Drivers call for change to “boring” monaco
Race format in question after lack lu st regp
Drivers have questioned Monaco’s suitability as a modern Formula 1 venue after a lack of action led to some labelling last weekend’s grand prix as the “most boring race ever”.
A combination of the slowspeed nature of the Monte Carlo track and Pirelli’s new hypersoft tyre compound meant that the race became more about conservation.
Daniel Ricciardo led home a top six that was unchanged from its qualifying order, as nearly all the drivers opted for a one-stop strategy. As well as losing around 25 per cent of his engine power due to an energy recovery issue, Ricciardo lapped around nine seconds slower than his qualifying pace and still won.
Mclaren’s Fernando Alonso was the most scathing. The Spaniard ran seventh before retiring with a gearbox failure.
When asked what he thought about racing at Monaco with the current, wider more powerful F1 cars, Alonso said: “It’s extremely boring. I mean, this is probably the most boring race ever. Without a safety car, without yellow flags, the sport needs to think a little about the show because this is very disappointing. Probably the most boring race ever in F1.
“But it’s Monaco, that’s the way it is. We just start in our qualifying position and we run until the chequered flag in that position. We probably need to give something to the fans at the end of the race, just to pay the ticket back a little.”
Alonso’s comments are telling considering he opted to skip this race last year to instead take part in the Indy 500 in America, a race that he labelled “the race of the day” on his Twitter feed on Sunday.
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton was also frustrated, having pitted on lap 12 before nursing a set of ultrasoft tyres for 66 laps. After admitting to “literally cruising” for much of the race, Hamilton suggested a shake-up to the Monaco weekend was needed.
“It [Monaco] has the biggest build-up and is the most special race of the year, but it’s a shame that the race isn’t as exciting as the spectacle and the track is,” he said. “Maybe it’s got to be a different format here? It’s got to be more mixedup. Look at NASCAR – they throw out a bunch of safety cars for no reason to bunch the pack up. Or maybe we need two races here? But that was just the longest 78 laps ever.”
Kimi Raikkonen added: “Qualifying dictates most things here. Not a lot happens. The start is the next deciding part, then whoever is in front dictates the speed. There needs to be a massive mistake to get past. We end up just driving around. Not the most exciting.”
Ricciardo said he felt the nature of the circuit was more to blame than the new softer tyres, which will also be used at the next race in Canada.
“Because it’s a tight circuit you can take the p*ss a little bit with going slow,” he said. “There were times when I was really cruising, but the circuit allows you to do that, because it’s that hard to overtake.
“I don’t think we’ll be able to settle into that kind of rhythm at a place like Montreal. I think it’s more circuit dependent.”