Formula 1 is once again left questioning how to fix the Monaco Grand Prix after yet another race filled with frustration, tactics, and virtually no overtaking.
In an attempt to avoid a repeat of the processional 2024 edition, this year's Monaco GP mandated two pitstops — but the result was arguably worse.
"It was worse," Mercedes boss Toto Wolff admitted.
Max Verstappen, who started and finished fourth, didn't hide his sarcasm.
"Very exciting. I really enjoyed it. Really great," he laughed to Viaplay.
"Maybe we should make it three pitstops next year. Or four or five. At least the team would get some pitstop practice.
"I mean, I could have done four pitstops and still finished fourth. For us it didn't matter at the front of the field."
While the front runners were in their own fight, the rest of the field formed long trains — some deliberately backing up rivals, others simply stuck.
George Russell received a 30-second penalty for skipping the harbour chicane to overtake Alex Albon.
"I was outside the points anyway and I just wanted to enjoy pushing hard in Monaco," he said.
"The irony is that I did 25 qualifying laps in the race and finished higher than if I hadn't taken the penalty. So the system is flawed."
Nico Hulkenberg agreed: "I appreciate that something was tried this year with the two-stopper, but it clearly didn't work. Not at all.
"There were a lot of strategic things going on, but it didn't have much to do with racing."
Carlos Sainz was more direct: "I'm very upset with the race and with the sport in general," he told DAZN.
"15 years ago, there were penalties for manipulating the races. But now the whole race is being manipulated.
"I hated going so slowly, but (Liam) Lawson put us last and second to last and it had to be done."
Despite the near-universal consensus that the two-stop rule failed, few agree on what the next step should be.
"Maybe we can throw out bananas like in Mario Kart," Verstappen joked.
"You can't race here anyway, so it doesn't matter what you do. One stop, 10 stops.
"I think with the cars we have now, you can only overtake a Formula 2 car around here."
Race winner Lando Norris pushed back on the entertainment focus.
"I think it should be the person who drives the best race and deserves to win," he said.
"I don't even know why people have such a high expectation. I mean, it's not just a show to entertain people. It's a sport."
Verstappen, who led the race late-on while delaying the mandatory second stop, was hoping for a red flag to become the winner through strategy trickery.
"I'm sure if we keep this going in the future, eventually a result like that will happen," Oscar Piastri said. "But is that what we want to see?"
Red Bull boss Christian Horner suggested a more radical solution.
"We should try to create a braking zone at the exit of the tunnel or in the first corner," he said.
"The cars are so big these days that there's no chance of getting past an opponent."
Wolff added: "Perhaps we need to introduce something like a maximum laptime so that certain opponents don't get so tactically tricky?"
Albon, who slowed the pack behind him, apologised after the race and agreed layout changes should be explored. McLaren boss Andrea Stella suggested smaller, lighter cars were the real answer.
Racing Bulls CEO Peter Bayer, one of the architects behind the deliberate 'go slow' tactics on Sunday, said there's little else the sport can do without touching the track itself.
"I can't really think of anything," he told Sky Deutschland.
"If the track doesn't allow for any changes, then the only approach to intervene here was through the regulations. There are other ideas like using only soft tyres or the C6, but at the end of the day, the reality is that you can't overtake here.
"The Monaco weekend is obviously incredibly important for the teams and for Formula 1. The fans, our partners, love it, and we have to try to improve the sporting aspect."
Ralf Schumacher warned: "If things continue like this, it will eventually mean the end of the grand prix because the spectators won't accept it."
Nick Heidfeld offered a left-field idea: "Perhaps they can look at something like a joker lap where you take a shortcut once or twice during the race."
Finally, Wolff suggested simply letting Monaco be Monaco: "Perhaps the most overtaking-obsessed critics should take their racing glasses off once per season."
Hulkenberg added: "99 percent of the people in Monaco are here to drink champagne on a yacht. They don't really care."
