May 25, 2025; MONACO; Lando Norris during the F1 Monaco Grand Prix at Circuit de Monaco. Mandatory Credit: Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters via Imagn Images

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“Hardly What F1 Stands For”- Martin Brundle Rebukes Monaco GP Strategy!

Why was Martin Brundle not in favor of the recent Monaco GP racing weekend?

May 25, 2025; MONACO; Lando Norris during the F1 Monaco Grand Prix at Circuit de Monaco. Mandatory Credit: Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters via Imagn Images

The Monaco GP was once again one the most boring races Formula 1 in 2025. Not only did it fail to impress viewers, drivers have been criticising it ever since. F1 did their best to bring new regulations for the race. The aim was to increase the likability and excitement of Monaco GP.

The decision made by Formula 1 backfired terribly. As a matter of fact, it might have made the race worse than before. The biggest factor in the downfall of Monaco GP this year was the strategy. Teams have a history of trying to get away with a favorable grid position. This year, in order to get rid of the mandatory pit stop rule, teams were using rather slow tactics.

They held up drivers in order to create a gap necessary for pitstop. The worst example of these tactics was Williams F1.

Martin Brundle Unimpressed with “Teamwork” During Monaco GP

Martin Brundle, former F1 driver and Sky F1 commentator, was furious with the racing in Monaco last weekend. He was against the vague instruction provided by Formula 1 for the mandatory stops. Brundle argued that teams should be forced to complete their first pit stop within the first half of the race.

Martin Brundle on the Monaco GP hold-up tactics:https://t.co/pWNGIMZadm pic.twitter.com/kPsn2Yiu0F
— PlanetF1 (@Planet_F1) May 27, 2025

“We saw selected cars four seconds off the pace with a frustrated queue behind them. Not pretty, or impressive, but effective for some. But hardly what F1 stands for.”

He was against the spectacle unfolding in Monaco with the Willliams and Racing Bulls. In his thrashing, Brundle’s conclusion was that the pit-stop rule for Monaco was a failure this weekend.

Our Verdict on the Monaco GP

There were virtually zero overtakes in Monaco this weekend. But, there were some improvements in racing. The problem arose when teams utilised negative tactics. If there was more clarity in the rules, or strict regulation of race pace, the race would indeed feel better to viewers.

The two-stop rule was an interesting decision. And, it managed to a bit action between the top-3. If Verstappen had not held out the lead until the last moment, Leclerc would never close the gap to Lando Norris. It is harsh that, Verstappen lost out on podium due to the two-stop rule. But, his contribution to the race was more than valuable.

What a place to go racing ❤️#F1 #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/EPfSFXhBHM
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 23, 2025

In 2026, the cars are going to become smaller and overtaking will become simpler. This will help in Monaco’s case. The track has become too narrow for current generation cars. The new cars will be small which will help their racing. Formula 1 should also try to bring in better points system for the Monaco GP. It should focus more on qualifying compared to the race.

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Formula 1 2025 Season

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I work as a Writer at The Playoffs specialising in NHL, Formula 1 and Motorsports. I got into online journalism a couple of years ago. I used to be an intern for a website managing their Formula 1 content and then I served an entire year as a contractual writer.