Two compulsory pit stops at Monaco GP: Charles Leclerc says it’ll “add spice to Sunday”
The Monegasque driver was in London yesterday to launch the new Formula 1 season © Scuderia Ferrari HP
As the 2025 Formula 1 season was presented at London’s O2 Arena, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) issued a press release announcing its intention to increase the number of compulsory pit stops during the Monaco Grand Prix.
The Monaco Grand Prix has a reputation for being decided during qualifying on the Saturday rather than during the race itself on the Sunday. With that in mind, the FIA is looking into the possibility of changing the Monaco Grand Prix regulations to make the Sunday more exciting. The current rules require drivers to make at least one stop per race, forcing them to use two different types of tyre.
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The width of the cars combined with the narrowness of the Monaco circuit make it increasingly difficult for drivers to overtake during the race. This new regulation would be a way of prioritising strategy during the race and could set up a real tactical battle between the teams.
At the event in London on Tuesday February 18, alongside his new Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc was asked by Sky Sports about the new regulations: “In Monaco… the excitement on the Sunday is perhaps a little less than what you would hope … the Saturday is incredible but the Sunday needed a little spice and hopefully this will bring it.”
An exceptional presentation for the 2025 season
The FIA pulled out all the stops to announce the new season! All 20 drivers from the ten teams were at the O2 Arena in London in front of 18,000 people to reveal their brand new single-seaters for the 2025 season.
The event featured individual presentations by each team, showcasing the designs and colours of the cars for the coming season. Scuderia Ferrari’s livery is a rather dark red, while Alpine has made an unusual choice of pink and blue.
Mercedes has gone back to its former silver colour, while Red Bull has retained its design from the previous year. With white as the dominant colour, the Racing Bulls Visa Cash App made a strong impression, and will be driven by French rookie Isack Hadjar.