McLaren’s Andrea Stella said the implications of the mandatory two-stop in Monaco have proven to be “much larger” than first thought with the new rule enforced this weekend.

In an attempt to liven up racing at the often dull Monaco GP, drivers will be required to pit at least two times this weekend and Stella has provided his latest thoughts on the subject.

Andrea Stella ponders effect of Monaco two-stop rule

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

In February, a meeting of the F1 Commission decided that the two-stop approach would be implemented from this year onwards but Stella said that as time has ticked down to this weekend’s race, it is has become clearer the change has “much larger” impacts than first though.

“I think this situation of the two stops in Monaco when it was discussed in the f1 commission, it came up like a simple solution to ‘let’s improve the racing compared to last year,’” Stella told media including PlanetF1.com in Monaco.

“But as the race weekend came closer and our strategists started to think about the implications, well, the implications are much larger than what we thought in the F1 commission, and I was one of the people in the F1 commission.

“So there could be [some] very interesting scenarios as a consequence of the fact that this is a track where you, for instance, cannot overtake.”

Faced with the unique issues, Stella revealed the McLaren strategy team was “still scratching our heads.”

“It’s not like you stop at a certain point and then you have the newer tyres, and therefore you will regain your position,” Stella continued. “The Safety Car is very frequent, a red flag can be a possibility.

More on McLaren from PlanetF1.com

McLaren introduce Monaco-spec MCL39 as F1 2025 title fight intensifies

Norris and Piastri under ‘unimaginable’ pressure in Lewis Hamilton McLaren verdict

“So I have to say that in terms of preparing the weekend, we are still scratching our heads in terms of considering all the options.

“But this should be a good situation in terms of having the variability and the unpredictability that ultimately was the objective of this solution.”

McLaren head into the Monaco weekend looking to break a long drought having not won in Monte Carlo since 2008.

In an attempt to do just that, the team have brought a Monaco-spec MCL39 with changes to the rear wing, the front brake cooling and the two beam wings.

Read next: McLaren rivals ‘chasing ghosts’ with ‘nothing to find’ on MCL39