Formula 1 regulations will change ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix.
The first official track map for the Monaco GP has been released, and it contains a major change: there will be no straight mode zones, meaning active aerodynamics will not be used in the Principality.
According to The Race, the FIA’s decision is based on multiple factors. Straight mode is designed to be activated only on sections where cars are not operating at the limit of grip and traction. Monaco, however, is famously a circuit where drivers are almost always at the limit.
There is also the issue of minimum duration: every straight mode zone must last at least three seconds. In Monaco, no section of the track would meet that requirement, meaning drivers would have to manage an additional system without gaining any real performance or energy-efficiency advantage.
Finally, safety played a crucial role. Straight mode can increase top speeds by up to 20 km/h, and on a circuit where corners arrive extremely quickly and runoff areas are almost nonexistent, forcing cars into braking zones at even higher speeds was considered an unacceptable risk.
Overtake mode, however, will remain available. Drivers will be able to activate it before the final corner, where the DRS zone used to be located in previous years.
Photos: Formula 1
