It's always a strange feeling heading into the Monaco Grand Prix. It's impossible not to get excited about what is an incredible spectacle, but just as impossible to get excited about the racing that's to come.
Formula 1 hoped to improve that racing this year by introducing a new rule that required every driver to make at least two pit stops, but did it have the desired effect? And how is this season's title race looking now? Let's dive in.
There's life in Lando yet
As Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc battled it out for pole position in a thrilling qualifying session on Saturday, it really did feel like Norris was the one that needed to win that battle the most. Sure, it was a race weekend that meant more than any other to home hero Leclerc, but Norris needed to send a message after a run of races in which he'd been second best to Piastri and/or Max Verstappen, and he did just that.
He set a track record to fight off a flying Leclerc in qualifying, but even with pole position effectively guaranteeing you'll win in Monaco barring mechanical or pitlane issues, the way in which he held onto that win felt even more important. Why? Well, winning in Monaco is a mental test more than anything, and those are the exact kinds of tests that he's failed in the past.
I've written about him struggling when under pressure multiple times in this column, and he was very much under pressure in the closing stages in Monaco with Verstappen backing him up into Leclerc and Piastri. This time though, he didn't make any mistakes and wasn't stressing out on the team radio as he so often has before. Instead, he kept his head down and finished the job.
It was the kind of cool-headed composure and self-confidence that we've seen from Piastri all season, and that has been what has given the Aussie the lead in the title fight. If Norris can permanently add it to his own game, he has the pace to win that fight.
If the Brit manages to do so and become world champion, Monaco will look like a real turning point.
Mandatory pit stops fail to make a difference
As Formula 1 cars have gotten bigger over the years, so too have the problems with the Monaco Grand Prix, with overtaking on the narrow streets becoming all but impossible. F1 hoped to address that issue this year by increasing the number of pit stops and thus increasing the chances of the field being shaken up in the pitlane instead, but the new rule didn't have the desired impact.
It led to teams - namely the Racing Bulls and Williams - using one of their drivers to hold up those behind them and create a gap that allowed their teammate in front to be able to pit and rejoin ahead of the queue that had been created. The lead driver could then let the other past if he wasn't already ahead and return the favour.
Basically, we had the exact same traffic jams that we've had for years in Monaco but those traffic jams were now significantly slower. Alex Albon was going so slowly (five seconds off the leaders) that George Russell decided to make an illegal overtake and accept the penalty rather than stay stuck behind him.
In past editions of the race, we've at least been able to admire the talent and concentration of drivers as they've navigated such narrow streets at such high speeds for well over an hour, but now we didn't even have that to enjoy.
So, still no overtaking, still few changes of positions via the pitlane - of the top 10, only Lewis Hamilton gained places through something other than a car ahead retiring - and less speed all around. Yeah, not great.
What next for the Monaco Grand Prix?
I do understand F1 gambling on something new to try and liven things up - a sport's showpiece event really shouldn't also be its most boring. However, it seems clearer than ever now that it's simply impossible to have an entertaining race on a circuit in which two cars can barely fit alongside each other. So, what now?
Well, the obvious solution is to make the cars smaller again, and next season's will be around 30kg lighter and 100mm narrower. However, that's not enough of a reduction to make a big difference at Monaco, and whether further reductions can be made in years to come without compromising the safety of the vehicles is very much questionable.
Another possibility is to change the layout of the track to try and create a longer and wider section where overtakes can be made, but doing so seems impossible when space is at such a premium.
Ultimately, I doubt wheel-to-wheel racing can ever be brought back again, and personally would love to see qualifying in Monte Carlo - one of the highlights of any season - made the main sporting event of the weekend. Add a drivers' parade, add a proper podium ceremony, add a points-scoring system like the one used for the sprint races.
Rather than try to improve it with gimmicks or make changes to an iconic track, maybe it's best to just accept the Monaco Grand Prix for what it is: a historic event in a truly stunning location that shows off the glitz and glamour of the sport all weekend and the superhuman abilities of the drivers on Saturday. That's not so bad.