The Monaco Grand Prix last Sunday had a tough start with a big crash involving Sergio Perez, Kevin Magnussen, and Nico Hulkenberg on the first lap. When the race stopped because of the crash, all the drivers could change their tires. This was different from before, when drivers had to plan when to change tires during the race.
This new rule helps drivers who haven’t had a chance to pit before a mid-race red flag. But in Monaco, where it’s hard to pass other cars and the tires can last the whole race, it caused some problems.
Some drivers started the race with hard tires, hoping to try a different strategy. But because of the red flag, they had to use the medium tires for the rest of the race. This meant they couldn’t take advantage of different pitstop strategies, like trying to gain time during a pitstop.
In Monaco, the driver who starts in the front usually wins. But sometimes mistakes during pitstops or strategy calls can change that. This adds excitement to the race.
Many drivers felt the red flag on the first lap ruined any chance for interesting strategies.
Max Verstappen, who finished sixth, said, “Our strategy was ruined because we had to use the medium tires for the rest of the race. We had to save the tires a lot, which made it boring to drive.”
Lando Norris, who finished fourth, agreed. He said, “The red flag at the beginning ruined any other opportunities for strategy. It’s a shame.”
Even Alex Albon, who benefited from the free pitstop, said the rules didn’t make sense. He said, “We need to figure out what’s going on. Maybe if there’s a red flag on the first lap, there should still be a mandatory pitstop or something.”
Some drivers had complained about similar rules before. Fernando Alonso hoped this race would make F1 rethink the rule. He said, “The only exciting part of a Monaco race is the pitstops. If you take that away, it’s not interesting anymore.”
But when asked if he thought F1 would change the rule, he wasn’t optimistic. He said, “I don’t know. Sometimes they don’t listen to the drivers.”
