Monaco GP: Sky Sports activities F1’s Bernie Collins analyses impression new further pit-stop rule can have on 2025 occasion

Forward of the introduction of a second necessary pit cease at this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix, Sky Sports activities F1’s technique professional Bernie Collins solutions the important thing questions across the rule change.

What’s the rule and why has it been introduced in?

The 2-stop rule is mainly saying they should run three units of tyres, which successfully means they should do two pit stops. In a standard race, the rule is that we have to run two compounds, which is usually a medium and laborious, however it may be extra of a mixture than that. In order that rule nonetheless applies, there isn’t any requirement to run all three compounds.

And that is all been introduced in, for my part, in relation to what occurred final yr, the place we had a crimson flag on lap one. Monaco is such which you could tempo handle the stint by driving slowly and make any tyre mainly final your complete race, as a result of the overtaking threshold in Monaco is one thing like two and a half seconds that it is advisable to be faster overtake.

So, if you happen to simply drive that far off the tempo, you may make the tyre final the entire race. So final yr we had a Monaco the place everybody stopped beneath the crimson flag, so there have been only a few pit stops. After which mainly, nearly all of the sphere ran the entire race with out another interplay. So, that is simply to stop that from taking place once more.

I do not know if the way forward for the race was in danger. I believe it raised a variety of questions across the crimson flags. Final yr was distinctive. However the way forward for Monaco comes up yearly when it comes to what we’re doing to make it a greater present.

The problem of Monaco, in my thoughts, is qualifying, not the racing. It is a very historic observe. I believe there’s issues that we might do from a automotive facet to make it extra attention-grabbing, if we had smaller, lighter automobiles, that will assist in one course.

It is one that there is a variety of discussions yearly about methods to enhance the race, so at the very least we’re making an attempt one thing totally different.

Will groups change their method to apply and qualifying?

The attention-grabbing factor, to my thoughts, is that Pirelli have introduced a one-step softer compound this yr, the identical as we had in Imola. Now, we have seen in Imola how laborious the C6, the softest compound, was to get proper.

The usual allocation in Monaco going into qualifying, at which level groups have seven units of tyres, could be to only have one medium, one laborious and all smooth. That will be the usual allocation that you just’d have since you need as many smooth as attainable for qualifying.

With the two-stop, you would be making an attempt to cease beneath security automobiles if you happen to can. So, in case your three race tyres are the smooth, medium and laborious, is that smooth going to be okay for any variety of laps?

I believe in Monaco it in all probability will likely be, however folks might need to at the very least have the dialogue in the event that they want an additional medium of their race allocation – greater than what they might have had previously, so I believe that’s going to be an efficient change.

Are groups at the very least going to have to debate in the event that they want extra for the race? I believe the reply will in the end be no, but it surely’s at the very least going to be a dialogue level.

When it comes to what they should be taught, on Friday we do not fear an excessive amount of about our lengthy runs in Monaco. I believe that is nonetheless going to be the case. It is nonetheless going to be about getting your qualifying place appropriately.

Will the pit cease phases carry extra pleasure to the race?

If we now have a race with none security automobiles, as was the case at Monaco in 2021 and 2023, that can make each pit cease phases extra attention-grabbing.

It isn’t inconceivable, as a result of folks know in an effort to do nicely in Monaco, it is advisable to end. So folks really are fairly tidy within the race. And it is also not one which you could actually make actually aggressive overtaking strikes and hope it sticks, and subsequently you find yourself with points.

Monaco tends to be extra of an overcut race. However that’s traditionally based mostly on the truth that somebody behind you is managing their tempo and going slower than you. That is what makes it an overcut, folks field into visitors.

Whereas if the visitors is not the identical as a result of automobiles are all pushing extra, it might turn out to be an undercut race. Usually what creates the visitors is somebody doing a really lengthy first stint or somebody extending or somebody driving very slowly to create a pit window. But when that visitors is not there, then an undercut will work at Monaco. It is simply that traditionally the visitors has prevented that from taking place.

Persons are going to need to react quite a bit to what others are doing. We plan our race quite a bit, historic races, what has labored, what hasn’t labored, why it is labored, why it hasn’t labored. And we do not have that now. We have a clear sheet.

Usually on paper, if you happen to had been the one automotive on observe, a two-stop is faster at Monaco. However you by no means do it due to the visitors. The final word race time needs to be faster with a two-stop.

Will the front-runners push more durable and will team-mates be essential?

The explanation for protecting the pack tight is you’ll be able to lengthen till you get a security automotive after which do a pit cease. That is one of many causes historically for doing it.

Usually what we have seen occur right here and in Singapore is that they handle their tyres for about 10 laps, preserve the pack actually tight, then push for about 10 laps till they begin to open a window, and begin to drive folks into doing issues.

What whoever comes out in entrance is making an attempt to do, is be certain that there is a two-second hole so the undercut is not attainable for the automotive immediately behind, that they have a lap to react mainly. So, in the event that they really feel they’ve the tempo to do this, they’ll push across the level that they are attending to their pit cease window.

Groups might use one automotive to open a spot for the opposite, particularly if somebody qualifies out of place. I believe we’re extra prone to see it additional again, within the midfield, the place one automotive would not have a lot hope of ending within the factors and will help out his team-mate.

You usually discover team-mates will attempt to open the hole. It is clearly laborious, it’s going to be a bit extra intricate with getting two pit-stop home windows in. They might be match to assist on the first pit cease, however then not in a position to assist on the second pit cease, since you’ll have damage your race by doing it at one or the opposite cease.

The team-mate is all the time a danger in Monaco. We have seen final week, Oscar Piastri boxing and ending up behind Yuki Tsunoda. You completely need to keep away from doing that at Monaco, as a result of the undercut completely will not work out.

Which groups will the two-stop rule favour?

Groups which have been persistently fast in pit stops will really feel they’ve a bonus. It is Ferrari who cleared the path within the DHL Quickest Pit Cease Award standings up to now this season.

Equally the groups firstly and the top of the pit lane in Monaco have a bonus. It is simpler to get in and it is simpler to get out as a result of there are pit stops happening. Most likely the workforce on the finish, Sauber, is the one which has essentially the most benefit.

Until it’s a security automotive, if you happen to’re a Purple Bull or McLaren, you are available first, you simply cease in your field. After which if the pit lane is filled with visitors, it is usually very laborious to get out.

Whereas the Sauber on the finish ought to have a transparent run down the pit lane after which it is simpler to mix a bit on the finish as nicely. However the individuals who have been sturdy in pit stops will really feel they’ve a bonus.

When it comes to tyre degradation or tyre life, I believe a lot administration is feasible at Monaco that I do not actually really feel as if the lengthy on tempo goes to turn out to be extra prevalent. I believe it will be the people who really feel they’ve a bonus are the folks that may get the qualifying put collectively.

However we do not know. We might find yourself with a Monaco the place you are pushing flat out for all of the laps. I can not think about it.

If that occurs, if persons are pushing flat out for all of the laps, I think about you find yourself seeing extra security automobiles. You will not get the race the place there is no security automobiles. Folks will make errors. There will be a lapse in focus.

May somebody gamble on two very early stops?

I believe if it is not beneath a security automotive, then it might be a danger. We have seen Esteban Ocon do it at Imola, field on lap one, and attempt to run two units from there. I believe to cease twice that early on, you in all probability would not do if it wasn’t beneath security automotive circumstances. You would possibly do it as soon as, however you in all probability would not do two.

If there may be an early security automotive, anybody within the backside 5 to 10, it may be price biking by way of a tyre.

As an example you begin the race on a medium, for instance. If it was me and there was a full security automotive on lap one and I used to be fifteenth, I might begin the race on that medium, pit lap one for the smooth, pit lap two for the laborious, and run that tough to the top.

I’d strive it if it was me as a result of a full security automotive permits the pack to shut again up. The distinction in that being if you do not have a security automotive, you are two pit stops behind. So in a short time you would be into being lapped to do this on the again. And as soon as you’ve got been lapped, it’s extremely laborious to make up the bottom once more.

May a number of crimson flags destroy the plan?

If we get two crimson flags, we nonetheless will not have any pit stops. Until folks have stopped earlier than the crimson flag.

As a result of the foundations do not say it is advisable to have two pit stops. The foundations simply say it is advisable to run three units of tyres.

So, if we bought a state of affairs like final yr, you had a crimson flag on lap one, that will be two of your units.

You’d solely need to do yet one more pit cease after that. And if you happen to get one other crimson flag at another level, then you do not have to do any extra pit stops. So, it might nonetheless forestall you doing any pit stops.

May the pit lane be harmful beneath a security automotive?

I perceive considerations which have been expressed by the likes of Ferrari workforce principal Fred Vasseur, however just about yearly there is a security automotive at Monaco, and everybody stops.

So, it will be the identical as yearly there is a security automotive in Monaco. I do not suppose it will be any higher or worse. Yearly we get a security automotive in Monaco, the pit lane is absolute chaos.

To the purpose the place generally beneath a security automotive in Monaco, it’s higher to cease on lap two. As a result of on lap two, you do not save as a lot time beneath a security automotive, however the pit lane is quieter.

So there have been occasions the place we now have waited to lap two to pit as a result of the pit lane is so busy. However I do not suppose it will make it worse than regular.

May we see the rule launched at different races?

I believe Singapore is an apparent one, or Japan, that we simply had, was a bit stagnant.

However I believe the higher marker for me could be how profitable Imola was with softer tyre compounds. That led to rather more uncertainty. If we had softer compounds in Japan, we’d have a a lot better race.

So I believe going within the course of the softer compounds may be a greater route, however let’s examine. We cannot know till the top of Monaco. Perhaps we’ll have a very attention-grabbing race and many deviation in technique and many folks doing various things.

And perhaps the softer compounds are going to combine Monaco up anyway. I’d have actually appreciated seeing it simply with the softer compounds.

However at Imola, we had a really attention-grabbing race with out imposing extra stops as a result of we had totally different tyres. The retirements brought on by reliability points additionally helped, however the tyres undoubtedly had an impression.

Subsequent up in F1’s European triple-header is the ‘Jewel within the Crown’, the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend, with protection beginning on Friday stay on Sky Sports activities F1. Stream Sky Sports activities with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime