Formula 1 experimented with mandatory two pit stops for the Monaco Grand Prix. Opinions were mixed: while the rule added a layer of strategy, it didn’t lead to more overtaking, which remained virtually nonexistent. Here’s what Max Verstappen, who finished fourth, had to say.
The Dutchman started fourth on the grid and, like most drivers, maintained that position until the chequered flag. After slotting in behind Oscar Piastri’s McLaren, Max Verstappen tried to stretch his first stint, but it proved fruitless.
With a comfortable gap to Lewis Hamilton behind, Verstappen gambled by delaying his second stop to the last possible moment in the hope of a red flag or safety car. Ultimately, the expected interruption never came, and the Red Bull driver had to settle for finishing in his starting position.
After the race, Max Verstappen likened the Monaco GP to Mario Kart, mocking the lack of overtaking despite the new two-stop rule. “You can’t race here, no matter what you do: one stop or ten,” he told Sky Sports F1.
“Even at the end, I was ahead, my tyres were completely gone, and you still couldn’t pass. Nowadays, with a Formula 1 car, the only thing you can overtake here is an F2 car.”
Referring specifically to the new rule, the four-time world champion said: “I don’t think it worked; we were basically playing Mario Kart. So we might as well install some stuff on the cars and maybe throw bananas around! What a slippery surface!”
Given the unpredictability of the mandatory double stop and the variety of strategies it prompted, Red Bull decided to gamble by keeping Verstappen out. But in the end, the risk didn’t pay off. “We had nothing to lose; we had a big gap,” he told the media.
“When I heard it was about 45/50 seconds or something like that… you can box and drive alone, or you just hope something happens and get lucky. But that didn’t happen. Considering our pace all weekend, we did a good job — we just have to accept the car’s limitations,” he said.
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