Two-time world champion Alonso has established himself as the third man behind Verstappen and Perez in the world championship with four third places so far. For the Spaniard, however, it is clear that this cannot be the end of the season.
“Hopefully soon. I don’t know,” Alonso said recently when asked when he would celebrate his first win with Aston Martin. The racing team will be in partnership with Honda from 2026 and thus have the status of a works team. Whether with or without Alonso, who will celebrate his 45th birthday in 2026, is in the stars.
Red Bull has competition on the bill
Before the Formula 1 weekend in Monte Carlo, Red Bull team boss Helmut Marko is stacking deep. The man from Graz does not see his world champion team in the principality, but rather Ferrari as the favorite.
“Slow distances suit us”
At the moment, Alonso and his teammate Lance Stroll still have to make do with the power of the Mercedes engine as a customer team – and that can be improved. “We seem to have a car that might not be the fastest on the straights. We still have to improve that, but we’re very good in the corners,” said Alonso. “So I would say that the slowest routes, say Monaco, Budapest, Singapore suit us. I think these are the circuits where we are pinning our highest hopes at the moment.”
Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko has Ferrari on the bill after Imola’s cancellation due to the storms in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. The Italians are said to warm up the tires better for a fast lap, and first place in qualifying could already be a deciding factor for Sunday’s race (3:00 p.m.). Therefore, “we have to make sure that we are as strong as possible in this session,” said Verstappen. “The track in Monaco is very narrow, even narrower than other street circuits. So it’s extremely difficult to do a qualifying lap here, but it’s also very exciting at the same time.”
Perez raves about the traditional course
Last year’s winner Perez raves about the traditional course despite the difficulties. “It’s the race every driver wants to win when they’re young and I was lucky enough to be able to do that last season,” said the Mexican. “It’s important that we get our set-up right and that qualifying goes well to have a chance of winning on Sunday.” The weather could also be an important factor, Perez added. “The race usually depends heavily on the strategy,” remarked Verstappen.
Like so many Formula 1 drivers, the Dutchman, who was born in Belgium, lives in Monaco and is therefore experiencing a home race. But this statement applies to no one more than Ferrari man Charles Leclerc, who was born and raised in the Principality.
Leclerc fights Homecurse
The 25-year-old has never won on his home circuit, not even a podium place. Five times in the single-seater series he hadn’t even reached the finish line. The greatest feeling was fourth place last year after starting from pole.
Ferrari wants to restart in Monaco
The Formula 1 Grand Prix in Monaco is a special one for Ferrari and Charles Leclerc. For many experts, the native of Monegasse is the number one Red Bull challenger on the narrow street circuit. But he has never won his home Grand Prix.
Leclerc, who is traded as a World Cup candidate, is currently far from the title and is not experiencing the happiest days of his racing career. Recently there was wild speculation in the British media – up to the cockpit swap with Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton after this season. “I won’t comment on that, but it’s true that it’s something new in my career. So far I have not been the subject of rumours.”
Ferrari rumor amuses Hamilton
There was no offer to the British, explained Frederic Vasseur in a media session in the paddock of the Monaco Grand Prix on Thursday. “We are not sending an offer to Lewis Hamilton. We didn’t do it.” Hamilton said, visibly amused, that maybe someone got bored after the race in Imola was canceled a week ago.
He had repeatedly emphasized that he saw his future with the German factory team. And also on Thursday, he reiterated that the former industry leader’s current low will not affect his decision. His current contract expires after this season.
Like some other teams, Mercedes also brought innovations to the car to Monaco that were actually intended for Imola. “It will not be a panacea, in my experience there is no such thing in our sport,” said team boss Toto Wolff. “We hope that it offers the drivers a more stable and predictable platform.” The Silver Arrows hope that they will be able to build on this in the coming weeks and months.