What the top three in this year’s Formula 1 race in Monaco think about the new tire rules and whether they have improved racing
McLaren driver Lando Norris did not enjoy his Monaco victory unreservedly. He was not convinced by the format with two mandatory tire changes – on the contrary: “I thought it was terrible,” said Norris.
The current World Championship runner-up explained: “It was much more frightening for me. I would have preferred it to be a one-stop race. That would have been much more relaxed.”
The Monaco rules are “not for me,” Norris emphasizes. “But the rules aren’t made for me. They’re not made for us to have more fun or anything like that. They’re made for the fans, to provide more entertainment for the spectators. But was that really the case? I have no idea.”
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc in second place had “a little more hope that something was possible” thanks to the new Monaco regulations, but in the end, the tire rule did not help him to knock Norris off the top spot.
Leclerc sees a positive aspect
However, one aspect made it “quite interesting”: the additional pit stops shook up the field, at least for a short time. “You had to fight your way through the traffic, which is extremely difficult in Monaco,” explains Leclerc. “With the traffic and everything else going on, a lot happened.” But this had virtually no impact on the result.
On the other hand, two teams, Racing Bulls and Williams, caused quite a stir with their “slow-pacing tactics.” “But I don’t know if that’s the kind of action we want to see in the future,” said Leclerc.
But even that is simply part of Monaco. The Grand Prix on the city circuit is “something special,” says Leclerc, who hails from Monaco. “Saturday is when it really matters, when you push to the limit. That’s why qualifying is so important and tense here, because you know there are hardly any opportunities on Sunday. That’s part of the magic of Monaco.”
What if there really had been a red flag at the end?
“But I also understand that you have to try to make the whole thing a little more exciting,” says Leclerc. However, McLaren driver Oscar Piastri has already noticed an improvement here: the new regulations have forced drivers to “push harder at certain points” in the race.
“It was about controlling the window for a virtual or real safety car phase compared to other cars or getting out of their range,” explains Piastri. These additional ‘strategic elements’ enhanced the race, even if ‘not much changed at the front,’ according to the championship leader.
“But: It would have been completely different if a red flag had come out five laps before the end and Max had won. If we keep this up in the future, sooner or later such a case will occur. Do we really want to see that? I don’t know.”
Should the Monaco rule also apply in 2026?
First, the question of whether Formula 1 wants to stick to its Monaco rule would have to be clarified. Norris says: “It depends on what you want. Do you want to artificially engineer races? It hasn’t led to more overtaking here. I thought that was the whole point.”
“Now you’re just giving people a chance through luck – through a red flag or a safety car. In the end, it’s no longer necessarily the driver who deserves it most who wins, and I don’t think that’s right. I think the person who drives the best race should win.”
Norris admits he is “probably a bit biased” on this point. “But I think the whole thing should be improved in other ways – for example, with better overtaking opportunities.”
Norris warns against exaggerated expectations
On the other hand, Monaco has always been considered a track that is difficult to overtake. “So I don’t understand why expectations are so high here,” says Norris. “And I also think that Formula 1 shouldn’t just turn into a show that’s only there for entertainment. It’s a sport. It’s about who can drive best and who can come out on top in qualifying.”
“As Charles said, Saturday was decisive. It’s been that way since the very first year. The last thing I want is an artificial race. We should focus on improving the cars and tires. Then maybe there will be more racing—but not because of so many forced pit stops.”
According to Leclerc, that “just brings more chance into play,” but nothing else. “You can be lucky or really unlucky, and then it’s out of your hands. But that’s always been a bit like that in Monaco – probably even more so now with the two stops. For me personally, though, it didn’t make it any more tense.”
