Max Verstappen didn’t hold back with his verdict on the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix, likening the race to Mario Kart following Formula 1’s attempt to shake things up with a mandatory two-stop strategy.
The Dutchman went from fourth on the grid, but for the second year in a row, failed to make any progress up the order come the chequered flag.
After settling behind the McLaren of Oscar Piastri, Verstappen attempted to go long on the first stint, but it came to no avail.
With a big enough gap to Lewis Hamilton in fifth, Verstappen played one last roll of the dice, waiting to pit for a final time until the very end, aiming to win big in the lottery of Monaco.
But with the race leaders following close behind, and no interruption to the race, he was forced to pit before the end of the Grand Prix, settling for fourth.
Following the race, Verstappen compared the Monaco Grand Prix to Mario Kart, mocking the lack of overtaking despite the enforced two-stop rule.
“You can’t race here – it doesn’t matter what you do – one stop, 10 stops,” he told Sky Sports F1.
“Even at the end, I was in the lead, my tyres were completely gone and you still can’t pass.
“Nowadays, with an F1 car, you can just pass an F2 car around here.
“I get it, but I don’t think it’s worked; we were almost doing Mario Kart.
“Then we have to install bits on the car and maybe you can throw bananas around! Slippery surface!”
Verstappen has no regrets over Red Bull gamble
After a sixth-place finish last season, the 27-year-old last won this historic race back in 2023, holding off Fernando Alonso in the tricky wet-weather conditions.
With his chances slim this year, Red Bull attempted an ever-optimistic strategy, holding out for a Safety Car or red flag to aid his race.
It never came, and the reigning World Champion showed no regrets with Red Bull’s gamble.
“Yeah, we had nothing to lose; we had a big gap behind,” he added to media including Motorsport Week.
“When I heard it was like 45, 50 seconds or something…you can pit, of course, and you just drive by yourself.
“Or you just hope that something happens and you get lucky.
“But that didn’t come the whole time, [and] my emotions were very neutral.”
Reflecting back on the race weekend in its entirety, Verstappen wasn’t too displeased with the result.
“I think, considering our pace the whole weekend, we did a good job,” he said.
“I think, as a team, of course, we were never happy with it before, but we also have to accept our limitations with the car.”
READ MORE – Max Verstappen: Red Bull low-speed issues unresolved since 2022 amid Monaco struggle
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