{"id":509824,"date":"2026-02-28T14:18:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T14:18:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/509824\/"},"modified":"2026-02-28T14:18:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T14:18:09","slug":"fia-quietly-drops-f1s-mandatory-two-pit-stop-rule-for-monaco-grand-prix-%c2%b7-racefans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/509824\/","title":{"rendered":"FIA quietly drops F1’s mandatory two-pit stop rule for Monaco Grand Prix \u00b7 RaceFans"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"Lewis<\/a><\/p>\n

The controversial rule change which reduced last year\u2019s Monaco Grand Prix to a farce has been expunged from the 2026 regulations.<\/p>\n

Drivers slated last year\u2019s race around the Monte-Carlo street circuit as \u201cvery ugly\u201d after they were forced to make two tyre changes during its 78 laps. This led several teams to use one car to deliberately slow the pace of their pursuers, so the other could make a pit stop without losing positions.<\/p>\n

While some in F1 thought increasing the number of pit stops would lead to more changes of position during the race, this did not happen in during last year\u2019s event. Inside the top 10, aside from Fernando Alonso\u2019s<\/a> retirement due to a technical fault, the only change of positions came when Lewis Hamilton<\/a> moved up the order through his pit stop.<\/p>\n

Race winner Lando Norris<\/a> criticised the failed attempt to \u201cmanufacture\u201d racing<\/a> while others claimed the rule change had \u201cbackfired\u201d. Nonetheless F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said they had made the \u201cright attempt\u201d with the rule change.<\/p>\n

However an update to the 2026 F1 regulations revealed the series has done a U-turn over the controversial rule. All passages stating drivers must use three different tyre sets during the Monaco race have been struck out.<\/p>\n

The rule was introduced due to concerns about the quality of racing in some of F1\u2019s recent visits to the tight street circuit. Overtaking has long been almost impossible at the circuit, particularly after F1 car widths increased from 1.8 metres to two in 2017. That has been partially reversed for this season, with cars now measuring a maximum of 1.9m wide.<\/p>\n

Other unique rules relating to the Monaco Grand Prix remain in place, including the shorter grand prix distance of 260 kilometres instead of the usual 305.<\/p>\n

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Formula 1
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