Towards specific rules for the Monaco GP, with several mandatory pit stops

Are we going to experience a small revolution concerning the Monaco GP? This Tuesday, the FIA ​​announced the outcome of the discussions led by the first Commission of the Formula 1 of the year 2025, gathered in London on the sidelines of the F1 75 Live ceremony. A meeting chaired by Nikolas Tombazis, head car at the FIA, and Stefano Domenicali, CEO of Formula 1, with the presence of the ten teams on the grid. Among the topics discussed, the lack of spectacle in racing on the streets of the Principality. For several years, the races organized in Monaco have been strongly criticized and resemble more a parade of single-seaters than a real Formula 1 Grand Prix.

So, in order to remedy this problem, the Commission has started discussions to find answers and improve the spectacle on the track during the Monaco round. A first solution has already been validated by the Commission. "In order to promote better racing at the Monaco Grand Prix, the commission discussed proposals for regulations specific to Monaco. The commission agreed to increase the number of mandatory pit stops during the race. These proposals will be examined in more detail by the Sporting Advisory Committee in the coming weeks."

For the moment, there is no official indication that this solution will be applied from 2025, but it is very likely that it will be adopted by the FIA ​​and the teams. This new rule must now be discussed within the Sporting Advisory Committee and then voted on by the World Motor Sport Council. Other specificities could logically be adopted in the coming weeks in order to restore the Monaco GP to its former glory.

More mandatory stops, a sufficient solution?

In 2024, the Monaco Grand Prix – won by Charles Leclerc – was reduced to a long procession where several drivers did not even make pit stops during the race. The red flag deployed at the start of the race after the collision between Sergio Pérez and the two Haas had allowed the entire grid to change tires on the first lap and not stop for the remaining 77 laps. The obligation to respect several pit stops during the Monaco Grand Prix – the exact number was not specified by the Commission – should logically spice up the race and offer different strategies, on a circuit where overtaking is a feat.

Among other issues discussed, the Commission confirmed the intention to strengthen the flexibility tests of the rear wings from the first races of the year, but also of the front wings from the Spanish Grand Prix. The limitation on the number of gearboxes used by the teams was also removed, as "the reliability of current models makes this restriction obsolete", according to the Commission. Finally, several revisions and clarifications have been made regarding the starting procedures for Sprints and Grand Prix, including those concerning aborted starts.

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