Hamilton renews calls for Monaco changes

Lewis Hamilton has renewed calls for changes in Monaco ahead of this weekend’s Formula 1 Grand Prix.

The narrow streets of the Principality are notoriously difficult to pass on, placing an emphasis on qualifying performance more than race pace and typically producing processional racing.

Hamilton has long called for changes at Monaco, suggesting revisions to the circuit or even race format as far back as 2018 as a way to revitalise the event.

That year’s event was won by Daniel Ricciardo in a race Fernando Alonso described as “extremely boring”.

A two-time winner in Monaco, Hamilton maintains his belief that the event is an anachronism.

“Now we have much bigger cars, much faster, almost zero opportunity to overtake in a race,” he said, comparing his machinery to that raced in decades past.

“It’s been the case for some time, and, in my opinion, it needs to change.

“We’ve had the same format for years. It is the best venue.

“It’s never exciting for the fans. It’s a one-stop race with these hard, long stints that we get to do.

“On the list of difficult places to overtake, it is off the scale; highly unlikely that we ever get an opportunity to do so. I don’t think fans enjoy that.

“I don’t know what the solution is but I’m hoping when we are looking forward to future generations, it can be a more exciting race for people.”

Hamilton heads into this weekend’s race leading the world championship by 14 points over Max Verstappen after four rounds.

Free Practice 1 for Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix begins at 19:30 AEST this evening.