Wolff urges the sport to avoid awkward "situation in the future" at Monte Carlo

F1 Grand Prix, GP Monaco, Monte Carlo Circuit

Following a tough race for Mercedes at Monte Carlo, the Brackley-based outfit's team boss Toto Wolff has urged Formula One to review the effect of the mandatory two-stop strategy on the spectacle of the race in the Principality.

On the back of an impressive start to the 2025 F1 season, Mercedes endured a tough weekend at the Monaco Grand Prix. Andrea Kimi Antonelli made a mistake in qualifying, touching the guardrails at the harbour which sent his Mercedes into the walls.

His team-mate George Russell looked in fine form in qualifying after his struggles across the practice sessions, but a technical issue saw him end up 14th on the grid.

From these lowly starting positions, Mercedes were always going to endure a tough time on the twisty and narrow streets of the Principality, but the introduction of the mandatory two-stop strategy and the tactical games saw Russell and Antonelli lose any chances of scoring points on Sunday.

The Briton was even handed a drive-through penalty for cutting the track and gaining a lasting advantage, but with Antonelli holding up their direct rivals, Russell was able to complete the penalty and the two mandatory stop without losing any position.

Ultimately, the Briton finished the Monaco race in P11 while the Bologna-born driver completed his first F1 appearance in the Principality in P18.

Reflecting on the Monte Carlo race, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said: "Today was just not our day. Starting P14 and P15 was going to be a challenge, and we knew about this from the start.

"There were no scenarios that could have brought us some points and hoping for a red flag or a Safety Car was the only option available to us. Saturday's Qualifying penalized us for today's race, and that's usually the case in Monaco when you start further back in the field."

Signing off with a word for the mandatory two-stop strategy, Wolff stated that the sport will need to investigate whether the new rule worked as it had been expected.

"It was a frustrating race for our team, and I am sure many fans didn’t enjoy the spectacle. As a sport, we will look at the mandatory two stop regulation and see how we can avoid these situations in future.

"Monaco is still one of those incredible events though and an unbelievable spectacle. It is an entertaining weekend, but it is no surprise that Saturday is almost more important than race day itself.

"We must make sure to not lose the magic of Monaco, whilst creating the best racing we can around these narrow streets," concluded the Austrian.