Anti-racing or ingenuity? Monaco's hold-up tactics might be in F1 for good

Formula 1's attempt to improve racing at Monaco through a mandatory two-stop experiment in the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix backfired when teams used hold-up tactics to manufacture pitstop opportunities. The same deliberate slow-driving strategy resurfaced during the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix, undermining the FIA's intended outcome. According to analyst Jake Boxall-Legge writing on June 9, 2026, these hold-up tactics are now considered a likely permanent fixture of Monaco racing strategy.