Monaco GP’s mandatory two-stop rule divides F1 stars; Norris disapproves, Leclerc and Piastri see strategic value despite low overtaking.
At the front of the field at least, the rule mandating two pit stops didn’t change much about how the prestigious Monaco race unfolded.
The innovation will no doubt spark debate, but one thing is certain, there was a driver who hated the rule: Lando Norris, the winner in Monaco.
“I hated it!” the McLaren F1 driver sighed in the press conference.
Why?
“Because it made things a lot scarier for me. I would’ve preferred it to be one stop, it would’ve been a lot more relaxed.”
“It’s not for me. The rules aren’t made for me. They’re not made for us to enjoy it more or anything. They’re made for the fans. They’re made to offer more entertainment to the viewers.”
“I don’t know if that was the case. So maybe that’s a question I should ask you. Were two stops better than one?”
So, would Lando Norris like to get rid of the two-stop rule for next year?
“Depends where I’m starting.”
Some even want to extend the two-stop rule to other Grands Prix…
“I don’t know. Ask the people who make the rules. We just have to comply, but it depends what you want. Do you want to manufacture races?”
Norris Rejects Manufactured Racing
“There weren’t more overtakes in the race at Monaco. I thought that was the goal. Now you’re just giving people a chance by luck – waiting for a red flag, waiting for a safety car.”
“You don’t end up with a more deserving winner, which I don’t entirely agree with. I think it should be the person who drives the best race and deserves to win.”
“Of course, I’m probably slightly biased in my opinion, but I think it has to be improved in different ways – for example, overtaking has never been good in Monaco, ever.”
“So I don’t know why people have such high expectations. But I also think Formula 1 shouldn’t become only a show to entertain people. It’s a sport.”
“It’s about who can race best, who can qualify best. As Charles said, it all came down to Saturday. It’s been like that since, whatever the first year was – 50, 60 years ago.”
“So the last thing I want is manufactured races, and I think we definitely need to move away from that and do a better job with the cars, with the tyres. Then you might start seeing more racing, but not by simply adding more pit stops.”
Leclerc Open to Innovation
Would Charles Leclerc like to see this innovation return next year, or is it already dead and buried?
The Monegasque seems less skeptical than his McLaren counterpart.
“I think finishing second yesterday, I was pretty happy there was this rule, because it gives you at least a bit more hope that something’s possible.”
“Honestly, it was quite interesting because with the traffic and everything, there was a lot going on, or at least you had to make your way through traffic, which is very tricky to do, especially here in Monaco.”
“So I think it gives more opportunities. I also heard there was quite a bit of team play going on behind us. Is that the kind of action we want to see in the future? I don’t know. I haven’t watched the race yet.”
“But, yes, it’s always been a bit like this in Monaco. That’s what makes it special, especially on Saturday when you’re pushing to the limit. That’s why it’s so important and tense for drivers to approach qualifying in Monaco, because we know that on Sunday, you don’t have as many opportunities.”
“It’s part of the magic of Monaco. Then I understand that we need to try and find a way to make it a bit more exciting, and maybe this is the way forward. But I haven’t reviewed the race enough to really judge.”
“It just adds a lot of randomness. You can get lucky or very unlucky, and it’s a bit out of your control.”
“But it’s always been a bit like that in Monaco, probably even more now with two stops. But there wasn’t more pressure on my side.”
Thanks to the 2026 regulation overhaul, next year’s F1 cars should be smaller… but not by much. Will that help overtaking in Monaco? Charles Leclerc isn’t so sure.
“Oh, that’s a very hard question to answer because honestly, I don’t even know how much smaller they’ll be.”
“I think Monaco will always be tricky, and you just adapt the way you defend to the width of the car behind you.”
“So, yes, I don’t have the answer, but I hope next year overtaking will be a bit easier here in Monaco.”
Piastri Welcomes Strategic Tension
The third-place finisher in the prestigious event, Oscar Piastri, also gave a more positive assessment of the two-stop rule.
More attacking, more pace — the innovation paid off according to the McLaren F1 driver.
“It definitely made things a little more tense at a few moments. You had to push more at certain times to either get into the safety car window of the cars around you or to get out of someone else’s safety car window.”
“So there were some strategic elements involved. But ultimately, at the front, I don’t think it changed things that much.”
“The story would have been very different if there had been a red flag with five laps to go and Max had won. I’m sure if we keep going like this in the future, a result like that will eventually happen.”
“Is that what we want to see? I don’t know. But at the front, I don’t think it changed things a lot this weekend.”
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