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The Independent
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
F1's Monaco Grand Prix experiment flopped – but two changes can save prestigious race
Kudos for trying. After last year's no-change procession, the kingmakers at Formula One had to change something at the sport's traditional blue-riband event. A mandatory two pit-stops had never been written into the rulebook before; the aroma of mystique was palpable ahead of raceday in Monte-Carlo. As it turned out, the brains and boffins in the garages made a mockery of the regulation. Racing Bulls showed their hand first, with Liam Lawson driving purposefully slowly to hold up the pack behind him, allowing teammate Isack Hadjar to pit again without losing position. Then, Williams followed suit – with Carlos Sainz and then Alex Albon lapping nearly six seconds a lap slower than the frontrunners. For both teams, double points-finishes. A tactic reeking of gamesmanship worked to perfection. It was all fair game – but it was master manipulation. As 2009 world champion Jenson Button put it afterwards: 'It was all just a bit silly.' Even for the drivers who benefited from the strategy, there was little solace in the leaderboard. Their racing instinct was curtailed here, at one of the sport's most glorious circuits to drive. That is not right. 'I must say this is not the way I like to race, or dream about racing in Monaco,' said Sainz, who finished 10th, afterwards. 'A bit disappointed with the whole race. The two-stops changes nothing around Monaco, people are still going to try and manipulate the final result. We either find a solution to the race-pace or it will always be like this in Monaco. 'In the midfield, it backfired. It made things even more manipulated for people to get two stops and pit windows. I'm happy for F1 to try things. We tried, for me it didn't work. Maybe we just need to forbid the pace manipulation.' Announcing the new rule in February, the FIA insisted the mandatory three different tyre sets was implemented with the aim of 'promoting better racing.' But as Martin Brundle succinctly put on commentary: 'The focus was on pitting, not racing.' Sainz's teammate, Alex Albon, went a step further, apologising to fans watching on at home: 'It's not how we want to go racing. I know we put on a bad show for everyone and made some drivers angry behind us. 'It's taking advantage of the track and the size of the cars. Just frustrating and apologies to everyone who watched it. Yeah, sorry!' In the closing stages, George Russell actually decided to illegally cut a corner at the Nouvelle chicane in order to squeeze past a slow-moving Albon. The Mercedes driver duly received a drive-through penalty but despite also having to pit twice late on, he still finished 11th – higher than he would have done if he merely stayed behind Albon. Russell later called the new rule a 'flawed system.' Yet the simple facts are that the circuit configurations of the principality street circuit, coupled with the size of this era of Formula One car, make overtaking near-impossible in dry conditions. The use of DRS around the banana-straight is ineffective and if you try to overtake anywhere on the circuit, contact is unavoidable. However, the battle at the front was tight on the timesheet until the very end. Max Verstappen held out for a late red-flag in front, before Lando Norris (who lapped most of the field twice) claimed victory – his first since the season-opener in Australia. Much like most years, it was a win secured with a scintillating final lap in qualifying. Yet the unprecedented race rule change will need some modification for 2026. Today, it fell flat. When you have Russell suggesting sprinklers and Verstappen proposing banana skins – a la Mario Kart – you know that the regulation has backfired. A maximum lap time would solve Sunday's issue – and could be applied in a similar way to track limits. Enforcing at least one pit-stop in the first half of the race could also stop such radical strategies. It may have seemed borderline farcical at times, but F1 should not be ridiculed for trying something different. They tried, they failed. And with a contract in Monaco until 2031, they'll be trying to find a different remedy for many a year to come.
News.com.au
26-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘Really scary!' Crash takes out pit crew
Motorsport: Robert Shwartzman hit the wall during his pit stop, in scary scenes at the Indy 500.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Joker lap? F1 paddock mulls how to fix 'dull' Monaco Grand Prix
A attempt to jazz up the Monaco Grand Prix by making drivers take two pit-stops was widely seen to have failed on Sunday as Formula One personalities mulled radical ideas to boost excitement next year. Former F1 driver Nick Heidfeld told Sky Germany that a "joker lap" involving "shortcuts" could be a way to make overtaking possible on the famous twisting streets of the glamorous principality. Advertisement Lando Norris won from pole as the top four again stayed the same. Red Bull's world champion Max Verstappen tried to take the new two-stop rule to the extreme by boxing for a second time on the penultimate lap. But even though he led for much of the closing stages, all fans knew he would have to pit and Norris would win. Ex-driver Ralf Schumacher said: "Such a race can not be allowed again." Last year the top 10 in qualifying were the top 10 in the race. Although Lewis Hamilton and Isack Hadjar made ground into the top six this year, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff was not impressed. "It was worse than just having one stop. It's a qualifying race. The whole time you can't overtake," he said after his drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli could only finish 11th and 18th. Advertisement "The event is spectacular ... but the race on Sunday is a bit dull." Monaco, on the F1 calendar since the championship began in 1950, has seen its contract extended until 2031 despite worries about the racing. Amazon boss Jeff Bezos and football icon Zinedine Zidane were among the glitterati in attendance on Sunday despite the processional race, with the sun at least shining unlike in recent years. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was more charitable than others about the two pit-stop idea. "It was worth trying," he said.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Frustration and slow driving at Monaco GP as F1 rule change backfires
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands gets a pit service during the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix race at the Monaco racetrack in Monaco, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (Gabriel Bouys/Pool Photo via AP) Williams driver Alexander Albon of Thailand steers his car during the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix race at the Monaco racetrack in Monaco, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Williams driver Alexander Albon of Thailand steers his car during the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix race at the Monaco racetrack in Monaco, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands gets a pit service during the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix race at the Monaco racetrack in Monaco, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (Gabriel Bouys/Pool Photo via AP) Williams driver Alexander Albon of Thailand steers his car during the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix race at the Monaco racetrack in Monaco, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Going slow was one way to secure points at the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday as Formula 1's much-hyped attempt to shake up the prestigious race brought little drama. Overtaking is near-impossible on Monaco's narrow streets. To make the race more of a strategy contest, F1's governing body, the FIA, required two tire changes in the hope that smartly timed pit stops would create drama. Advertisement Last year's winner Charles Leclerc had predicted 'chaos' but instead it was a frustrating race for many drivers as some drove extra slowly to create a gap for a teammate in front to pit without losing positions. Mercedes driver George Russell argued the go-slow led to dangerous situations. Norris criticizes 'manufactured' racing Winner Lando Norris was scathing about the rule change, something he saw as an attempt to create 'manufactured racing.' Norris spent much of the race behind Max Verstappen, who delayed his second stop, hoping for a red-flag stoppage. That would have allowed a free tire change, and maybe given Verstappen the win. Advertisement 'There's not been any more overtaking here. I thought that was what was wanted,' Norris said. 'Now you just give people opportunity by luck, by waiting for a red flag, waiting for a safety car. You aren't getting a more deserved winner in the end of things.' 'Dangerously slow' driving frustrates Russell Mercedes driver George Russell spent much of his race stuck behind slow cars. Tensions boiled over when he accused Williams' Alex Albon of 'driving dangerously slow' and 'slamming on the brakes' in a terse radio message from Russell to his team. Russell overtook Albon by cutting a chicane, adding he'd rather 'take the penalty' than wait any longer. The stewards had predicted drivers might try that and Russell landed a longer-than-usual penalty which dropped him back behind Albon. Russell finished 11th, his worst result this year. Advertisement Williams wasn't the first team to drop the pace. Its drivers were reacting to an earlier go-slow from Racing Bulls. Liam Lawson held up cars and secured space for his teammate Isack Hadjar to make two stops before many other drivers had made one. In the end, though, none of the more unusual strategies made much difference. Verstappen made his long-delayed second stop and placed fourth, exactly where he'd started. Racing Bulls had little to show for its efforts as Hadjar started fifth but finished sixth. Both Williams drivers stayed in the points after each moved up a spot to ninth and 10th, but that gain was only because Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin broke down. ___ AP auto racing:
New York Times
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- New York Times
Drivers brace for Monaco Grand Prix's new rules – and a bold, ‘chaotic' race
MONACO — In previous years, Lando Norris would have known that, by scoring pole for Formula One's Monaco Grand Prix, he'd done most of the job required to win the famous race. The difficulty in overtaking around the tight confines of the street circuit with this generation of large F1 cars means the driver at the front could typically control the race with a slow pace. Five of the last six races in Monaco have been won by the driver at the head of the field for lights out. Advertisement But Norris smirked when asked to put a percentage on how much of the job he felt was already done after qualifying for the 2025 event in the principality on Saturday. 'I have no idea… four?' he said, picking a random number. 'It's impossible to put a number on it. More so, probably than in the past, going into a new rule race.' That new rule is the introduction of two mandatory pit stops for just the Monaco round, which was confirmed earlier this year in response to a run of boring races in recent years, especially the lifeless 2024 race after an early red flag stoppage. The step aims to improve the on-track spectacle and make for a better event overall, both for the competing drivers and the watching fans. All weekend long, the drivers and their teams have been unsure just how it will shake things up. They only know for sure that it will pose an extra mental challenge for them all. It will also create more strategy variables — and, for the driver on pole, more chances to lose the race than in years gone by. 'It's great for you guys, not so good for me,' Norris told reporters in the post-qualifying Monaco news conference. 'Let's wait and see.' Charles Leclerc, the Ferrari driver who qualified second after sweeping all three practice sessions in the run-up to qualifying on Saturday, benefited from starting on pole last year and slowing the field down in the procession that followed the lap one red flag. The stoppage meant the field could make a free pit stop and complete 76 subsequent laps on a single set of tires, with Leclerc slowing the field from the front, leaving his rivals unable to overtake. This year, the expectation is for a faster race as drivers push to try and create a gap into which they can pit. But Leclerc – the home hero in Monaco — did not think those running at the front of the field would be able to take unusual strategy routes due to the format changes. Instead, he sees the surprises rising from those starting from further back. 'I think there's going to be a bit of chaos,' Leclerc said. 'But we'll see how it plays out. There will be a lot of strategy games, and we'll see who comes out on top. But I think we might be under pressure from cars we probably don't expect from the back, which might make everything interesting. We'll see.' Advertisement One team that would hope to benefit from the added strategy variety is Mercedes, which endured a miserable qualifying. Kimi Antonelli hit the barrier in Q1 and broke his front suspension, leaving him 15th on the grid for Sunday's race. George Russell suffered an electrical problem after hitting a bump on the track in Q2, meaning he qualified only one place ahead in 14th. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff called it an 'abysmal' day in an interview with Sky Sports F1. 'We had a real chance this weekend, now it's up in smoke,' said Russell, who has been a podium regular this season. 'Weekend over, it's pretty deflating.' The promise of having to do two stops did little to improve Russell's outlook. 'For sure, there's going to be some crazy strategies,' he said. But he noted the track position advantage for the cars ahead meant they'd still have the upper hand when rolling the dice. 'There's 10 cars between me and where I should have been,' Russell said. 'If people are doing crazy things with the strategy, half of those guys will go one way, half will go the other way. Therefore, whichever one we decide, we're stuck behind five drivers.' Russell thought there were two ways teams could try a risky strategy: fit soft tires for the start and pit during the opening laps, or start on hards and go deep into the race before making a first stop. 'If they start on the C6 (soft), you know they're going for a very early one,' Russell said. 'If everybody starts on the hard tire, you know they're intending to go longer. As soon as we see what they're on, we'll make that choice.' Championship leader Oscar Piastri will start third, two places behind McLaren teammate Norris. Piastri agreed with Leclerc's assessment that it could be 'a pretty chaotic race' thanks to the extra required stop. 'The overtaking is still not going to be very high, I don't think,' he said. 'There will be a lot more uncertainty with strategy.' Advertisement McLaren team principal Andrea Stella told reporters after qualifying there was a 'material' risk that a team further back with nothing to lose could indeed gamble with an off-piste strategy. McLaren fears it could pay off. 'The implications of the compulsory two stops, they are much wider than we thought initially,' Stella conceded. 'Depending on you being at the front or the back of the field, you can make significantly different choices. And then, as a function of red flags or safety cars or teamwork, this may lead to very different scenarios. 'I think the strategy meeting that is happening during this media session will be longer than usual. Because the scenarios to consider are definitely many more than you normally consider, not only in Monaco, but any other race that we need to prepare (for).' Norris talked up the significance of claiming pole in Monaco. To convert that into his first win since the season-opening race in Australia would be significant to cut into Piastri's current 13-point championship lead and further boost his at times flagging confidence. Winning in Monaco against increased threats from behind would make it all the more significant – and challenging. 'Of course, in my position now, I probably don't agree with what's been done,' Norris joked. 'But I'm not the one who makes the rules.' (Top image:)
