FIA’s Bold Move: Two Mandatory Pit Stops at Monaco

By Lavesh Pillay

The FIA has done it again! In their latest stroke of genius, they’ve decided that the best way to make the Monaco Grand Prix more exciting isn’t by making the track wider, redesigning the layout, or attaching rockets to the cars (which would actually be fun). No, instead, they’ve come up with mandatory two-stop strategies for 2025, ensuring that teams and drivers have even more ways to get frustrated at a race that’s already 78 laps of a high-speed procession.

Solving Overtaking with… Pit Stops?

Monaco, as we all know, is the crown jewel of the F1 calendar—the glitziest, most glamorous parking lot in motorsport. The problem? Overtaking is about as rare as a Ferrari strategy masterclass. The narrow streets, oversized cars, and desperate radio messages screaming “Let me through!” mean that unless your name is Max Verstappen or you’re driving a Red Bull rocket ship, your best bet is to pray for a Safety Car.

So, the FIA has come up with a revolutionary solution: force everyone to stop twice and hope something interesting happens. Because, you know, what better way to create action than by adding more mandatory rules?

How Will It Work?

Every driver must make at least two pit stops. (That’s two extra chances for Ferrari to mess up a tire change.)
They must use at least two different compounds in dry conditions. (So no soft-soft-soft Verstappen domination runs.)
If it rains, well… good luck—you’ll still need to pit twice, because rules are rules.

This means that strategy will now play an even bigger role, or in Monaco’s case, it means we’ll see some desperate undercuts, furious radio complaints, and at least one unlucky driver getting stuck behind an Alpine for 40 laps while screaming in frustration.

What Do the Drivers Think?

Charles Leclerc: “Great! Now I have two extra chances for my home race to go horribly wrong.”
Lando Norris: “Cool, so now instead of being stuck behind someone for the whole race, I can be stuck behind them in a new tire compound.”
Fernando Alonso: “Pit stops? Overtaking? It doesn’t matter. I’ll still finish ahead of the Ferraris.”

Will This Actually Work?

Look, let’s be real: Monaco will still be a procession. You could make it 10 pit stops, add a jump ramp at Casino Square, or require drivers to swap seats mid-race, and it would still be a nightmare to overtake. The only thing that’ll make it interesting is rain, a Safety Car, or someone pulling a Maldonado and wiping out half the grid.

But hey, credit where it’s due—the FIA is at least trying something. Even if that “something” is about as effective as DRS at Monaco.

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