Arthur Leclerc welcomes mandatory two-stop strategy for Monaco
Speaking ahead of the race weekend at Monte Carlo, Ferrari start Charles Leclerc's younger brother Arthur Leclerc stated that the introduction of the mandatory two-stop strategy should lead to a more spectacular race in the Principality.
Just days after the thrilling Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the Monaco Grand Prix takes place this weekend. The track sees drivers drive around the twisty narrow streets of the Principality that has been a fixture of the F1 calendar since the championship's birth in 1950.
The Monte Carlo street circuit has not undergone any changes apart from some track resurfacing. At 3.337 kilometres it is the shortest on the calendar and is also very narrow, just 10 metres at its widest point and every corner, be it Ste. Devote, or the Fairmont hairpin, the tunnel, or Rascasse, presents a challenge measured in millimetres and milliseconds.
Asked to reveal what the importance of the Monaco Grand Prix is for the whole Principality, Arthur Leclerc stated: "As a Monegasque it's amazing to watch the Monaco Grand Prix.
"I have been watching this race for many years, since I was born basically, and it's really something special for all our friends and family.
"Obviously seeing Charles driving always adds something extra. Last year he managed to achieve his dream and win the race, so in a way it feels “complete”, but it’s still a magical day when F1 is racing here.
Pushed on to reveal what his first memory of the Monaco Grand Prix is, the younger Leclerc recalled memories from the time when he struggled to cope with the sound of the previous F1 engines.
"My first memory of the Monaco Grand Prix is me watching the race as a child with my parents and my brothers. It was really a long time ago! We were at the Swimming Pool corner and I remember that the F1 engines back then were so loud that I started crying!
"My parents had to buy me some earplugs because my ears were hurting. Can you imagine? Funny as it is, this is really my first memory of F1."
This year, there’s a very interesting change to the sporting regulations, specifically for the Monaco event, namely the requirement for every driver to stop at least twice during the race to change tyres, although there is still no obligation to use more than two of the available three dry tyre compounds.
The aim is to generate more excitement on track, because in recent years, overtaking moves, indeed changes of position in general, have become a rarity. That is why, more than at any other round, qualifying is the key moment of the race weekend.
"I think it's good to have two mandatory pit stops because it will bring a bit more action and unpredictability to the race, and it will also allow the drivers to push their tyres harder. The last few races were all about tyre management.
"This year I think it will add some strategy to the picture. Nevertheless, with Monaco being Monaco I think that at the end of the day it will be paramount to do well in qualifying to have a good race. I’m really interested to see what happens," said Leclerc.
