In an attempt to break the typically dull procession during the Monaco Grand Prix, drivers are required to make two mandatory pit stops. This could lead to very surprising tactics, such as changing tires as early as the first lap. “If you have nothing to lose and are already out of the points, why not?” says Max Verstappen during the media session in Monaco.
Monaco is the crown jewel of the Formula 1 calendar. In particular, the Saturday qualification is the most exciting of the year, where drivers must outperform themselves in the Principality. However, there are increasing voices suggesting that the circuit is no longer suitable for current Formula 1. Complaints are mainly about the Sunday race due to the lack of overtaking opportunities. With an extra mandatory pit stop, Formula 1 is trying to create more spectacle.
“It’s going to be interesting. If you start at the back, you just go in the first lap,” suggests Jeroen Bleekemolen in the podcast Formula 1 Paddock Talk. “What does it matter? You’re not going to drive through that field to the front, nobody can do that. You might as well take a gamble. Who knows, you might get lucky and end up on the podium in Monaco.”
Verstappen agrees with Bleekemolen’s tactics during the media session in Monaco. “Yes, that’s indeed possible. Last year a few people tried that, but then we immediately had that red flag in the first lap. So yes, it’s possible, but of course I hope we’re not last on the grid. But if you have nothing to lose and are already out of the points, why not?”
