Lewis Hamilton urges new Monaco GP format to boost excitement

MONACO – Lewis Hamilton said he believes Formula 1 should consider an alternative format for the Monaco Grand Prix weekend to add more excitement to the long-running event.

The street circuit dates back to 1929 and became synonymous with Formula 1 during a continuous period in the sport’s calendar between 1955 and 2020, when the 78th edition of the event was postponed until 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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In recent decades, the circuit has been criticized for its lack of overtaking ability as its narrow layout has remained largely unchanged since the 1970s while the size of Formula 1 cars has increased significantly.

While Hamilton still loves racing in Monaco, saying it is “more special than any other street circuit”, he said the lack of activity at the races in recent years means Formula 1 must explore new ways to make it more exciting.

Six drag racing weekends have been introduced to the Formula 1 calendar in recent years, featuring a shortened race on Saturday in addition to the usual Grand Prix on Sunday.

Hamilton said it would not make sense to implement a drag racing system in Monaco, but he believes similar flexibility in the schedule could improve the offer.

“Whether or not we have quick weekends or … they can certainly come up with a specific weekend,” he said in Thursday’s media sessions.

“I get the speed stuff they’ve added, but this particular weekend, I think they should come up with a new formula for it rather than it being the same.

“That’s just my opinion. Do you (the media) not sleep on Sunday watching the race? Yes. So, somehow creating something else, I don’t know how you do it.”

Hamilton also believes the Monaco-specific tyres, designed to degrade at a faster rate and cause more pit stops, could also add more excitement to the race.

“Monaco is still Monaco, it hasn’t really changed much,” he said.

“The cars are getting bigger. You can’t overtake without the risk of crashing, so I wish we had bigger roads and the track could be wider, but I don’t think that would be the case in Monaco at all because it’s just a small place.

“The race is pretty much the same constantly. It’s a one-stop race. I would say maybe special tires for this race, so you have more pit stops which creates more contrast.”