Rethink needed for Monaco GP to remain relevant

It was Williams team principal James Vowles who summarised Formula One's latest gimmick — two mandatory pit stops in the Monaco Grand Prix — most succinctly: "It's not how I like going racing, but here is what the rules have created. 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."

- David Tremayne

Making two pit stops mandatory was supposed to spice up the usual dull processions for which the race round the streets of Monte Carlo is infamous for, to introduce greater strategic possibilities and create dynamic situations to enhance the racing.

Instead, that new game proved a bitter disappointment as it evolved into teams using one car to hold up everyone behind, while their lead car got far enough to complete a pit stop; then reversing that trend so the other driver got the benefit.

Alexander Albon and Carlos Sainz are hard racers and neither remotely wanted to drive like that. But that was what the new rule promoted and, frankly, it sucked.

"Today isn't how either Carlos or I want to go racing," said Albon, a decent man and a strong racer. "It's not pretty but, in the end, it was a tactical game and we had to make it work.

Sainz added: "Today is not how we want to go racing and I think the way us and other teams were able to hold up the pace and build gaps shouldn't be what the Monaco Grand Prix is all about."