That’s how Max Verstappen felt about the obligatory two-stop plan employed at the Monaco Grand Prix. He considered it a failure for coming in fourth. In truth, the decision to mandate three different types of tires was organized to inject some drama to the legendary layout. Unfortunately, it didn’t deliver the breathtaking results everyone had dreamed of. Lando Norris of McLaren took home the win as the sun set on the race. Incredibly, the top four drivers never lost their starting positions during the race.
Verstappen expressed his dissatisfaction with the two-stop requirement, stating, “It is not the way I like to race or how I dream about racing around Monaco.” As he described it, he could have done little better than make four stops and still have maintained his job. He didn’t mince words about how disastrous the approach was. His sentiments were echoed by fellow driver George Russell, who remarked, “The two-stop clearly did not work at all.”
Drivers’ Reactions
The drivers’ response to the two-stop rule was inarguably the worst backlash we ever received. Lando Norris, who secured the win, succinctly summarized his feelings with a two-word response: “Hated it.” He voiced concerns about the direction Formula One is heading, stating, “I think Formula One should not turn into just a show to entertain people. It’s a sport.” In particular, Norris called out the fact that racing should be more about skill than about arbitrary limits set by changes in strategy.
Carlos Sainz, who finished in tenth place, acknowledged the team’s efforts to adapt to the new strategy but ultimately concluded, “We tried it, for me it didn’t work.” He mentioned that the best teams probably didn’t win. The approach backfired for anyone in the center of the field.
Insights from Team Leaders
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff encouraged a more optimistic view on the occurrence. He noted, “Even if this was a zero-stop race… it’s still a mega venue,” suggesting that Monaco’s allure remains intact despite the strategic challenges. Wolff’s remarks underscore that the goal needs to be about maintaining the spirit of what racing really is, not just what it can do to entertain audiences.
Max Verstappen criticized the conditions under which drivers raced, comparing it to an arcade game: “Nowadays with an F1 car, you can just pass an F2 car around here… then we have to install bits on the car and maybe you can throw bananas around.” His comments make clear that, at least on the competitive integrity side, his preference is for a competitive integrity over gimmicks.
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