Lewis Hamilton struggle leads Toto Wolff to call for changes at Monaco Grand Prix
The Monaco GP was criticised yet again for its lack of overtakes last weekend
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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff believes Fernando Alonso’s battle with Lewis Hamilton at the Monaco Grand Prix proves the track needs to be changed.
Hamilton was driving significantly quicker than seventh place Alonso for a lengthy period towards the end of the race as the Spaniard attempted to preserve his tyres.
Alonso dropped more than 30 seconds behind Lando Norris in sixth but Hamilton still failed to find a way past the Alpine driver before the end of the race.
And Wolff feels the situation involving the two former world champions is a demonstration that the Monaco race needs to reinvent itself.
He said: “You can see that another lesson is that track position is everything in Monaco. Five seconds is like an F2 car but yeah, I think we need to look.
“This is such a spectacle here, such a fantastic venue and always amazing to be here, but we need to maybe look at the layout, where we can basically do a lap five seconds slower and you still can’t overtake.”
Wolff then went on to add: “With the track layout, maybe it’s wishful thinking. I wouldn’t know where else we can drive than around these roads, and the tunnel is already fast, but I don’t know what can be done.
“Maybe we can just get rid of the chicane [after] the tunnel and make it a long straight.
“And then Tabac, I don’t know... Tabac would be too fast. Maybe [add] some braking there but this is here the track designer speaking who has no clue.”
The Monaco GP is yet to renew its contract with the FIA - Formula One’s governing body. If no new deal can be agreed then the famous track will not be on the calendar from 2023.
However, Wolff does not feel getting rid of the race altogether is the right thing to do.
“I think there’s a commercial debate to be held but both parties clearly will find a compromise because we need Monaco and Monaco needs Formula 1,” he said.
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