The 2025 Monaco Grand Prix provided its annual debate on how to improve the racing around the Principality’s streets after a failed experiment with a new rule.
Formula 1 tried to spice up the action on Sunday with a new mandatory three-tyre rule, meaning that two pitstops would have to be made in green flag conditions.
But with Racing Bulls – and then Williams – using a strategy to help themselves which ultimately rendered the rule a farce, talk has reignited over how to make Monaco better. But there’s only one way to do that in reality.
Track changes
The circuit is largely defined by the streets on which the race is run, and therefore, wholesale changes are impossible to implement.
Speaking after the race, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said: “It’s an iconic and historic circuit but, you know, if you look at how Monaco has changed, how much land they’ve reclaimed into the sea into the 72 appearances here, I don’t think you’d need to do too much.
“There just needs to be one area where you can have an overtake, and everybody knows that coming here, the race was pretty much done yesterday. We’ve introduced another dynamic with the pit stop which ultimately for the top 10, other than the retirement, nobody really changed position.”
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However, former F1 driver Alexander Wurz, who is also chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, has presented three potential changes – which are feasible – to help spice the Monaco GP up.
The Austrian’s vision is not just a farfetched plan by someone disgruntled with the action on offer. WurzDesign is leading the Qiddiya Circuit project in Saudi Arabia, as well as the prospective Rwanda F1 venue.
Nouvelle Chicane
“From my own experience and watching racing, often, an overtake could almost happen – so a near overtaking spot – but I am very convinced from my own experience and talking to my fellow drivers that moving the chicane later, which physically with the constraints the city has should be possible,” explained Wurz.
“That means that the defending into this corner, which is quite easy due to the kink and the bumps, will become more difficult. You can prepare the overtake and execute the overtake with a higher probability if we move the chicane later.
“Of course, the detailed design is very important that we are ensuring we increase the overtaking opportunity in this corner, as an example, the kerb positioning and width of the corner.”
The chicane proposal will see the corner moved 80 metres further towards Tabac and would need some engineering to extend the road over part of the harbour.
La Rascasse – Anthony Noghes
“The proposed change would be to move the apex just two to three metres out and enlarge as much as we can with the constraints with civil engineering, we can squeeze everything we have and when the apex comes further out, the entry line will definitely change and we will open the corner much more for a divebomb,” added Wurz.
“That means that any driver ahead will either have to defend or accept he leaves the door open. If you are defending, you will come out slower, creating a train behind you and the pressure on all of the drivers will simply increase.
“I think this is a small trick, quite easy to realise and should engage in at least more fighting.”
Fairmont Hairpin
“I would propose to widen the circuit by 2.2-2.4 metres,” continued Wurz. “That means that drivers coming down have an easier opportunity to do a divebomb, which means the lead driver will have to defend more and be slower.
“The hairpin is very tight so we need to also enlarge the track on the outside, lose the kerb, asphalt all the way to the physical wall so we have the turning radius.
“The real actual racing line will not change from what it is, it will not change the character of the corner but it would enable an overtaking divebomb. It will lead into more defending, so a backlash onto the field and this corner will actually initiate overtaking into the new chicane.
“That together, should be an improvement for raceability in the streets of Monaco.”
Tweaks to the two-stop rule
It is fair to say that with early pitstops last weekend, there was genuine intrigue over the new mandatory two-stop rule in Monaco until Racing Bulls worked the system.
That was all down to how slow the drivers were able to go – Lawson essentially lapping five seconds off the pace per lap at best.
Williams copied the trick but none of team principal James Vowles nor drivers Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz were happy doing so.
“We need to review the rules and regulations for Monaco, because racing like this feels wrong and I want us to be racing on performance and merit, and we’re not quite there yet,” said Vowles.
Albon added: “Today isn’t how either Carlos or I want to go racing; it’s not pretty but, in the end, it was a tactical game, and we had to make it work. The Racing Bulls did it first, and we knew if they started it, we had to match it.”
Perhaps a race-specific delta could be implemented, ensuring that no driver falls so far off the pace that the trick can be repeated.
Other options would be a window for the first stop to ensure that any potential roadblocks can be broken up – a point Martin Brundle made on commentary duty during the race.
Leave it alone
There is an argument for just leaving Monaco alone.
The race is what it is. It is its own unique challenge that remains the jewel in the F1 calendar’s crown, attracting full grandstands, a harbour-full of yachts and cruises and, most importantly from the championship’s perspective, a welter of businesses that either are already or potential future commercial partners.
And while there is a lack of racing action on Sundays since the cars have gotten bigger, there have been races in the opening third of the current campaign that have been just as uninspiring from an overtaking point of view.
It may well be a case of accept Monaco for what it is, or lose it forever. That would be a crying shame.
