Max Verstappen admits Monaco Grand Prix close to 'Mario Kart' after new rule failure

Max Verstappen talking to the press in Imola — Photo: © IMAGO

Monaco Grand Prix

Verstappen admits Monaco Grand Prix close to 'Mario Kart' after new rule failure

F1's stars were not happy after the Monaco Grand Prix

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Sunday 25 May 2025 18:55

Max Verstappen has dubbed the new Monaco Grand Prix rule a failure, as the F1 champion revealed his own cheeky suggestion on how to spice-up the race.

F1’s mandatory two-stop race did little to enhance the racing spectacle in Monaco this year, with the drivers and teams slamming the new rule after the race.

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One driver who was not a fan of the imposed strategy was Verstappen, who seemed exasperated by the new rule and stated that a Mario Kart gimmick should be introduced next time.

"You can't race here. It doesn't matter what you do. One stop, 10 stops,” he said to Sky Sports F1 after the race.

"Even at the end, I was in the lead, my tyres were completely gone and you still can't pass.

"Nowadays with an F1 car, you can just pass an F2 car around here. I get it but I don't think it's worked.

"We were almost doing Mario Kart. Then we have to install bits on the car and maybe you can throw bananas around! Slippery surface!"

F1 stars slam Monaco Grand Prix

Verstappen was not the only driver to criticise the Monaco GP, with Russell delivering a sarcastic post-race interview with Sky as well.

The Brit, who seemed in utter disbelief at how the race panned out, shook his head as he jokingly suggested that F1 drivers should be allowed to use ‘sprinklers’ during the Monaco GP in an attempt to spice things up.

Elsewhere, the Williams pair of Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon slammed the race, with the Spaniard stating he was ‘disappointed’ with how the race played out and complained about the 'manipulation' in the race.

Albon even went as far as to apologise to the fans for the spectacle they witnessed through their screens, and said that is ‘not how any of us want to go racing’.

F1 Max Verstappen Monaco Grand Prix Sky Sports F1