Haas Formula 1 team principal Ayao Komatsu believes the 2026 regulation cars will not alter the challenges drivers are faced with at the Monaco Grand Prix, arguing that fans and stakeholders should simply accept the Sunday race for what it is.
It is famously difficult to overtake around the narrow streets of Monte Carlo, but the Monaco Grand Prix offers a different type of weekend for fans.
There has been talk for several years that modifications could be introduced to make the race less processional, but Komatsu pointed to other races that can be similar and argued that Monaco brings a different type of excitement to the calendar.
“I don’t think you can overtake on Sunday now. I mean, look at Suzuka, even Miami was quite difficult to overtake,” Komatsu explained during an appearance on the Essential F1 podcast.
“So Monaco, I think it will be the same. I don’t think it’s enough now to see overtaking at Monaco, but we have 22 events on the calendar [this year], I think Monaco is very, very unique. I think rather than trying to make Monaco Sunday work, this is my personal opinion, I think we should just accept Monaco Sunday is that.
“But Monaco is an amazing location, totally different vibe. It’s all about Saturday. Within itself, it’s a very unique event, and also, Monaco traditionally is just one stop. And because it’s just one stop on Sunday, the only thing that can happen is around that one stop, so that’s actually pressure as well. If you make one small mistake around that, that’s it, you’re done, you can never recover.”
The FIA has since introduced changes for the race in Monte Carlo due to safety concerns, including a ban on active aerodynamics.
The Monaco Grand Prix will take place from 5-7 June.
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– The Motorsport.com Team