International Media reflect on mandatory two-stop rule

The British media outlet The Guardian does not think the mandatory two-stop rule fixed anything. Not only did it not provide a different race outcome, but it also did not “address the fundamental problem, which was once more painfully clear in the race on Sunday: that modern F1 cars are too big and too heavy to pass one another in Monaco.” 

The outlet pointed out that no overtakes were completed during the race; in fact, George Russell illegally passing Alex Albon was the only similar event.

L'Équipe also thinks the two-stop was useless to the race. The newspaper wrote the two-stop “did not make the race much more exciting than usual on the Principality's turnstile.” However, it does admit that the race offered more strategic opportunities for the drivers, despite the top four ending the way they started.

L'Equipe also mentioned Lando Norris’ prestigious win, “the final lap showed that [Norris] had it in him and that he especially managed to manage the impatient Monegasque in his rearview mirrors.”

The Spanish outlet, Marca, has a scathing opinion of the race, writing, “Maybe next year they'll invent another trick to artificially distort the classic race. Norris is rehabilitating himself thanks to a great Saturday and a good Sunday, making no mistakes and managing his advantage over Leclerc as he pleased.”

They, like others, also found the race to be not entertaining enough to be entertainment and with a lack of racing.

After Norris won the Monaco Grand Prix, German outlet Bild wrote that he was back in the championship running. However, it noted, “It was the Australian, of all people, who helped Norris to victory.” This was due to Norris calling on Piastri to put pressure on Leclerc. 

Bild is another outlet that noticed the race was not what it could have been. “The success? Minimal at best. The strategy battle many expected didn't materialise.”