Monaco complications confusing Piastri: ‘My head’s still untwisting itself’

Oscar Piastri says the new mandatory two-stop regulations at the Monaco Grand Prix have created so many potential scenarios that his head is “still kind of untwisting itself” trying to understand them.

A change in rules for this season’s race was approved earlier this year that sees each driver have to use at least three different tire sets during the grand prix on Sunday, although the number of different compounds remains unchanged at two. The aim is to prevent a race as processional as in 2024 when an early red flag allowed all drivers to change tires and effectively run a no-stop race.

“I still think 90-something percent of Monaco is qualifying,” Piastri said. “I think it's very complicated now with these two stops. Also, just using three sets of tires, because if there's red flags like we saw last year, it's not quite as simple as what it was.

“So it's definitely going to throw a spanner in the works for everyone, but I think if you qualify on pole, unless something goes dramatically wrong, it’s still going to be hard to be beaten. So I think you can roll the dice a bit more, but there's a lot of strategic elements involved. Will it increase overtaking? No. But it will probably lead to a more complicated situation.

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“I would still rather be on pole than anywhere else, but I think here it's a bit different, because it gives you control of the race," Piastri continued. "It's not like a normal race – we saw last year, if you want to drive 10 seconds a lap slower, you can. So it's quite different to a normal place.

“But it does make things very difficult, because you have the most to lose [from pole]. That's kind of the biggest thing. Everyone else behind you can take a few more risks. There's different team strategies that you can deploy, but it's very, very complicated. My head's still kind of untwisting itself from some of the meetings we've had today.”

The regulation also applies to a wet race, meaning three wet-weather sets would need to be used, but even if the race is dry Piastri says there’s no obvious strategic approach to take, unlike in the past.

“[The picture is] a very complicated one. I think there's a lot of caveats involved," he said. " I think there is going to be a lot of gambling on safety cars, red flags, especially if you're not in a high points-paying position. There's going to be a lot of risks taken, because ultimately if it goes wrong, you're not losing anything. So it makes it potentially more difficult for the teams at the top, such as ourselves, but it makes it more difficult for everybody, not just one team.

“So we'll wait and see, but it is very complicated going through all the stuff we've gone through today. It's not simple. Not simple at all.”

Although Piastri was struggling to get his head around the different permutations, McLaren teammate Lando Norris is taking a different approach to the challenge.

“Just to let whatever happen, happen,” Norris said. “I'm not thinking of the race at all. I don't need to. I've got to practice tomorrow and then qualifying. For me that's my only thoughts, my only things I need to focus on. So Sunday I worry about Saturday night.

“You have to wait and see where you qualify first. So [Piastri] can think what he wants, but you have to rethink it all depending on where he starts. So for me, it's just a needless worry.

“Of course, we just went through things and we know what we would want to try and plan for in a perfect race. But you don't know if the gaps are going to open up, if they're going to close, is it going to be a tight race, are people going to tire save, are they not? So it's just something I don't need to think about. He does his thing and I do mine.”