Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has shared his opinions on the mandatory two stops, the drawbacks of the circuit, and the layout changes that can be undertaken to facilitate better racing at the F1 Monaco GP.
With the FIA mandating two pit stops in Monte Carlo this year, all ten teams went into the race unsure of how their strategies were going to play out.
While opinions remain divided over whether Sunday’s event was an improvement, the unpleasant reality is that the majority of the drivers lapped even slower than they did last year. Although only the top four drivers crossed the line in grid order on Sunday, the entirety of the field, apart from the top five, took the chequered flag at least a lap down.
Horner considers this year’s race an improvement
Speaking in a print media session after the race, Christian Horner shared his insights into whether the mandatory two stops implemented at the F1 Monaco GP managed to spice up Sunday’s contest.
Labelling this year’s Grand Prix as an upgrade over the processional race last season, the Brit noted that the strategic uncertainty made those 78 laps around the streets of Monte Carlo more exciting. Nonetheless, he added that the primary issue stems from the lack of overtaking opportunities, which allows drivers to massively slow down and back up the field.
“I think that, yeah, I’d say it was an improvement. It was strategically more interesting. There was more jeopardy to it. You know, certainly better than what we saw last year where there was just a procession.
“The fundamental problem is you cannot overtake here and you can drive around three, four seconds off the pace. So that’s the fundamental problem.
“Yeah, that’s circuit-specific. You know, we’ve known that. It has been on the calendar for 72 years.”
Horner endorses layout changes
Asked if he still believes that changing the track layout would facilitate more overtaking, the Red Bull team boss specifically singled out Sainte-Dévote and the Nouvelle chicane as potential spots which can be revamped.
Highlighting how the current generation of bigger and heavier F1 cars are not conducive to racing on the narrow streets of Monte Carlo, Christian Horner suggested that extending a braking zone would allow better wheel-to-wheel action at the Monaco GP on Sundays.
“I think it’s the only way to really encourage any form of [overtaking]. I don’t think I saw a single overtake in the race.
“So trying to create a bit more braking, you know, area either on the exit of the tunnel or, you know, Turn 1. If there was any way of creating a longer braking zone somewhere, we should really investigate it. The cars are so big now that you just don’t have a chance to get alongside.”
Monaco has to adapt to the present day
In terms of whether the promoter of the F1 Monaco GP would ever approve any layout changes, Christian Horner remarked that the circuit should evolve with time. Emphasising how much land the seaside Principality has reclaimed over the years, he added that implementing such modifications wouldn’t require massive effort.
Stating how the qualifying on Saturday pretty much determined the outcome of Sunday’s race in Monaco, Horner admitted that even the novelty of the two stops didn’t radically reshuffle the order across the grid.
“I think everything has to move with the times ultimately, doesn’t it?
“It’s an iconic, historic circuit. If you look at how Monaco has changed, how much land they’ve reclaimed into the seas in the last 72 appearances here, I don’t think you would need to maybe do too much. It just needs to be one area that you can have an overtake.
“I mean, everybody knows that coming here. The race was pretty much done yesterday. And we’ve introduced another dynamic with the pit stop, which ultimately for the first, I guess the top ten other than the retirement, there’s nobody really changed position.”
More overtaking opportunities beneficial for racing and prestige of Monaco
Asked if the solution to their predicament is smaller cars, Christian Horner quipped that go-karts would generate more action at the Monaco GP.
Nonetheless, reiterating that the current generation of cars are not equipped for the Monaco Circuit, the 51-year-old commented that it’s imperative to create more overtaking opportunities in F1 and its feeder series to keep the fervour for this historic Grand Prix unaffected.
“Maybe go-karts. I think these cars are just too big for this circuit. You can barely get them side by side. That’s Monaco. We know that.
“We all want to be here. We’re all here because it is Monaco. And the prestige and the cachet that goes with that.
“But everything has to move with the times at some point. The marshals are fantastic here. They put on a great event.
“It would just be really cool to have at least one area where there was a chance of an overtake. Because even in Formula 2 now and the support races, it’s very similar.”
