“Maybe Throw Bananas” – Verstappen Compares Monaco GP Rules to Mario Kart Fun

Max Verstappen compared Formula 1’s tweaks to the Monaco Grand Prix rules to something out of Mario Kart, saying the changes did little to improve the racing on the iconic street circuit.

The 2025 Monaco GP saw F1 trial a new tyre regulation, requiring teams to use three different tyre compounds and make at least two pit stops.

This change followed a 2024 race where the top 10 finished in their starting order, which left many fans and teams hoping for a shake-up. Verstappen, the Red Bull Racing star, felt those hopes went unfulfilled, describing the race as “almost Mario Kart” after a day where strategy choices overshadowed on-track action.

The updated tyre rule led to unique race tactics. Williams and Racing Bulls ran deliberately slowly at points, creating gaps on track for their teammates to exploit in pit stop cycles. For more details on F1’s strategic regulations, you can explore the FIA’s official sporting regulations.

Verstappen himself spent much of the race managing his pace and holding out for a possible late red flag. His plan was to stop on the final lap, aiming for a free tyre change if the race was stopped, which might have handed him an outside shot at victory.

Instead, he took fourth place, matching where he qualified after penalties shuffled the order. Verstappen told reporters he understood why F1 and the FIA tried a fresh approach at Monaco.

But, he added, “You can’t race here anyway, so it doesn’t matter what you do. One stop, 10 stops…the result is the same.”

Red Bull’s Monaco pace fell short of the front-runners, highlighting a familiar weakness for the squad. Verstappen qualified fifth, over seven tenths of a second behind pole-sitter Lando Norris.

After Hamilton’s grid penalty, he started from fourth but was unable to move forward during the race. He pointed out the difficulty of overtaking in Monaco’s tight streets, saying it wouldn’t matter how many compulsory pit stops the rules call for.

In his words, “My tyres were completely gone, and you still can’t pass.” Verstappen’s remarks made light of the situation, joking that “Maybe you can throw bananas around”—a direct nod to Mario Kart—if organisers want more chaos.

His team struggled throughout the weekend, especially over the circuit’s bumps and kerbs. Verstappen explained the car lacked grip in slow-speed corners, which made tyre wear and graining a problem whenever he tried to chase the cars ahead. For deeper insights into Monaco’s unique track challenges, check out Motorsport Magazine’s analysis.

With overtaking so tricky and the car not at its best, he admitted that fourth place was the highest realistic finish on the day. “There was nothing to lose, right? I had a big gap behind. It was still the same position…but that’s Monaco for you.”

After Monaco, Verstappen sits 25 points behind McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in the championship standings. Norris’s win in Monte Carlo moved him within three points of his McLaren teammate, keeping the fight at the top of the table close. To learn more about F1’s current standings, visit the official Formula 1 championship page.

The next race on the schedule is the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, where Verstappen and Red Bull will look to bounce back from a difficult weekend in Monaco.

The experiment to inject suspense into the Monaco Grand Prix by mandating extra pit stops may have grabbed attention, but Verstappen’s verdict was clear. For now, Monaco remains a track where qualifying is decisive and passing is rare —no matter how many bananas the rules try to throw into the mix.

Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.