Future
Formula 1 Tries to Make the Monaco Grand Prix More Exciting
Because overtaking is rare, the race can be dull. So the sport has ruled that two pit stops are now mandatory in a bid to spice things up.
The Monaco Grand Prix has long been the jewel in the crown of Formula 1, a thrilling racing spectacle around the narrow streets of Monte Carlo at up to 180 m.p.h.
At least for qualifying on Saturday it’s exciting. For the Grand Prix on Sunday, as the cars have become wider, longer and heavier, the racing is soporific, with virtually no overtaking. Last year, for the first time in Monaco Grand Prix history, the top 10 finished in the positions they started in.
To make the race more strategic, the World Motor Sport Council, the decision-making body of the F.I.A., which governs Formula 1, approved a proposal from the F1 Commission to raise the number of mandatory pit stops in the race to two.
The commission, which includes representatives from the F.I.A., Formula 1, the 10 teams and Pirelli, the tire manufacturer, said its recommendation had “the aim of promoting better racing at the Monaco Grand Prix.”
The F.I.A.’s World Motor Sport Council said the primary intent was “improving the sporting spectacle” of the race.
Mario Isola, director of Pirelli Motorsport, said in an interview in May that discussions over potential changes started last year with Stefano Domenicali, the president and chief executive of Formula 1.
