WHEN CHARM ISN’T ENOUGH ANYMORE

Ever since the cars became massive and bulky in 2017, this race has lost any real reason to exist — at least on Sundays. Let’s be clear: Saturdays are still breathtaking. The hunt for pole remains one of the last true tests of pure driving skill left in Formula 1. Watching these cars dance between the walls is still something unique. But the race itself, unfortunately, is a different story.

No regulation can fix it — mandatory two-stop rules or creative strategies don't change the core issue. The 78 laps of Monte Carlo have become an almost content-free formality. Drivers circulate at a parade pace, sometimes up to 10 seconds slower than in qualifying, with virtually no risk of losing position. The introduction of the two-stop rule, intended to inject some unpredictability, has only made the situation worse. We’ve even seen teammates deliberately slow down to give their partner a “free stop.” Strategically logical. Spectacle-wise? Frankly degrading.

The result? The top five ran their own race, while the rest of the field limped along at a lower-category pace, trapped by a sterile strategy. And the organizers' attempt to revive an increasingly lifeless event proved useless. As long as no one addresses the real issue — the size of the cars — every initiative will be doomed to fail.

That said, a positive note: Lando Norris is back to winning ways, his first victory since Melbourne. Flawless performance from Saturday on, with a qualifying session that kept building — crucial on a track like Monaco. In the race, he did the bare minimum to stay in control, with the only critical moment coming at the start, where he had to fend off an aggressive Leclerc with a last-ditch braking maneuver.

More puzzling was Hamilton’s race management. Midway through, he was running fifth, with one of two stops already done and a solid gap to Alonso behind. Verstappen was just a few seconds ahead, and yet no one attempted an undercut with the mediums. Maybe it wouldn’t have changed anything, but applying some pressure on Red Bull would’ve made sense — especially as Max was starting to hit lapped traffic.

The future, at least in the short term, doesn’t promise much better. Yes, the 2026 cars will be smaller, but not small enough to truly change the game. It’s true that Monaco has always been an outlier, but up until a few years ago it demanded absolute precision: every mistake came at a price. Today, you can mess up the exit of the tunnel, stay in the middle of the track, and you’re safe.

Just think back to 2013. After contact with Pérez, Kimi Räikkönen had to pit with a puncture. He came out in P13 on fresh tires — and within a couple of laps, he was back in P10. An achievement unthinkable today. Even with a superior pace, overtaking in Monaco has become a fantasy.

The charm of the Principality survives only in the collective imagination. For viewers, Monaco has become a non-race that continues to live off its name. And honestly, that’s just not enough anymore.

© Simone Marchetti Cavalieri

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