F1 team pinpointed who are best-placed to master new rule at Monaco Grand Prix

The new rule at this weekend’s F1 Monaco Grand Prix will cause headaches to team bosses.

A mandatory two pitstops has been imposed on every F1 team for the first time.

It means the normal strategy of a single pitstop at the notoriously tight Monaco circuit is banned, and teams must rethink.

Sky Sports pitlane reported Ted Kravitz has pinpointed the team he thinks can get the best out of this new rule.

“Whatever happens in the first laps to the second stops, won’t matter,” Kravitz predicted.

“All that will matter is what happens after the second stops.

“Where Aston Martin got it right, with strategy, particularly in qualifying at Imola, I fancy that they might play this new regulation to their advantage.

“They could end up on the podium.

“Considering how much bad luck Fernando Alonso has had, until this point, maybe he is due some good luck.”

Aston Martin unexpectedly qualified fifth and eighth last week in Imola thanks to a bold tyre strategy.

Although they have been largely uncompetitive this season, it was a ray of light which hinted at better days ahead.

Aston Martin are also buoyed by Adrian Newey who is at an F1 grand prix wearing their colours for the first time.

Alonso was seventh in Friday practice, Lance Stroll 18th.

Dispute over ‘gimmick’ at F1 Monaco Grand Prix

There was disagreement over the FIA’s new rule in Monaco.

Kravitz insisted he did not like it: “Not really. I think it’s an overreaction to last year which was an unusual event, with a red flag and nobody making a pitstop.

“It has a bit of artificiality about it. A bit of gimmickery. Which I am not a fan of.

“But on the other hand, I think it will create a very interesting grand prix.”

Jenson Button replied: “You could say that having one pit stop is gimmicky because they don’t have to stop.”

Kravitz said: “That’s true. The FIA have never done this before.

“We’ve had races like Qatar in 2023 when teams had to make two stops because of tyre wear.

“But they’ve never said ‘you must make two stops’ and made a rule of it.”

Button was the last F1 driver to win the Monaco Grand Prix with a two-stop strategy, in 2009.

“I love it,” Button said about the new rule.

“It’s easy to make a mistake in this pitlane. It’s bigger than it used to be, but still it’s a small pitlane.

“I think it’s a good thing. You’ll still have people stopping on Lap 1 to do their pitstop then joining the back of the train.

“It spices it up. It opens it up to different strategies.”

Martin Brundle's view is: “I like the idea, let’s give it a chance.

“Should it work on Sunday, it might not work next year, because it depends on Safety Cars, red flags, whether they happen, when they happen.

“I am surprised they haven’t said ‘one of the pitstops must be in the first half of the race.

“If you’re at the back, do you go ‘Lap 1 pitstop, Lap 2 pitstop’ and sit and wait for your chance down the road.

“Will we see, at the end, the frontrunners hanging on and hanging on in case there’s a Safety Car, then pitting on the penultimate lap.

“But it does, without question, mean you cannot get out front, go around at Formula 2 pace, and hold everyone up.”