How Will a Mandatory Two-Stop GP Address Monaco Track Concerns?

Ever since the very first Formula 1 World Championship race at the Monaco Grand Prix, which took place in May, 1950, there have been concerns over the track. Unlike many other race courses in the championship, this one is renowned for its tight, twisty, and narrow nature, making it completely unique as far as F1 courses go, but also deeply controversial for a number of reasons.

This might all be about to change, however. Just two months ago, the FIA confirmed a big development for the 2025 race, aiming to completely revolutionise the way teams approach the Monaco Grand Prix, and hopefully inject some much-needed unpredictability and on-track action into what is often criticised as the most ‘processional’ race in the championship.

What’s the Problem With the Monaco Track?

But before we get into that, let’s first look at the problem – or problems – with the Monaco track. It’s important to note here, that one person’s problem can easily be another person’s benefit, and this is especially true when it comes to the main issue attributed to the Monaco circuit: predictability.

Ever since the first F1 race on the track, people have been criticising the twisty nature of the circuit making it too difficult to overtake. As a result, races have become processional, where grid position – especially qualifying positions – determines the final result more than racecraft or strategy.

As we mentioned before, this isn’t a bad thing for everyone. For those who are into sports betting, for instance, having a high level of predictability can be a huge strategic advantage – especially on a track like this, where overtaking is rare and pit tactics are limited. Just last year, sports betting NZ bookmakers made Verstappen the clear favourite, with odds as short as 1.67, simply because his pole position virtually guaranteed a win.

Indeed, across the world, implied probability was unusually low, and while Max Verstappen is usually a sure bet, it demonstrated just how confident betting markets were in the outcome. This level of certainty, of course, is almost unheard of on most other tracks, and although it cut down the level of underdog betting, it gave bettors the ability to make more calculated gains based on known variables. Outside of this, other issues with the Monaco track include the fact it has become too small for modern F1 cars. If we throwback to earlier Monaco races, F1 cars were significantly smaller and less powerful than the behemoths we see today, and in those early years, the Monaco Grand Prix was designed to accommodate them. As F1 cars have grown in size, however, it has become a more challenging fit, making it far more congested and even dangerous for drivers looking to overtake.

The Two-Stop GP Solution

So what’s the solution? Well, in the eyes of the FIA, it’s a mandatory two-stop strategy, which will be implemented for the first time in the 2025 race. This rule mandates that all drivers must make two pit stops during the race, which will be a significant departure from the traditional single-stop strategy often employed in Monaco.

As a result of this rule, the FIA will be hoping to introduce more strategic variation and unpredictability, forcing teams and drivers to rethink their usual approaches and add a new layer of complexity to a race that has been criticised as a ‘by the numbers’ feature in the F1 calendar. In many ways, it could work. If a track becomes congested by nature, the obvious solution would be to remove a portion of cars as often as possible, and that’s exactly what a two-pit rule would do. Essentially, it will offer a higher chance of position changes in the circuit, especially if some drivers get the timing of their stops right, while others fall behind due to poorly timed pit strategies.

In Monaco, where track position is so crucial, it could easily shake up the order and make the race feel more like a race than a procession. As for whether it will work or not, however, we’ve all got to see it in practice!

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