in a bid to spice things up in Monte Carlo.
While still one of the staple events of the global motorsport calendar, the Monaco F1 race has become a little stale in recent years. The tight, twisty track remains an enormous challenge for drivers but the bigger, bulkier cars of today make overtaking virtually impossible.
It makes qualifying spectacular every year, with ever driver pushing to the absolute limit and not leaving a spare inch of room in search of the best lap time. But the race can often be a procession – something F1 bosses are trying to change.
The idea is that extra pit stops will lead to more strategy errors being made and provide more opportunities for the running order to change. And Juan Pablo Montoya believes some drivers and teams may be caught out by the different rules this weekend.
"Yes, I think it's great," he said, when asked by Mirror Sport about the special new rules. "You're gonna have a bunch of scenarios coming up.
"If you're towards the back of the grid, you might want to start on the soft tyres and do a lap because if you stop at the end of the first lap, by the time the race still strings out, you've got to be in the back of the line pretty soon.
"You're gonna save one of the pits straight away, whereas the leaders need to find when to pit. So you're gonna have guys up front leading and waiting and you get a safety car, all of a sudden everything becomes upside down. That might become more like an IndyCar race where more people can win the race.
"I don't think teams in F1 are ready to handle it as it needs to be handled. I think somebody's gonna get it right. But I think a lot of people are gonna get it wrong because they're so used to running races certain ways and the whole strategy is built for that."
Montoya spoke exclusively to Mirror Sport via Vision4Sport, where you can enquire about exclusive packages to the world's best sporting events.
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