The Monaco Grand Prix is seen as Formula 1’s annual spectacle for its history and glamour. Monaco is one of the most expensive areas to live in worldwide, and it comes off as a very high-end and fashionable region.
However, fans are not enjoying the Grand Prix as much as they used to, and that is largely attributed to the increase in car size. With overtakes becoming more difficult, the decrease has led to the race itself being deemed an "informal drivers' parade”.
Drivers have been vocal about it, with Max Verstappen saying he should have brought his pillow during last year’s race. Nobody in the top 10 changed positions.
2025 was due to be the final year of the Monaco Grand Prix, given the massive uncertainty about a new deal. But a long extension was signed, keeping the historic race on the calendar until the 2031 season.
A two-stop rule only makes the race better
Considering how the last few races in Monaco have gone, drivers and teams have put all of their focus on qualifying, as it essentially determines where they finish the 78-lap race around the 19-turn, 2.074-mile (3.338-kilometer) Monte Carlo street circuit.
Mandating teams to make more than one pit stop shifts the importance of the weekend back to the race, where strategy will be so crucial.
Assuming this change gets finalized in the coming weeks, both the drivers and fans can find more interest in the actual race, rather than its place on the calendar as a nostalgic relic.
Especially with cars slightly decreasing in size from 2026 onwards, future editions of the Monaco Grand Prix should be even more exciting, preventing the need to remove such a fan-favorite event from the calendar altogether.
Some drivers were asked about their opinion of the change during the F1 75 livery launch event. Reigning race winner Charles Leclerc thought it was a good idea to make things more interesting on Sunday.
However, Fernando Alonso insisted that qualifying on Saturday will continue to be the deciding factor. The Aston Martin driver even went on to say that if you start toward the back, expect 10 to 12 stops, which generated quite a chuckle out of some people.
In the end, mandating at least two pit stops specifically for the Monaco Grand Prix will make the race better for the fans, teams, and drivers. With such a change being so beneficial, it will give more of a reason to renew the Grand Prix’s contract beyond its 2031 expiration.