The “Monaco Trick”: Why F1 Needs to Abolish Its Most Cynical Loophole
Abstract A mandatory two-stop rule introduced specifically for Monaco in 2025 was designed to generate strategic variety on one of the calendar's most processional circuits. What it actually produced was coordinated, deliberate slow driving (one car dropped several seconds per lap below race pace to manufacture a pit-stop window for its team-mate), exploiting the structural impossibility of overtaking at Monaco. This tactic has not got a name until today and I want to call it “Monaco Trick”. The real issue behind this situation is not the FIA's own regulatory framework because it already provides the tools to eradicate this behaviour. The real problem and only missing ingredient are the will to apply them. The Rule That Created the Problem The Monaco-specific provision mandating a minimum of two pit stops and three different tyre sets was ratified by the World Motor Sport Council and applied for the first time at the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix. [1] Its stated objective was l...