Jacques Villeneuve calls out one F1 team for being so ‘embarrassing’ during the Monaco Grand Prix

There were some clear winners and losers after a topsy-turvy Monaco Grand Prix was decided by a rule change months in the making.

After the Monaco Grand Prix last season that left a lot to be desired with the top 10 drivers all failing to complete an overtake for the first and only time in the sport’s 75-year history, something needed to change.

Monaco’s position on the F1 calendar has been extended until 2031, and while the race is a spectacle for those attending in person, it’s far from exciting for those watching from afar.

It was therefore decided that every driver had to complete two mandatory pit stops and use three different sets of tyres during the race to create more jeopardy.

The new regulation didn’t go down well with everyone, with Martin Brundle suggesting he wasn’t a fan of the new format.

Damon Hill encountered a new issue with the Monaco Grand Prix, but some teams dealt with the change far better than others.

Racing Bulls were magnificent, earning Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson the best results of their F1 career with a perfectly planned strategy.

F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve was far less impressed with Mercedes and in particular George Russell for how they tried to navigate the streets of Monte Carlo.

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Jacques Villeneuve says Mercedes were ‘embarrassing’ during the Monaco Grand Prix

Villeneuve took to Instagram after the race to review the weekend’s action and said: “Well, the Monaco Grand Prix [is] done and Norris [is] back in form.

“He got his quali mojo at the right track and turned that into a win. He was really faster than the rest, he controlled that race, great result.

“But the big question, did the regulations, the artificial two tyre change, was that a benefit, was that more exciting? It didn’t really change anything at the front, it just made it easier for the leaders because they had more freedom, [and] more space to do their pit stops.

“And then some people could play [with] strategies at the back, but [there was] not more excitement on the track.

“Impressive, incredible Racing Bulls, they’re the only ones who actually took a gamble, did something special by slowing the field down, getting the pit stop done.

“Then, well, Williams followed suit, [and] did the same thing, good, and Mercedes, how embarrassing.

“I mean, they just stayed there at the back, they didn’t qualify as quick as they should have done, they were at the back of the pack, they had to try something and they didn’t bother.”

Villeneuve then referred to Russell’s ‘unsportsmanship’ for his illegal overtake on Alex Albon that earned him a drive-through penalty.

Albon and Russell made light of the incident after the race in Monaco, but it only highlighted the frustrations that the team faced on Sunday.

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What went wrong for Mercedes during the Monaco Grand Prix weekend?

After declaring the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Mercedes declared that after a positive start to the 2025 season, Imola was their worst weekend of the campaign so far.

Russell at least picked up some points that day, while Andrea Kimi Antonelli followed up his retirement at his first home race in Formula 1 by finishing three laps behind the leaders in Monaco.

Mercedes staff kept their spirits up despite Antonelli’s crash in qualifying which meant the highest up the grid he was going to start was 15th, making scoring points in Monaco extremely difficult.

What Toto Wolff’s team didn’t envision was Russell’s car failing at the beginning of Q2, meaning he would be lining up alongside his teammate and behind several pairs of cars who were far better placed to play the team game.

It’s a weekend that the Silver Arrows will be desperate to write off quickly, but has seen Ferrari and Red Bull make significant gains in the constructors’ championship against them.