Hamilton suggests F1 experiments with Monaco GP format

Monte Carlo’s iconic street circuit is nearing its 100th birthday in 2029 and amid annual complaints about its cramped facilities and anachronistic nature, the track itself is still a drivers’ favourite.

Saturday’s all-deciding qualifying session is held in the highest regard, as a defining driving experience not found elsewhere on the congested 24-race calendar.

But with overtaking pretty much impossible and strategic options minimal, it has led to drivers thinking out loud about ways to improve the show on Sunday.

“Monaco continues to be Monaco, it’s not really changed much,” Lewis Hamilton replied, when asked by Motorsport.com about what he would change to help safeguard the event’s future relevance on the calendar.

“The cars are getting bigger and you can’t really overtake down the pits without a huge risk of colliding.

“I wish we had bigger roads and the track could be wider, but I don’t think that’s ever going to be the case in Monaco because it’s just a small place.”

The Mercedes driver, twice a winner around Monaco, suggested: “Maybe having special tyres for this race so you have more pitstops would create more variability.

“They can definitely come up with a specific weekend, you’ve got the sprint weekend that they have added, but this particular weekend I think they should come up with some new formula for it rather than it just be the same.

“Do you guys not fall asleep on Sunday watching the race? Yeah, so create something else somehow, I don’t know how you do that.”

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz said “no one will ever beat Monaco” as an event, but acknowledged the need to spice up race day.

“I want to push a bit, in the sense of if there’s an opportunity to create an overtaking spot around Monaco, have a look at the city, have a look at the layout, and make an effort to make that happen,” the Spaniard said.

“It would make Monaco an even better track, so it will leave us all still waiting for Sunday, rather than knowing that nothing happens on Sunday.

“Knowing that Monaco is the best and will always be the best in that sense, in the glamour side of things, I wouldn’t underestimate changes that Imola, Monaco, these kind of circuits can do for the future.”

Additional reporting by Jonathan Noble