221 replies to this topic

[SophieB]

Ahead of this weekend, I was struck by two world champions joking about how terrible the race is. Hamilton asking laughingly if the media folk can stay awake, Alonso suggesting it’s the best race in the world…until Sunday. Ouch!

 

Lewis also suggested that they need to bring in changes. From Autosport:
 
The Mercedes driver, twice a winner around Monaco, suggested: "Maybe having special tyres for this race so you have more pitstops would create more variability.
"They can definitely come up with a specific weekend, you've got the sprint weekend that they have added, but this particular weekend I think they should come up with some new formula for it rather than it just be the same.”

 

What do you think? What could they do? Should they do anything?

[ArchieTech]

I would like to see them try maximum stint lengths, as was used in Qatar last year. This would still allow variability in strategy and wouldn't require a change from the tyre supplier, and it's something easy to tune the following years to change the strategic possibilities. They could also require all three compounds to be used alongside this.

[Myrvold]

A lot softer tyres, shorter and lighter cars.

[P123]

Tyres suitable for a round the world trip are probably best avoided for a track like Monaco. 

 

But what they really need to change is the cars.  Keep qualifying as it is, give race points for that, and then have them do a race in Formula Fords.

[F1Frog]

No, the red flag ruined the race which would still have been interesting otherwise with pit stops.

[AlexPrime]

I think that in such a huge calendar of 24 races there is a place for one special event like Monte. So don't change it.

[TheFish]

Bring back the cheese tyres

[Victor]

No changes needed, there is nothing wrong with the track. It simply is a different race, one that offers more strategic races. The red flag was negative for the show today and that's it. If something has to change it should be the cars, that are too big.

[F1Frog]

I think that in such a huge calendar of 24 races there is a place for one special event like Monte. So don't change it.

 

This is the crucial point about Monaco. I agree entirely.

[SenorSjon]

The problem is cause by the red flag rules. Some tweaks could change it:

 

- the mandatory tire compound rule can only by fulfilled after lap 6

- you can change and repair stuff under the red flag, but then you go to the back of the queue. When more drivers do that, you will still be in order of the timing screen, but then at the back.

- only a change in weather tire is free. so wet to inter to slick is free, slick to slick is not.

[Marklar]

all those proposed changes do nothing because even with other tyres passing is not possible (though it would be a step forward), the cars need changing

[ANF]

The Chicane should be widened and moved closer to Tabac.

You will often see drivers thinking about making a move coming out of the tunnel, but as they get to the downhill section and the braking area, and they approach the super tight chicane, they back out of it because the risk is too high and it's too easy to defend your position by staying in the middle of the track.

 

It would remove the challenge of Tabac but it would create a decent overtaking spot.

Edited by ANF, 26 May 2024 - 17:45.

[Hinkypunk]

Don't change the track, change the cars and the rules.
Make the cars more nimble and lighter. Make them shorter. 

Bring back refuelling, so they are not able to stay out a whole race without pitting. 

[TomNokoe]

We need rear tyres that degrade at circuits other than Bahrain

[Goron3]

I don't mind the lack of overtaking.

It's the fact that they are all driving so far off the limit. It may as well be a training exercise.

Mandate two or three pits. A softer soft and a much slower hard tyre to create deltas.

[HuddersfieldTerrier1986]

The cars could do with being quite a bit narrower.

On top of that, although this applies to all races, you can change tyres during a red flag (sensible if you've driven over a load of debris) but you either have to:

Stick with the same compound (tough luck if that compound has 30 laps on it) therefore you still need to pit for a compound change (if not already done) OR

You can change compound, but that doesn't count as your mandatory compound change (eg today you start on mediums, change to hards under the red flag, but you'd have to pit later for softs or another set of hards)

Edited by HuddersfieldTerrier1986, 26 May 2024 - 17:54.

[Mat13]

I don't mind the lack of overtaking.

It's the fact that they are all driving so far off the limit. It may as well be a training exercise.

Mandate two or three pits. A softer soft and a much slower hard tyre to create deltas.

This. The lack of overtaking isn’t the issue, it’s the fact that even the drivers sound bored chatting to their engineers mid-race.

[pacificquay]

People have been saying things like this about Monaco for as long as I can remember yet every year they think it is something new.

 

I found today’s race absorbing, able to marvel at these absolute heroes who drive those cars round that track.

 

Leave it alone.

[jonklug]

I don't need Monaco to be changed in any way. Today's race was ruined because of a rule which if it happens at any other track it won't really cause an issue, but here it made for a farcical procession where teams could get to the end by going extra slowly, making the whole thing a mockery. So if I would change something I would make it so that if you change tires under the red flag, it doesn't count as running 2 sets if you haven't pitted normally during the race. 

[Goron3]

This. The lack of overtaking isn’t the issue, it’s the fact that even the drivers sound bored chatting to their engineers mid-race.

Drivers should be exhausted after the race. The mental focus must be extremely taxing.

Instead you have Max and George saying they want to go for a run after.

[jacdaniel]

A faster car with brand new softs wouldn’t be able to pass a car on 77 lap old hards. You just can’t pass here.

F1 shouldn’t race at tracks where you can’t pass. Just get rid of it.

Or do some liberty gimmick and have some kind of qualifying shoot out weekend

[balmybaldwin]

I think they should keep the quali as is in current cars (and award half the points), but for race day use Branded, spec Super Karts for the other half of the points

Edited by balmybaldwin, 26 May 2024 - 18:08.

[Gravelngrass]

The truth is that, independently of Monaco, the cars themselves need to be changed. And this is no secret because they are already trying to do it.

 

But aside from that, the circuit could use some modifications, just to make it a better race without taking away any of its tradition and flavor.

 

Special rules, tyres or mandates would all be too artificial and it would be hypocritical for me to endorse them, when I'm asking for no tyre changes, no mandatory use of compounds or no more other stupid rules in general. 

[AlexPrime]

A faster car with brand new softs wouldn’t be able to pass a car on 77 lap old hards. You just can’t pass here.

 

Lance did some passes on new softs 

[HuddersfieldTerrier1986]

I agree with those saying about drivers driving so far off the limit to make the tyres last and also cos you can't overtake. This is why there were no real mistakes, no safety cars etc after lap 1

[ClubmanGT]

I think they should keep the quali as is in current cars (and award half the points), but for race day use Branded, spec Super Karts for the other half of the points

 

Alternatively, a separate spec of car for the Monaco weekend sanctioned for points. 

 

Hell, sanction a historic 1996 era (objectively the best era) chassis and reg set and make the teams use it. 

 

With V10s. 

[Ben24]

The cars are obviously way too big for this track now which is clearly one of the main problems. The tyres are a massive problem too though. I remember a time when I actually found the Monaco GP (race day) more exciting than the average race on the calendar.

 

I think half of the problem compared to before is that people are now so used to overtaking being so common every single race (purely due to DRS) that on this one occasion (the Monaco GP) that DRS is not available in the main overtaking spot, it makes overtaking seem near impossible compared to usual. On this point, it's probably not that overtaking is actually less common at Monaco than it was way back but it's that the general level of overtaking everywhere else on the calendar has increased so Monaco seems dead in comparison. 20-25% of the problem is also probably due to the size of the cars now though. It is clear that overtaking in Monaco was a lot easier before the cars increased in size in 2017. The last 25-30% compared to before is probably the ridiculous tyre rules now with 3 compounds that let teams run a tyre that can easily last all race. When teams were forced to use a tyre that barely lasted 10 laps it was more likely to produce an exciting race

Edited by Ben24, 26 May 2024 - 18:43.

[Ruusperi]

No. There are more than 20 circuits each year where you see plenty of DRS passing. We can accept one race where overtaking is impossible.

But the fact Bottas was 4 second faster than Leclerc after pitting shows that they are not pushing. While in qualifying they are scraping the barrier, in race it was a matter of who dares to drive slowest. What I want is to see them do 78 qualifying laps. That will increase mistakes exponentally, which means retirements and drama. Now everything is too predictable, unless it rains.

[William Hunt]

Force them to drive with F4 cars

[IrvTheSwerve]

Waiting for people to mention the useless Portier extension…

[ThomasBB]

Go counter-clockwise and remove the chicane. Would at least be fun to watch for a year

[brucewayne]

Just give them points for Qualy. No race, a double Qualy.

[ensign14]

Take the wings off and narrow the tyres.

 

This works for all races btw.

[MattPete]

Mandate Formula Ford tires. This will make the cars narrower.

[JimmyClark]

No I don't think it needs change - it's a unique weekend and it needs to be preserved. If we want an overtaking fest then Bahrain etc can provide that.

I would actually have it 305km like all other races, with the softest tyres.

[Hellenic tifosi]

The calendar is 20+ races long - we can afford a race without DRS flybys, and which at the same time provides us with the absolutely best qualifying session of the year and is a test of driver precision and courage. Making the cars smaller, lighter and more agile should be a universal goal, and not Monaco-specific, but it would obviously also help around there as well. What could really spice things up without compromising Monaco's unique appeal would be to turn the race into a de facto two stopper.

[Dmitriy_Guller]

I don't think anything can save Monaco short of bulldozing all the stuff around the track and redesigning it, it's a farcical race and has been for a long time.  Some parts about F1 in the current days don't help with the quality of racing, such as the size of cars, but in 1992 already a car vastly faster on pace had no hope of passing car that didn't want to be passed.

[Nathan]

I like the idea of removing the chicane after the tunnel, though not sure Tabac is wide enough for passing?

 

I also wonder about rather than turning right after Rascasse onto Albert Blvd (eg main straight) they continue onto Av du Port, right onto Rue Grimaldi and then feed back into the existing track at St. Devote.  Going into Casino would be pretty quick though.  Can still use the pits, though something may have to be done to reduce the distance advantage.

[MikeTekRacing]

Let’s make it 30 laps.
No point in it being 5000 laps, literally nothing was going to happen today

[w1Y]

While the cars are this big then they have to make mandatory pit stops or just stop racing here.

Something needs to happen to encourage them to actually go fast.

If you want to go wacky then have a number of drive through mandatory. Just do something

[MikeTekRacing]

Yeah, when you can drive 3 sec a lap slower the whole race and nobody can pass something is terribly wrong. I remember it being bad but this year was seemingly worse.

[Jackmancer]

I always thought Monaco needed to be on the calendar, but after yesterday, IMO just leave it and go to real racing tracks.

[KLF1F]

Make part of the course through the water and instruct the teams to bring amphibious cars.

[juicy sushi]

Monaco is fine.  The cars are rubbish.  Formula E puts on great races every year at Monaco.  If you don't want boring races, don't write boring technical rules.

[MikeTekRacing]

Monaco is fine. The cars are rubbish. Formula E puts on great races every year at Monaco. If you don't want boring races, don't write boring technical rules.

That’s fine. The cars are given. Pretty expensive to change.
The track is crap. And we already have a gazillion races with proper action

Edited by MikeTekRacing, 27 May 2024 - 02:59.

[Rediscoveryx]

They should go bold. Do an Isle of Man style race instead (i.e, a time trial).

[Beri]

Make it mandatory to put in 2 pitstops at Monaco. Regardless if it rains or not.


And for this one race, Pirelli could also opt for suuuuuper sticky, yet high degrading, tyres. Just one compound available for this race.

[FirstnameLastname]

Make it a 24hr race, with no driver swaps. Or tyre changes. Or refueling.

[KWSN - DSM]

Leave as is, there is nothing wrong with Monaco.

[Stephane]

With softer tyres, you'll just get some in pit position change, not more on track battles. Yes, some uncertainty, but still a train of cars.