Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton.
To the suggestion of mandatory usage of all three tyre compounds in the Monaco Grand Prix, as Lewis Hamilton had hinted at, 1996 World Champion Damon Hill gave his support and also proposed shorter and lighter cars.
After Formula 1’s recent visit to the renowned streets of Monte Carlo, the focus shifted to an ongoing discussion about the racing experience on this challenging and intricate track.
Damon Hill weighs in after Lewis Hamilton suggests mandatory Monaco pit stops
Although there were some overtakes during the race, particularly with Lance Stroll making moves on Zhou Guanyu and Logan Sargeant from the back, the top 10 drivers on the grid maintained their starting positions until the end.
Hamilton, who finished P7, was among the drivers to offer a potential solution for creating more on-track action, suggesting “three mandatory stops” could be the way of “spicing it up a bit more”.
Hill supported the idea proposed by renowned F1 statistician Sean Kelly regarding the Monaco GP.
Kelly wrote on X that she has always been in favor of implementing three mandatory dry Pirelli compounds in the Monaco GP, as they are currently discussing tire regulations on F1TV.
“It costs nothing.
“There are rules specifically tailored for Monaco in the current regulations, so before dismissing the idea of having rules exclusively for Monaco, consider that they already exist.”
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Hill would respond by acknowledging, “That’s a good idea,” but he also sought to delve deeper into the conversation by presenting two additional suggestions to enhance the racing experience at Monaco.
As time has passed, F1 cars have progressively grown in size and weight, resulting in limited chances for overtaking on the Monaco circuit.
Considering this idea, Hill proposed reducing the weight of the cars by 100 kilograms and shortening their length by a meter. He reasoned that the improved racing performance would outweigh any power loss.
Hill suggested that it’s a great idea, along with the proposal of making the cars approximately 1m shorter and 100kg lighter.
If the racing improves, having less power is not a concern.
In a remarkable display of limited overtaking, the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix accomplished a new milestone as the top 10 drivers finished the race in the exact same order they started. This achievement surpassed the previous record, where only the top six participants managed to maintain their initial starting positions until the finish line.
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