Formula 1 has scrapped the mandatory two-stop rule at Monaco for 2026, killing off the gimmick that backfired spectacularly last May. The FIA's plan to force strategic chaos on the principality instead handed Racing Bulls and Williams a loophole: park one car, back the pack up by four seconds a lap, and bake in a free stop for the teammate ahead. Lando Norris won, the purists groaned, and Williams boss James Vowles admitted he hated gaming it. The clauses have now been deleted entirely from the 2026 sporting regs.
Elsewhere, Q3 gets an extra minute — 13 instead of 12 — and Q1 and Q2 will eliminate six cars apiece to accommodate Cadillac's arrival as the 11th team. Cooling vests, meanwhile, stay optional during heat hazards after driver pushback, with opt-outs carrying a 0.5kg ballast penalty.
Monaco in 2026 reverts to its old self: track position, qualifying, and pray.
Read the full story at Motorsport.com