F1 Monaco Grand Prix “manipulated”, drivers apologise as new rule “didn’t work”
Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon admit frustration at new F1 Monaco GP rul✨e

Drivers were left apologising after the new rule at the F1 Monaco Grand Prix was criticised for backfiring.
Formula 1 introduced a new regulations mandating each car into a two-stop strategy, forcing them to change tactics from the norm a🏅round the tight and twisty street circuit.
But the desired effect o༺f more exciting racing did not come into fruition, as polesitter Lando Norris won the grand prix.
There was awkwardness waiting for the second round of pitstops to potentially inject some jeopardy, while midfield teammates wꦍorked together to strategically thwart rivals.
168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Williams were guilty of backing up the following Mercedes but it worked - 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Alex Albon was ninth, 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Carlos Sainz 10th.
“A terrible day for racing, in general,” Sainz muttered on the team radio as he finis♌hed.
Team boss James Vowles said: “This wasn’t particularly enjꦏoyꦅable for any of us today.”
Sainz was dꦯꦗownbeat as he explained their strategy: “It is definitely something I don’t like to do. Liam Lawson did it first, to us. It put us into panic mode.
“The only way to get both cars into the points was to do it to th✅e rest of the field ourselves.
“I am disappo🐓inted with the whole race, the lap times all weekend.
“It shows the two-s💃top change is nothing around Monaco. People are still going to do what we did, manipulate the final result with thei♐r driving.
“We either come up with a s🤪oꦛlution, to not manipulate the race, or it will always be like this in Monaco.
“In the midfield, it ba🃏ckfired. It made things even💝 more manipulated.
“I am h🐻appy for F1 to try things. I am a massive fan of trying things. We tried it, it didn’t work, at least not in the mid🎃field.
“It’s not the way I like to r💖ace, not the way I dream of racing around Monaco.
“When I was a kid, I didn’t see this manipꦺulation. But it’s becoming a trend ♌over the past five years.”
Albon apologised: “Noꦓt how we want to go racing. We put on aꦯ bad show for everyone, and made a few drivers angry behind us.
“It’s taking advantage of the track, and the size of𝓡 the cars.
“The two-stop 🙈made us do i♛t twice rather than once. Apologies to everyone who watched that.
“Bei𝔉ng honest, we didn’t want to do it, or plan to d🐠o it.
“Wheꦆn we knew on Thursday it was a thing, and the Racing Bulls started it… if they didn’t start it, we wouldn’t have done it. Sorry.
“I was getting ready to bring my pillow out.”
New rule at F1 Monaco Grand Prix ‘needs tweaking’

Jenson Button agreed that the experiment🔥 did not work and further tweaks are needed.
He told Sky Sports: “When teams were using one driver to help another, and holding back cars, and going six seconds per lap slower… it looks a b♔it silly, doesn’t it?
“George Russell tried to jump Alex Albon through the chicane so he’s in front 🔯and can push on six seconds before he can get his penalty. Again, it makes a🌌 mockery of it.
“It’s a shame that it hasn’t worked. I love that we tried it, because it needed somethinᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚg.
“But we need to work oꩲut a way tha🧸t we can tweak it.”
🔯Naomi Schiff added: “Last year was not what we wanted to see on track. “Obviously it was great to see Charles Leclerc win in his hometown.
“But everyone chౠanging their🥀 tyres during a red flag phase made the race really boring.
“So I don’t know if the issue is the red flag regula🅰tions or the teams being allowed to change tyres onto a ne꧂w set. That could be something which needs to be revised.
“The problem?ꦑ Th🎐ey didn’t have enough racing or overtaking last year.
“Things were more chaotic today.
“But you also saw people’s𝓀 races ruined by this. You play a strategic game because that’s w🏅hat the regulation demands.
“But we want to s🍸ee the person who deserves it win the race.”
Button also noted: “But di📖d you see an empty seat? I didn’t…”
It was suggested that keeping the two-stop ꩵrule, but mandating each car to pit within a certain timeframe, could 🧜be the required tweak for 2026.
“I think so,” Button replied. “It would 🌱mix it up. You wouldn’t have 🍸the yo-yo effect of drivers helping their teammates.”

James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, t🦂o football, t💖o F1.