‘That was my idea’ – Lewis Hamilton takes credit for major F1 rule change he’s been ‘mentioning for years’
LEWIS HAMILTON has claimed that he told Formula One chiefs to change the Monaco Grand Prix to a two-stop race years ago.
Last week, the FIA announced a significant rule change for one of F1‘s most prestigious races.
From this year, it will become mandatory for drivers to make two pit stops as opposed to just one.
The change has been made to “improving the sporting spectacle” of the Monaco Grand Prix.
Both fans and drivers have complained about the lack of action at Circuit de Monaco in recent years.
For that reason, Hamilton believes a change should have been introduced a long time ago.
After pre-season testing last week, he said: “I’m pretty sure that was my idea anyways.
“But if you go back and look at some of the transcripts of previous years, I’ve been mentioning the two stop for years.
“I think Monaco has to be at least a two-stop [race]. I think the one-stop was never really great.
“I think that [the Monaco] Grand Prix is a great Grand Prix, but the race… there’s more to offer in the race maybe with more than one pit stop.
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While Hamilton believes the change will largely improve the Monaco race, he insists it will not fix every issue.
He continued: “That won’t fix it all. We’ll still see some of the issues of not overtaking and stuff, but I think it will make it more exciting. So yeah, I’m all for it.”
The 40-year-old, who officially joined Ferrari in January, was seen driving the team’s new SF-25 car for the first time in testing last week.
Hamilton was thrilled with his first taste of action in the car and said: “I’ve learned that you really can’t judge too much from the first outlook.
“I definitely think in past years, particularly in the previous generation of car, it was much easier to know where you stood quite early on.
“But I would say this is the most positive feeling that I’ve had in a long time.”