F1 and FIA drop Monaco two-stop tire rule after 2025 trial

Formula 1 and the FIA have abandoned the mandatory two-stop tire rule at the Monaco Grand Prix after a one-season 2025 trial, saying the experiment produced tactical distortion rather than more genuine on-track overtaking.

The 2025 tweak had forced cars to use three tire sets to encourage two-stop strategies and add uncertainty on Monaco’s narrow streets. Teams quickly gamed the requirement by running cars together, using one car to slow the field and open pit-stop windows for teammates, and producing unusually slow laps that did little to change the battle at the front. Noted examples included Racing Bulls using Liam Lawson to protect Isack Hadjar and Williams swapping positions between Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz to secure pit-stop advantages; some drivers were reportedly forced to lap more than four seconds slower.

The tactics prompted widespread unease and public criticism from commentators including Scott Mitchell-Malm, Ben Anderson and Gary Anderson, and uncomfortable reactions from figures such as Williams team principal James Vowles. F1 managing director Jon Noble said the tweak added some uncertainty, while FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis had warned the change was not guaranteed to stay. After reviewing the season-long trial, the governing bodies removed the Monaco one-off clauses from the sporting regulations and restored the standard tire requirement used elsewhere. The World Motor Sport Council initially retained the tweak in paperwork for 2026 before reversing that decision; the WMSC also approved extending Q3 by one minute to 13 minutes.

The FIA concluded the trial created distortion rather than added drama and suggested simply changing tire rules is unlikely to fix Monaco’s racing issues, indicating more complex or structural adjustments will be needed. The controversy around the experiment was underlined by incidents such as George Russell cutting a chicane and Fernando Alonso’s engine failure during the trial.