Formula 1 may have smaller cars in 2026, but that will not help the Monaco GP become a more exciting race. This assessment is made by Ralf Schumacher, who said he believes the characteristic difficulties of the circuit will remain practically the same.
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The opinion of the former driver reinforces the idea that the battle on the streets of Monte Carlo continues to be largely decided in qualifying. With the limitations for overtaking on the narrow street circuit, starting in front remains a decisive advantage – in fact, in 2025, the top four finishers ended the race in exactly the same positions in which they started.
Schumacher then explained that the reduction in the size of the 2026 F1 cars will be enough to change this scenario. “The cars are smaller, but that will not be enough, because the cars were already that small in my time,” he said on the Sky Germany podcast Backstage Boxengasse.
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“And even so, we barely managed to overtake. We managed to overtake here and there, but you need to be much faster or the other needs to make driving mistakes and get into the game,” he highlighted.
The German also criticized last year’s race, calling it “a disaster” because of the strategies adopted by the teams. Despite this, he maintains the expectation that unpredictable factors may make the race more lively. “Although I doubt it, I hope we see a bit more action and that there aren’t so many tactics again this year,” he concluded.
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