Formula 1 must introduce one Monza-specific rule in 2026 as fans blast ‘dullest’ Italian Grand Prix

Follow us on Google Discover

The run down to the first corner at the 2025 Italian Grand Prix suggested that fans were in for a thriller at Monza.

Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen cut the second part of the chicane while under pressure from Lando Norris and was told to give the place back to avoid a penalty.

However, by the beginning of lap four, Verstappen found himself back in the lead of the Italian Grand Prix and wasn’t seen for the rest of the race.

Charles Leclerc gave Ferrari fans hope that they could have a driver on the podium after leapfrogging drivers’ championship leader Oscar Piastri on the opening lap.

Leclerc wasn’t ahead for long, and Piastri settled into third place a few laps later. And for much of the race, there wasn’t a lot going on.

There were a few scuffles, with Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson clashing, and Oliver Bearman picking up two more penalty points after a contentious collision with Carlos Sainz.

However, much of the race was run in procession, with very little going on.

McLaren made things interesting in the final stages of the race, failing to manage their drivers’ pit stops correctly and having to ask Piastri to move aside to let Norris re-take second.

Formula 1 needs to step in and find a way to make Monza more exciting, with fans declaring it one of the ‘dullest’ races of the year.

READ MORE: Five unforgettable Italian Grand Prix from Niki Lauda’s return to Lewis Hamilton vs Max Verstappen

F1 fans label the Italian Grand Prix ‘boring’ after Max Verstappen dominates for Red Bull

Reacting to the race on social media, fans admitted that the opening laps were the only part of the Grand Prix worth watching.

One fan said: “I adore Monza, but this is one of the dullest F1 races I’ve ever watched, apart from laps 1-5ish. The tyres are too durable. Pirelli should’ve brought the step softer. One stop races are often terrible with no strategic variety.”

Another comment read: “Well, Monza doesn’t really bring us the most excitement as a race. This has been boring.”

“This is the boring part of Monza. Cars are equal in pace, so no real/significant advantage for any racing,” said another fan, while one message read: “Tradition and history aside, Monza is one of the most boring tracks.”

“Monza up there with Monaco for the most boring GP of the season,” declared another fan.

One spectator remarked: “They made Monza boring, and Pirelli made 40-lap old medium tyres; someone should get an award,” while one fan summed up the race by saying: “Fastest F1 race ever, and one of the most boring too.”

READ MORE: When the Italian Grand Prix produced the closest finish in F1 history for one driver’s only Grand Prix win

Formula 1 must introduce Monaco’s mandatory two-stop rule to Monza in 2026

Monza is the fastest circuit on the calendar, and Verstappen’s victory was the quickest in the history of the sport.

Fans had to endure less than 75 minutes of action, with Sky Sports’ pre-race coverage in the United Kingdom longer than the race itself.

One of the most intriguing aspects of Monza is that it has one of the slowest pit stops in Formula 1.

Drivers on average lose 25 seconds for each pit stop, and Monaco’s mandatory two-stop rule might work perfectly at Monza too.

It would add an extra layer of jeopardy, as Norris and Gabriel Bortoleto’s slow stops highlighted on Sunday.

Pirelli also need to examine the tyre compounds they bring to Monza, with cars more than capable of completing nearly the full race distance on the mediums.

Formula 1 won’t want to lose the fan experience of Monza that makes it one of the best destinations to visit on the calendar, but it needs to act to avoid another boring Grand Prix.