What F1 pundits thought about Monaco GP two-stop rule change: “Bit of a mockery”

After the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix featured only four overtakes, drastic measures were taken to create a more exciting race this Formula 1 season. For this weekend, a two-pit stop minimum rule was introduced, opening up potential strategy options for teams. A number of pundits of the sport have now given their opinions.

This unprecedented rule change mandated that each car must use at least three sets of tyres and at least two different compounds during the 78-lap race. While it has certainly placed the cat amongst the pigeons, there were very few overtakes during the race and the forced pit stops caused chaos.

The lack of overtaking is mostly down to the sheer size of the current generation cars in comparison to the small roads of the Principality. On top of this, the cars are heavier and more aerodynamically optimised. 2026 seeks to fix these issues with slightly smaller cars – the minimum wheelbase reduced by 200mm to 3,400mm and the width reduced by 100mm to 1,900mm – plus a change in aerodynamic principals to reduce dirty air as well as a lower minimum weight.

Martin Brundle

“I don’t like these regulations. I’m not liking it. I don’t want to see drivers all the way through the field playing a game.

“This is about excellence, about the highest point of motorsport and I don’t like to see so many drivers going slowly.”

“This is not how I like to go racing,” James Vowles said on the Sky Sports F1 broadcast, admitting his view that this rule shouldn’t be staying, at least in its current form, next year.

Ahead of the Grand Prix, Brundle was open to the rule change.

“I like the idea, it’s something new,” he said via Sky Sports F1. “Let’s give it a chance. And I think should it work on Sunday, it might not work next year, for example, because it depends on safety cars, red flags, whether they happen or not, when they happen.

“Bit surprised they haven’t said one of the pit stops must be in the first half of the race, for example, or something like that. So if you’re on the back of the grid, do you just go Lap 1, pit stop, Lap 2, pit stop, and sit and wait for your chances down the road.

“And will we also see right at the end of the Grand Prix where the front runners are hanging on, in case there’s a safety car, and pitting on the penultimate lap, for example, to finally get that out the way.

“But it does, without question, mean that you can’t get out front, go round at Formula 2 pace, hold everybody up until you’re ready to build a gap. Or, even worse, as we saw last year, a red flag on Lap 1, then people didn’t need to pit at all.”

Jenson Button

“When teams were using one driver to help another and going six seconds a lap slower, it looked a bit silly,” he said via the same broadcast.

“Then we had George trying to jump Albon through the chicane to get in front and push on, again, it makes a bit of a mockery of it.

“It hasn’t worked. I love that we tried it but we need to work a way of tweaking it.”

Naomi Schiff

“Last year was not what we wanted to see on the track with the red flag,” she said. “I don’t know if the issue is more the red flag regulations and the teams being allowed to change tyres.

“Things were more chaotic today but some drivers’ races were ruined because you have to play a strategic game.

“At the end of the day, you want to see the person who deserves to win, win, even if that means being followed around in circles.”

Damon Hill

“Clearly not an epic Grand Prix race but I thought the 3 tyre rule worked,” the 1996 champion posted to X. “Max gambled on a Stopped Race. It didn’t work, but it might have. Meanwhile, Lando is back on course for a World Championship. Looked like a very focussed racer. A Perfect Weekend.”

Christian Hewgill

“Was that proper F1? No,” he posted to X. “Was it more artificial than I’d like the sport to be? Yes. But this is the Monaco GP. It’s not like all the others. So I’d rather watch that than what we had last year. A fascinating strategic battle and very close to the end. Loved it.”

This page will be updated.

Photos from Monaco GP -Race