McLaren driver Lando Norris summed it up quite succinctly in his post-race press conference when asked what he thought of the mandatory two-pitstop rule introduced at the Monaco Grand Prix.
When asked if he was a fan, the McLaren star almost interrupted the question to simply reply, ‘Hated it,’ although it was said slightly tongue-in-cheek given it allowed Verstappen to nearly ruin Norris’ race by staying out until the penultimate lap.
However, while the 25-year-old could smile about it while sipping champagne on the podium at the Monaco Grand Prix, there were plenty of drivers further down the pecking order who weren’t so happy.
Fernando Alonso missed out on his first points of the season due to an engine failure, while Pierre Gasly’s race was ended after a collision with Yuki Tsunoda.
For those that completed the race, the Mercedes pair of George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli could argue that they suffered the most during the 78 laps of the streets of Monte Carlo.
Martin Brundle and Damon Hill were both reporting on the race and had very different opinions on the outcome of the two-stop mandate.
Hill may have also uncovered a problem ahead of next year’s race already.
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Damon Hill thinks F1 teams have now figured out Monaco Grand Prix’s new pit stop rules
Damon Hill, commentating for BBC Sport, gave his take on the afternoon after Norris took the chequered flag.
He said after the race when asked if it improved the action in Monte Carlo: “Yes, I think it did.
“I think it added a little bit of jeopardy, a bit of confusion, a bit of uncertainty.
“I think if we knew that everyone was just going to be happy with what they had, the compulsion to go for another set of tyres made it more interesting and confusing.
“Unfortunately, now they’ve done it, everyone knows what to expect next year. So, if they do it again…”
Hill may have spotted a fundamental issue with the rule, as teams now know exactly how it’s going to play out next season.
Organisers will have to hope that a safety car or two are needed at the right moment to jeopardise some of the tactics used on Sunday.
Martin Brundle was covering the race for Sky Sports F1 (25/5 3:50 pm) and didn’t share Hill’s enthusiasm for the change.
He explained: “It was too chaotic, wasn’t it? The focus was on pitting not on racing if I can sum it up like that.”
Earlier in the race, Brundle admitted he wasn’t a fan of the new rule in Monaco, suggesting that it wasn’t encouraging drivers to attack in the midfield.
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Jenson Button calls for change to the Monaco Grand Prix after Lando Norris win
Brundle and Hill weren’t the only pundits in the principality to have their say on the FIA’s rule change on Sunday.
Jenson Button suggested a change was needed for the next Monaco Grand Prix as far too many cars weren’t pushing the limits during the race.
While this isn’t unusual for a race at Monaco, it highlights that the current solution doesn’t work.
F1’s rule makers now have another 12 months to go back to the drawing board to find another way to make the Monaco Grand Prix more exciting given its current contract runs until 2031.
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