2024 Monaco Grand Prix Breaks Huge Record... But It's Not A Good Thing

For the first time in its storied history, the Monaco Grand Prix finished with no changes in the post-qualifying top 10 order.

6th placed qualifier Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing talks to the media in the Paddock after qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco on May 25, 2024 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. / Clive Rose/Getty Images

Historically packed but maybe not so loved anymore, the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix set an unprecedented record as, problematically, the post-qualifying top 10 order remained entirely unchanged. That's right, the top 10 cars remained entirely unchanged throughout the entirety of the race, highlighting that either Formula 1 has a track issue, or more likely, a car issue.

Charles Leclerc secured a triumphant start-to-finish victory at the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix for the very first time, capturing a win on home soil from pole position. Such a performance usually sets the stage for celebration, but this year’s event was overshadowed by various criticisms about the track layout and the size of the current era cars.

The event was marred early on by a red flag that significantly influenced race strategies. Teams had the unusual chance to change tires during the wait for the track to be cleared of Red Bull and Haas car parts, and because of this, they weren't forced to pit during the race as per the regulations. Unfortunately for us viewers, this meant we watched 78 laps of not a lot happening.

We were treated to two standing starts - always an exciting moment in Monaco, but thanks to the lack of pitstops, there were very few strategies in play. In fact, the only pitstops we saw were from drivers like Lewis Hamilton who had built enough of a gap that it didn't change their position at all.

This has raised significant questions about whether the prestigious Monaco circuit is still suitable for contemporary F1 races, with its narrow streets and tight corners that once favored thrilling feats of daring now promoting a processional, rather uneventful race.

Drivers like Lewis Hamilton voiced concerns, suggesting big changes could improve competitiveness and make the event more engaging for fans.

"Monaco continues to be Monaco, it's not really changed much," he admitted ahead of the race. "But, the cars are getting bigger. You can't really overtake without the risk of colliding, so I wish we had bigger roads and the track could be wider, but I don't think that's ever going to be the case in Monaco because it's just a small place.

"The race is continuously pretty much the same," he continued. "It's a one-stop race. I would say maybe special tyres for this race, so you have more pit stops that create more variability."

"F*** me, this is really boring. Should have brought my pillow," Max Verstappen, the reigning champion said over his team radio during the race.

Obviously, something needs to change.