Lewis Hamilton hopeful unknown 'lottery' can rescue Monaco GP after penalty

Lewis Hamilton has explained how the "lottery" of the Monaco Grand Prix's forced two-stop strategy could help to rescue his weekend. 

Hamilton qualified fourth fastest in the Principality, but was demoted three places on the grid after the stewards found he impeded Max Verstappen during Q1. 

Fourth on the road was Hamilton's best grand prix qualifying result for the Scuderia on a weekend he has been content with the SF-25 through practice.

In a twist, the Monaco GP will be a mandatory two-stop race after F1, and the FIA felt the 2024 race, where drivers changed tyres under a first lap red flag and ran to the end, was boring. 

Hamilton will be carrying two sets of hard tyres into the race, something he hopes will help his number come up in the "lottery". 

"I think the two stops should be better than the shite we had last year," Hamilton told media including RacingNews365. 

"Last year, the safety car came out on lap two and everyone was just on one tyre for 70-something laps, and it was an uneventful race.

"I think this kind of forces a bit more of a lottery, and I think you need this at this sort of track because you can't overtake.

"I'm excited to see how different it is. I chose to have two hards and Charles chose to have two mediums, and I am hoping there is a benefit to that, but of course, the two McLarens have two hards as well, so it will be tough."

When then pushed by RacingNews365 on the strategy, Hamilton insisted patience was key. 

"You don't know where everyone is, and you also have to have good patience, and you have to try and offset yourself," he added.

"That is why I've given myself two hards, so hopefully that gives me a bit more of an opportunity."