Overview
- The FIA has floated making two pitstops compulsory at every grand prix from 2026 to increase overtaking and reduce predictable one-stop strategies.
- Pirelli’s Mario Isola says two-stop racing can improve the show but warns that strict mandates may force identical strategies, and he favors flexibility on tyre compounds.
- Max Verstappen acknowledges potential benefits yet cautions that fans may still object in certain scenarios and says 2026 technical changes leave many unknowns.
- George Russell argues the rule would only help if tyre degradation creates a meaningful pace difference, calling for softer compounds to generate a stronger tyre delta.
- A Monaco trial of a mandatory two-stop in 2025 produced a processional race, and a separate idea to require soft tyres in sprint races, proposed by Carlos Sainz, is also set for discussion.