Christian Horner advocates for changes to the iconic Monaco street circuit. Although the new mandatory double pit stop added strategic tension according to the Red Bull team boss, the biggest problem persisted over the weekend – overtaking is virtually impossible. Even after seventy-eight laps of racing, the top four remained unchanged from the starting grid.
“I don’t think I saw a single overtaking move during the race,” Horner sighed to the media in Monaco after the race. “So we need to see if we can create more braking space – coming out of the tunnel or in turn one. If there’s one place where you can make a longer braking zone, we really need to investigate that.” The problem is that the narrow streets of the principality are too small for today’s Formula 1 cars. “You can hardly put them side by side,” said the Brit. “That’s the reality of Monaco. Of course, we want to keep racing here because of the prestige and cachet, but we also need to move with the times.”
Horner appreciated the suggestion that perhaps smaller cars are needed. “Maybe go-karts,” he joked. With the new regulations in 2026, the cars will have to be a size smaller – a positive development, according to the Red Bull boss. “The regulatory changes will make the cars more compact and lighter. That could help.” However, Horner primarily advocates for adjustments to the Monaco circuit. “If you look at how much land they’ve already reclaimed here, you don’t need to make a lot of adjustments. There just needs to be one place where you can overtake. After all, we knew after the start on Sunday that the race was decided.”
Gambled and Lost
Red Bull attempted to add some excitement to the crown jewel by letting Max Verstappen continue for a long time in P1. However, the safety car or red flag the team was hoping for did not materialize. “We were betting on a neutralization occurring. He (Verstappen) drove an extremely long stint on the medium tire, but that neutralization never came. So, he finished fourth. With Yuki Tsunoda, we did the opposite – he came in immediately in the first round. That initially seemed to work out well, but then everyone started to manipulate the field by driving extremely slowly. It was a tough day for him.”
“I would say that the new rules in Monaco are an improvement,” concluded Horner. “Strategically, it was more interesting, there was more risk involved. It was certainly better than last year when it was really a procession. Unfortunately, the fundamental problem of not being able to overtake here remains. You can hold back about three to four seconds per lap.”
