Pitstop change could make Monaco a crazy race, says Verstappen
MONACO :Monaco could be a crazy race this year due to drivers having to make a mandatory two stops, Red Bull's reigning Formula One champion Max Verstappen said on Thursday.
The rule change has been introduced to liven up the show at a tight and twisty circuit that some see as an anachronism, with overtaking extremely difficult, leading to processional racing.
"I guess it can go both ways; it can be quite straightforward, or it can go completely crazy because of safety cars coming into play or not making the right calls," said Verstappen, a two-times winner of the showcase race.
"I think it will spice it up probably a bit more.
"Normally, with one stop, once you have a good pitstop and everything is fine then you drive to the end and just stay focused and not hit the barrier.
"But maybe with a two-stop, it can create something different - people gambling, guessing when the right time is to box (pit). So hopefully, it will spice it up a bit more."
McLaren's championship leader Oscar Piastri, runner-up to Ferrari's Charles Leclerc last year and now seeking to go one better, said the change would be welcomed more by those not on pole.
"I still think 90 something percent about Monaco is qualifying," the Australian told reporters. "But I think it's very complicated now with these two stops. Also just using the three sets of tyres.
"It's not quite as simple as what it was. So it's definitely going to throw a spanner in the works for everyone," he said.
"It makes it potentially more difficult for teams at the top, such as ourselves, but it makes it more difficult for everybody, not just one team."
"My head's still kind of untwisting itself from some of the (strategy) meetings we've had today."
Williams' Alex Albon said one fear was that, rather than shaking things up, the change would see drivers pitting at the end of the first lap or teammates working together to hold up the field and create a gap for a free stop.
"The biggest thing if you speak to the team, and I think every strategist, is that we don’t really know how it’s going to play out," he said.
