Carlos Sainz has criticised the growing trend of Formula 1 drivers deliberately backing off the pace to control the outcome of races, saying it’s becoming “too easy” to manipulate results at Monaco.
The 2025 Monaco Grand Prix featured a mandatory two-pit stop rule introduced by the FIA to compel teams to engage more strategically on the iconic circuit – in an attempt to spice up the action.
However, what the governing body didn’t envisage was the increase in drivers going purposely slow to benefit their team-mate’s race.
Liam Lawson held up the chasing pack, including the Williams drivers, helping Isack Hadjar build a gap big enough to box twice en route to a sixth-placed finish.
Frustrated, the British squad gave in to its displeasure with the gimmick and took action with its own drivers to benefit from the rule.
Sainz held up the pack, including the Mercedes drivers, to give Albon clear space to pit, with the favour later repaid to him.
This helped the Spaniard consolidate a 10th-place finish, but he was left with a sour taste in his mouth afterwards.
“As we were victims of that situation, we had to, in the end, do the same thing as Lawson did, both times with Alex and myself, to make sure we brought the two cars to the points,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“Something I definitely in the end [didn’t] enjoy doing, something definitely the sport should look into.
“You’re driving two or three seconds off the pace that the car can do.
“You are manipulating the race and the outcome a bit.
“We should find a way [so] that this cannot be done in the future because I have the feeling that every year people are going to do it more and more.”
Sainz: Monaco tactics show urgent need for anti-manipulation rules
The 30-year-old later revealed how he considered solutions to the issue as he held up multiple drives on the streets of Monte Carlo, including a ‘joker lap’, which he later passed off as a joke.
Sainz, was of course, referencing when George Russell cut the Nouvelle Chicane, sailing past Albon, and sucking up a drive through penalty to, in the end, aid his race.
Whatever the fix, Sainz hopes a solution comes soon to prevent blatant race manipulation.
“I think ultimately the sport should look at a way where manipulating a race outcome with the pace shouldn’t be allowed, when it’s as obvious as it was today, he added.
“Around Monaco, it’s too easy to do – other tracks, DRS and straights [mean] you cannot do [it].
“But today it was very easy to do for everyone, drivers that are as talented as we are.
“To know when to back off for three seconds and then push when you have good tyres to not get overtaken.
“I hope maybe some drivers will have a good think about it and come up with a solution.
“If not, I expect hopefully the sport, together with [the] FIA, to come up with some ideas.”
On the matter, the ex-Ferrari driver noted that race manipulation once drew “huge penalties”, likely referencing the 2008 ‘Crashgate’ scandal.
While acknowledging Monaco’s difficulty for overtaking, Sainz was primarily focused on preventing teams from deliberately slowing to manipulate races.
“I fear that as we move forward into the years, teams are going to be more comfortable doing what we did today,” he said.
“For me, the bigger problem is the race manipulation.
“I think this is the kind of tactics we need to see how we can improve.”
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