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Showing posts from May, 2023

Permane: Alpine F1 challenger is not "a Monaco-special car”

Last weekend the team had its best weekend of the year as Esteban Ocon qualified third and Pierre Gasly seventh, and subsequently finished in the same positions. Permane insisted the latest updates have helped to find performance and that Ocon’s result was achieved on merit, albeit helped by a grid penalty for Charles Leclerc that handed him a place. Asked what he expected for the ... Keep reading

Permane: Alpine is not "a Monaco-special car”

Last weekend the team had its best weekend of the year as Esteban Ocon qualified third and Pierre Gasly seventh, and subsequently finished in the same positions. Permane insisted the latest updates have helped to find performance and that Ocon’s result was achieved on merit, albeit helped by a grid penalty for Charles Leclerc that handed him a place. Asked what he expected for the ... Keep reading

F1 and Sky to create bespoke Hungarian GP coverage for children

F1 is continuing its mission to broaden its audience with bespoke coverage from the Hungaroring designed to capture the imagination of children. The UK broadcast will feature presenters of the Sky Kids show FYI, Braydon and Scarlett, and go-karter Zac, who will join 2016 F1 champion Nico Rosberg and Danica Patrick to create F1 Juniors. The series will create a dedicated International Feed ... Keep reading

F1 and Sky to create bespoke F1 Hungarian GP coverage for children

F1 is continuing its mission to broaden its audience with bespoke coverage from the Hungaroring designed to capture the imagination of children. The UK footage will feature presenters of the Sky Kids show FYI, Braydon and Scarlett, and go-karter Zac, who will join 2016 F1 champion Nico Rosberg and Danica Patrick to create F1 Juniors. The series will create a dedicated International Feed ... Keep reading

Leclerc: Left front tyres will be “crying” at revised Barcelona circuit

The chicane before the last corner has been removed from the layout creating a high-speed run through what are now Turns 13 and 14 that puts extra stress on the tyres. Tyre management has been a key issue in F1 this season, with some teams struggling more than others, and Red Bull showing clear superiority over rivals at most venues. “I think the left front will be crying for the whole ... Keep reading

Leclerc: Left front tyres will be “crying” at revised Barcelona circuit

The chicane before the last corner has been removed from the layout creating a high-speed run through what are now Turns 13 and 14 that puts extra stress on the tyres. Tyre management has been a key issue in F1 this season, with some teams struggling more than others, and Red Bull showing clear superiority over rivals at most venues. “I think the left front will be crying for the whole ... Keep reading

Motorsport.tv guide: What's on 3-4 June weekend?

Here is a guide to what's on Motorsport.tv for the weekend of 3-4 June. For a detailed list of what's available in your area, please visit the livestream page: Motorsport.tv/livestream. SUPER GT - Suzuka The first three races of SUPER GT have seen some great battles in both the GT500 and GT300 categories and this week's stop will be at the legendary Suzuka circuit ... Keep reading

F1 rivals will struggle to copy RB19 floor, says Red Bull

The way that stranded cars are retrieved by marshals in Monaco, by being lifted high on cranes rather than on the back of low loaders, meant several stricken machines had their undersides revealed in all their glory after incidents. Just hours after the Mercedes W14 floor was shown off following Lewis Hamilton’s crash in final practice, Red Bull had to endure its own car’s secrets being put ... Keep reading

F1 rivals will struggle to copy RB19 floor, says Red Bull

The way that stranded cars are retrieved by marshals in Monaco, by being lifted high on cranes rather than on the back of low loaders, meant several stricken machines had their undersides revealed in all their glory after incidents. Just hours after the Mercedes W14 floor was shown off following Lewis Hamilton’s crash in final practice, Red Bull had to endure its own car’s secrets being put ... Keep reading

Why McLaren’s shock tech signing points to a new F1 approach

After years where McLaren had pinned belief of a turnaround of fortunes in F1 on improved facilities and revised management structures, it is clear it is no longer simply sitting back and hoping for the best. Instead, McLaren CEO Zak Brown and newly appointed team principal Andrea Stella have got their elbows out and accepted that if they didn’t take action – and plot an entirely new course ... Keep reading

Why McLaren’s shock tech signing points to a new F1 approach

After years where McLaren had pinned belief of a turnaround of fortunes in F1 on improved facilities and revised management structures, it is clear it is no longer simply sitting back and hoping for the best. Instead, McLaren CEO Zak Brown and newly appointed team principal Andrea Stella have got their elbows out and accepted that if they didn’t take action – and plot an entirely new course ... Keep reading

Vasseur: F1 Monaco GP quali pace shows Ferrari driver complaints are overblown

Leclerc overcame a five-place grid penalty for blocking Lando Norris in qualifying to score sixth in his home race last weekend but made the SF-23 out to be “very difficult to drive in traffic”. Team-mate Carlos Sainz notably tagged Esteban Ocon and ran off at Mirabeau corner on his way to eighth. Meanwhile, an upgraded floor for the previous Miami round was conceived to make the car ... Keep reading

The hidden details behind Mercedes’ upgraded W14 F1 car

And while the big-ticket items, such as the sidepods and front suspension, were obvious talking points, there were also some interesting detail changes that emerged too.   Mercedes W14 front detail Photo by: Giorgio Piola In terms of the new front suspension arrangement, the main change came to the pickup position at the chassis end on the lead arm of the upper ... Keep reading

Vasseur: F1 Monaco GP quali pace shows Ferrari driver complaints are overblown

Leclerc overcame a five-place grid penalty for blocking Lando Norris in qualifying to score sixth place in his home race last weekend but made the SF-23 out to be “very difficult to drive in traffic”. Team-mate Carlos Sainz notably tagged Esteban Ocon and ran off at Mirabeau corner on his way to eighth. Meanwhile, an upgraded floor for the previous Miami round was conceived to make the ... Keep reading

The hidden details behind Mercedes’ upgraded W14 F1 car

And while the big-ticket items, such as the sidepods and front suspension, were obvious talking points, there were also some interesting detail changes that emerged too.   In terms of the new front suspension arrangement, the main change came to the pickup position at the chassis end on the lead arm of the upper wishbone. The arm is now mounted on the top corner of the chassis, rather ... Keep reading

Piastri learned from following Verstappen in wet F1 Monaco GP

The Australian followed ninth-placed team-mate Lando Norris over the line to record a double points finish for the team in a performance that passed without major error. That was despite the treacherous wet conditions late on that notably caught out more experienced operators Sergio Perez and George Russell. Piastri reckoned he survived the 78 laps without so much as grazing the barriers ... Keep reading

Piastri learned from following Verstappen in wet Monaco GP

The Australian followed ninth-placed team-mate Lando Norris over the line to record a double points finish for the team in a performance that passed without major error. That was despite the treacherous wet conditions late on that notably caught out more experienced operators Sergio Perez and George Russell. Piastri reckoned he survived the 78 laps without so much as grazing the barriers ... Keep reading

McLaren hires top Red Bull engineer Rob Marshall as new F1 technical director

Marshall will leave reigning constructors’ champion Red Bull at the end of the 2023 season, although steps back from his current role with immediate effect, to bring his 17-year stint in Milton Keynes to an end. In January 2024, Marshall – a former Renault designer who is credited with evolving the team’s innovative mass damper system that helped it to the 2005 and 2006 constructors’ ... Keep reading

McLaren hires Red Bull engineering chief Marshall as new F1 technical director

Marshall will leave reigning constructors' champion Red Bull at the end of the 2023 season, although he steps back from his current role with immediate effect, to bring his 17-year stint in Milton Keynes to an end. In January of 2024, Marshall, a former Renault designer who is credited with evolving the team's innovative mass damper system that helped it to the 2005 and 2006 constructors' ... Keep reading

Alonso still harbours thoughts of F1 2023 title

The Spaniard secured his best result of the season in the Monaco Grand Prix as he took second place behind Verstappen in the rain-affected race.  But although Alonso's fifth podium finish of the year has confirmed his spot as Red Bull’s main challenger, he has already slipped to 51 points adrift of Verstappen in the drivers’ standings.  The current advantage that Red Bull has ... Keep reading

Piastri learned from following Verstappen in wet Monaco GP

The Australian followed ninth-placed team-mate Lando Norris over the line to record a double points finish for the team in a performance that passed without major error. That was despite the treacherous wet conditions late on that notably caught out more experienced operators Sergio Perez and George Russell. Piastri reckoned he survived the 78 laps without so much as grazing the barriers ... Keep reading

Alonso still harbours thoughts of F1 2023 title

The Spaniard secured his best result of the season in the Monaco Grand Prix as he took second place behind Verstappen in the rain-affected race.  But although his fifth podium finish of the year has confirmed Alonso's spot as Red Bull's main challenger, he has already slipped to 51 points adrift of Verstappen in the drivers' standings.  The current advantage that Red Bull has over ... Keep reading

Why Alpine's Monaco F1 result was "desperately needed"

The aforementioned timing is relevant because the result came just a few weeks after Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi surprised the paddock with strong criticism of his own team in a French TV interview, saying the team's performance was "unacceptable" and at times "amateurish". The strong race in Monaco took some of the pressure away, and a clearly delighted Rossi was happy to be front and centre ... Keep reading

Why Alpine's Monaco F1 result was "desperately needed"

The aforementioned timing is relevant because the result came just a few weeks after Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi surprised the paddock with strong criticism of his own team in a French TV interview, saying the team's performance was "unacceptable" and at times "amateurish". The strong race in Monaco took some of the pressure away, and a clearly delighted Rossi was happy to be front and centre ... Keep reading

Mercedes still needs to dial out a “nasty” rear end of F1 car

The German manufacturer introduced a major update at the Monaco Grand Prix, which included new sidepods, revised front suspension and floor tweaks. While the nature of the Monte Carlo street track meant it was hard to gauge exactly how much of a step forward the new parts delivered, the team was encouraged by the first signs from the changes. However, team principal Toto Wolff says that a ... Keep reading

Marko: De Vries Monaco F1 performance "what I want to see"

De Vries has had a rough start to his F1 career, struggling to match team-mate Yuki Tsunoda in his first five F1 races after being signed to replace Pierre Gasly. The 27-year-old Dutchman has suffered a spate of costly crashes while also failing to match the Japanese driver's pace both in qualifying and in races. In Monaco De Vries reached Q2 for the second consecutive time as he cut the ... Keep reading

Marko: De Vries Monaco F1 performance "what I want to see"

De Vries has had a rough start to his F1 career, struggling to match team-mate Yuki Tsunoda in his first five F1 races after being signed to replace Pierre Gasly. The 27-year-old Dutchman has suffered a spate of costly crashes while also failing to match the Japanese driver's pace both in qualifying and in races. In Monaco De Vries reached Q2 for the second consecutive time as he cut the ... Keep reading

Mercedes still needs to dial out a “nasty” rear end of F1 car

The German manufacturer introduced a major update at the Monaco Grand Prix, which included new sidepods, revised front suspension and floor tweaks. While the nature of the Monte Carlo street track meant it was hard to gauge exactly how much of a step forward the new parts delivered, the team was encouraged by the first signs from the changes. However, team principal Toto Wolff says that a ... Keep reading

2023 F1 Spanish GP – How to watch, session timings and more

After the Emilia Romagna GP was cancelled due to flooding in the region, the Monaco GP welcomed F1 from another mini break with a dramatic race weekend full of talking points. From Max Verstappen’s latest masterclass, to Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez’s nightmare in Monte Carlo, the principality witnessed a huge swing in the title fight towards the Dutchman as he now leads the standings by ... Keep reading

Gasly “disappointed and confused” by Alpine F1 Monaco GP pit call

Having started from seventh on the grid on the hard tyres Gasly rose up the order as others pitted, and by lap 44 he was in third place. Up and down the pitlane drivers were being told that rain was expected but rather than have Gasly wait for a possible opportunity to switch straight to intermediates, the team called him in for medium tyres just a few laps before the rain hit. He was thus ... Keep reading

10 things we learned at the 2023 F1 Monaco Grand Prix

Red Bull maintained its perfect victory sweep at the start of the 2023 season, with Max Verstappen’s commanding victory in last weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix. But, as ever, there was plenty more to the overall event story – with Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin taking to the stage even more centrally than usual this season and Sergio Perez having an awful weekend that may have already blown ... Keep reading

Ten things we learned at the 2023 F1 Monaco Grand Prix

Red Bull maintained its perfect victory sweep at the start of the 2023 season, with Max Verstappen's commanding victory in last weekend's Monaco Grand Prix. But, as ever, there was plenty more to the overall event story – with Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin taking to the stage even more centrally than usual this season and Sergio Perez having an awful weekend that may have already blown his ... Keep reading

Ferrari apologised to Leclerc for Monaco F1 qualifying miscommunication

Leclerc was penalised for impeding Lando Norris in the tunnel in Q3 after his team failed to warn him early enough about the fast-approaching McLaren driver. The penalty dropped Leclerc from third on the grid to sixth, making his life much harder for Sunday’s race, in which he eventually finished in the same position. Leclerc, who has regularly had bad luck in Monaco, tried to be positive ... Keep reading

Perez “cannot afford another zero” in F1 2023 season

The Red Bull driver lined up last for Sunday’s race, having crashed out of qualifying in Q1. He went on to pit five times in a dismal race which saw him lapped twice by team-mate and race winner Max Verstappen, who now leads the championship by 39 points. Despite it marking Perez’s first scoreless race of the season, the Mexican said his mistake was “very costly” and ... Keep reading

Ocon calls Alpine to ‘keep feet to the ground’ after Monaco F1 podium

Ocon was fourth fastest in qualifying in the principality, lapping 0.188s shy of polesitter Max Verstappen. He then inherited a place when Charles Leclerc was penalised for blocking Lando Norris. In the race, 2021 Hungarian GP winner Ocon held on against Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton during a rain-hit final stint to score his first podium of the season aboard the upgraded A523 machine ... Keep reading

Ferrari apologised to Leclerc for Monaco GP qualifying miscommunication

Leclerc was penalised for impeding Lando Norris in the tunnel in Q3 after his team failed to warn him early enough about the fast-approaching McLaren driver. The penalty dropped Leclerc from third on the grid to sixth, making his life much harder for Sunday's race, in which he eventually finished in the same position. Leclerc, who has regularly had bad luck in Monaco, tried to be positive ... Keep reading

Gasly "disappointed and confused" by Alpine F1 Monaco GP pit call

Having started from seventh on the grid on the hard tyres, Gasly rose up the order as others pitted, and by lap 44 he was in third place. Up and down the pitlane, drivers were being told that rain was expected but rather than have Gasly wait for a possible opportunity to switch straight to intermediates, the team called him in for medium tyres just a few laps before the rain hit. He was thus ... Keep reading

Perez "cannot afford another zero" in F1 2023 season

The Red Bull driver lined up last for Sunday's race, having crashed out of qualifying in Q1. He went on to pit five times in a dismal race which saw him lapped twice by team-mate and race winner Max Verstappen, who now leads the championship by 39 points. Despite it marking Perez's first scoreless race of the season, the Mexican said his mistake was "very costly" and "unacceptable". He ... Keep reading

Autosport Podcast: F1 Monaco GP review

The reigning F1 world champion produced a flawless performance on the streets of Monte Carlo as others faltered, most notably team-mate and chief title rival Sergio Perez who crashed in the first part of qualifying and finished a lowly 16th place. Monaco had been pinpointed as Alonso’s best chance to end the Red Bull runaway train, but key pitstop calls and timings didn’t fall his way at ... Keep reading

Aston Martin: Alonso wouldn’t have won Monaco F1 going straight to inters

Alonso switched from his old hard tyres to mediums as the first signs of a shower hit some areas of the track.  After it intensified and spread over the whole circuit, he quickly came in again for intermediates. Alonso held onto his second place, but Krack insists that had the Spaniard made a single stop instead of two he still wouldn’t have beaten race winner Max Verstappen. He ... Keep reading

Aston Martin: Alonso wouldn’t have won Monaco GP going straight to inters

Alonso switched from his hard tyres to mediums as the first signs of a shower hit some areas of the track.  After the rain intensified and spread over the whole circuit, he quickly came in again for intermediates. Alonso held onto his second place, but Krack insists that had the Spaniard made a single stop instead of two he still wouldn’t have beaten race winner Max Verstappen. He ... Keep reading

Vasseur defends Ferrari Monaco GP strategy amid Sainz frustration

Sainz was incensed when Ferrari called him into the pits on lap 33, one lap after the Alpine of Esteban Ocon that he was shadowing during the entire first stint. Despite a slow stop from Alpine, Sainz didn't manage to overcut the Frenchman and he felt Ferrari should have been more patient as he had more pace in hand on his tyres, which he had been able to save while being stuck behind the ... Keep reading

Vasseur defends Ferrari F1's Monaco strategy amid Sainz frustration

Sainz was incensed when Ferrari called him into the pits on lap 33, one lap after the Alpine of Esteban Ocon that Sainz was shadowing during the entire first stint. Despite a slow stop from Alpine, Sainz didn't manage to overcut the Frenchman and he felt Ferrari should have been more patient as he had more pace in hand on his tyres, which he had been able to save while being stuck behind the ... Keep reading

Alonso defends Monaco F1 slick tyre call as track was "99% dry" on in-lap

Initial drizzle in the second sector during the race's second half bloomed into heavier rain, which prompted a series of cars to make the leap onto the intermediate tyre in a bid to anticipate worsening conditions. Valtteri Bottas and Lance Stroll led the switch, with Zhou Guanyu and Alex Albon following suit. Alonso subsequently made his first trip to the pitlane at the end of the 54th lap ... Keep reading

Sainz: Ferrari could've been "more patient" with Monaco F1 race strategy

Sainz survived early contact with Alpine’s Esteban Ocon at the Nouvelle Chicane with minor front wing damage to keep the podium in sight through the opening half of the race. On lap 33 of 78, Ocon suffered a slow stop as he switched to fresh mediums, with Ferrari opting to pit Sainz on the following tour in an attempt to utilise the overcut and cover off Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, who was ... Keep reading

Mercedes F1 has climbed from "awful" in Monaco to "not good"

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell bagged a 4-5 result to mark the debut of the heavily revised W14, which has now gained more conventional sidepods and new front suspension. While the positions were unchanged, Russell was hit with a five-second penalty for rejoining the track in an unsafe manner as he made contact with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez at Mirabeau. Although Hamilton had the pace in ... Keep reading

Alonso defends Monaco F1 medium tyre call as track was "99% dry" on in-lap

Initial drizzle in the second sector during the race's second half bloomed into heavier rain, which prompted a series of cars to make the leap onto the intermediate tyre in a bid to anticipate worsening conditions. Valtteri Bottas and Lance Stroll led the switch, with Zhou Guanyu and Alex Albon following suit. Alonso subsequently made his first trip to the pitlane at the end of the 54th lap ... Keep reading

Sainz: Ferrari could've been "more patient" with Monaco F1 race strategy

Sainz survived early contact with Alpine’s Esteban Ocon at the Nouvelle Chicane with minor front wing damage to keep the podium in sight through the opening half of the race. On lap 33 of 78, Ocon suffered a slow stop as he switched to fresh mediums, with Ferrari opting to pit Sainz on the following tour in an attempt to utilise the overcut and cover off Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, who was ... Keep reading

Mercedes F1 has climbed from "awful" in Monaco to "not good"

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell bagged a 4-5 result to mark the debut of the heavily-revised W14, which has now gained more conventional sidepods and new front suspension. While the positions were unchanged, Russell was hit with a five-second penalty for rejoining the track in an unsafe manner as he made contact with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez at Mirabeau. Although Hamilton had the pace in ... Keep reading

Horner: Verstappen and Red Bull "on the ropes" before rain arrived in Monaco F1

Polesitter Verstappen had built a comfortable lead over second-placed Alonso, but with rain looming the Aston Martin driver enjoyed a strategic advantage by starting on the hard tyre, while Verstappen began to struggle on worn mediums. As the rain eventually hit and then intensified, Verstappen pitted on lap 56 of 78 for intermediates and managed to undo Alonso's tyre advantage as well as the ... Keep reading

Horner: Verstappen and Red Bull "on the ropes" before rain arrived in Monaco F1

Polesitter Verstappen had built a comfortable lead over second-placed Alonso, but with rain looming the Aston Martin driver enjoyed a strategic advantage by starting on the hard tyre, while Verstappen began to struggle on worn mediums. As the rain eventually hit and then intensified, Verstappen pitted on lap 56 of 78 for intermediates and managed to undo Alonso's tyre advantage as well as the ... Keep reading

Verstappen: Hitting the wall helped me during Portier scare in Monaco F1

Verstappen, who had comfortably led from pole all race, kept his head cool on worn medium tyres when a brief but intense rain shower spiced up the second half of what was shaping up to remain a lifeless Monaco race. Having held off on making a pitstop to get rid of his old tyres because he didn't want to give up track position to the chasing Fernando Alonso on hards, Verstappen was rewarded for ... Keep reading

Verstappen: Hitting the wall helped me during Portier scare in Monaco F1

Verstappen, who had comfortably led from pole all race, kept his head cool on worn medium tyres when a brief but intense rain shower spiced up the second half of what was shaping up to remain a lifeless Monaco race. Having held off on making a pitstop to get rid of his old tyres because he didn't want to give up track position to the chasing Fernando Alonso on hards, Verstappen was rewarded for ... Keep reading

F1 Monaco GP: Verstappen survives late rain to defeat Alonso

The Dutchman converted pole position successfully despite having to contend with the rigours of a wet race among the final third of the contest, extending his stint on the medium tyres to cover off the looming threat of rain. With a dry start to proceedings, the medium-shod Verstappen resisted the challenge from Alonso on the hards at the start, and immediately began to cement his lead early on ... Keep reading

F1 Monaco GP: Verstappen survives late rain to win as Alonso gambles

The Dutchman converted pole position successfully despite having to contend with the rigours of a wet race among the final third of the race, extending his stint on the medium tyres to cover off the looming threat of rain. With a dry start to proceedings, the medium-shod Verstappen covered off any threat of a pass from Alonso on the hards at the start, and immediately began to cement his lead ... Keep reading

F1 race results: Max Verstappen wins wild 2023 Monaco GP

Verstappen led every lap, ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, but had to negotiate his way through a heavy rain shower. He clipped the wall just before pitting for intermediate tyres but benefited when Alonso stopped for slicks just before the rain arrived. Verstappen had one more wall hit with nine laps to go at the exit of the Swimming Pool section, but survived for his 39th F1 ... Keep reading

F1 race results: Max Verstappen wins wild 2023 Monaco GP

Verstappen led every lap, ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, but had to negotiate his way through a heavy rain shower. He clipped the wall just before pitting for intermediate tyres but benefited when Alonso stopped for slicks just before the rain arrived. Verstappen had one more wall hit with nine laps to go at the exit of the Swimming Pool section, but survived for his 39th F1 ... Keep reading

F1 race results: Max Verstappen wins wild 2023 Monaco GP

Verstappen led every lap, ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, but had to negotiate his way through a heavy rain shower. He clipped the wall just before pitting for intermediate tyres but benefited when Alonso stopped for slicks just before the rain arrived. Verstappen had one more wall hit with nine laps to go at the exit of the Swimming Pool section, but survived for his 39th F1 ... Keep reading

Alonso: High-adrenaline qualifying shows why Monaco must stay on F1 calendar

In a frantic end to the Q3 shootout, Alonso, Alpine's Esteban Ocon and Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc all traded provisional pole until Red Bull world champion Max Verstappen clinched his first Monaco pole with a hair-raising final sector. The Dutchman said he "clipped a few barriers" in the process and Alonso also admitted he took a few "uncomfortable risks" in his hunt for his first pole ... Keep reading

Why visceral trackside experience proves Monaco's F1 worth

Long since a mainstay of the Formula 1 calendar, and almost as long since derided for its dull on-track action and ostentatious partying, the Monaco Grand Prix faces among the most criticism of the calendar’s circuits. At the same time every year, the harbour of Monte Carlo fills up with ever bigger vessels for a weekend of champagne, celebrity, social media posturing and glamour, a word ... Keep reading

Hamilton's Mercedes F1 future "never a millimetre in doubt" amid Ferrari rumours

With the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix cancelled owing to extreme flooding in the region, attention was turned last week by reported claims that Ferrari had made an offer to Hamilton for the 2024 season. While Hamilton’s current Mercedes contract is coming to an end and Ferrari would always consider the driver if he was ever available, the Briton has long since pledged his loyalty to the Silver ... Keep reading

Gasly: Alpine closer to the pace in Monaco than any F1 race in 2023

Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer has been under pressure since his CEO Laurent Rossi made critical comments about the Enstone outfit’s ‘amateurish' form and mistakes that have been made. PLUS: The bigger play behind Alpine’s ‘amateurish’ F1 criticisms With handy timing Esteban Ocon qualified a surprise fourth in Monaco, while Gasly earned a respectable seventh ... Keep reading

Why visceral trackside experience proves Monaco's F1 worth

Long since a mainstay of the Formula 1 calendar, and almost as long since derided for its dull on-track action and ostentatious partying, the Monaco Grand Prix faces among the most criticism of the calendar’s circuits. At the same time every year, the harbour of Monte Carlo fills up with ever bigger vessels for a weekend of champagne, celebrity, social media posturing and glamour, a word ... Keep reading

Norris was "nervous" about Monaco F1 Q3 run after car repair

Norris hit the barrier in Q2 and his crew had to replace left-front suspension components before he could resume in Q3. However, they didn’t change anything on the right front, where Norris also had a touch with a barrier during the session. The Englishman admitted that he had to overcome concerns about going flat out straight away in Q3 with the repaired car. In the end, his final ... Keep reading

Alonso: High-adrenaline qualifying shows why Monaco must stay on F1 calendar

In a frantic end to the Q3 shootout, Alonso, Alpine's Esteban Ocon and Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc all traded provisional pole until Red Bull world champion Max Verstappen clinched his first Monaco pole with a hair-raising final sector. The Dutchman said he "clipped a few barriers" in the process and Alonso also admitted he took a few "uncomfortable risks" in his hunt for his first pole ... Keep reading

The Monaco crane lifts that show how Red Bull and Mercedes' F1 floors compare

As Hamilton’s Mercedes was lifted into the Monaco skyline following his barrier collision at Mirabeau towards the end of FP3, the paddock was treated to a view of the W14’s underfloor, an area of the car that we’re rarely able to see. The timing of the incident was especially frustrating for Mercedes, with team principal Toto Wolff describing the lift as an act straight out of Cirque du ... Keep reading

Gasly: Alpine closer to the front than any F1 race this year

Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer has been under pressure since his CEO Laurent Rossi made critical comments about the Enstone outfit’s ‘amateurish' form and mistakes that have been made. With handy timing, Esteban Ocon qualified a surprise fourth in Monaco, while Gasly had a less than perfect session but still earned a respectable seventh place. The former was boosted one ... Keep reading

F1 teams will be "all over" Red Bull floor photographs - Mercedes

Sergio Perez crashed out of qualifying at Sainte Devote and, due to the tight confines of the principality street circuit, his RB19 was hoisted out of the way - allowing photographers to capture its floor. Given engineers estimate 60% of car performance is now generated by the underbody aerodynamics following the 2022 switch to ground-effect rules, teams have kept this area a closely guarded ... Keep reading

F1 teams will be "all over" Red Bull floor photographs - Mercedes

Sergio Perez crashed out of qualifying at Sainte Devote and, due to the tight confines of the principality street circuit, his RB19 was hoisted out of the way - allowing photographers to capture its floor. Given engineers estimate 60% of car performance is now generated by the underbody aerodynamics following the 2022 switch to ground-effect rules, teams have kept this area a closely guarded ... Keep reading

Norris was "nervous" about Monaco F1 Q3 run after car repair

Norris hit the barrier in Q2 and his crew had to replace left front suspension components before he could resume in Q3. However, they didn’t change anything on the right front, where Norris also had a touch with a barrier during the session. The Englishman admitted that he had to overcome concerns about going flat out straight away in Q3 with the repaired car. In the end, his final ... Keep reading

The Monaco crane lifts that show how Red Bull and Mercedes's F1 floors compare

As Hamilton’s Mercedes was lifted into the Monaco skyline following his barrier collision at Mirabeau towards the end of FP3, everyone was treated to a view of the W14’s underfloor, an area of the car that we’re rarely able to catch a glimpse of. The timing of the incident was especially annoying for Mercedes, whose team boss Toto Wolff called it an act straight out of Cirque du ... Keep reading

What the GPS data reveals about how Alonso lost F1 Monaco GP pole

Aston Martin, meanwhile, has shone with the ability of Fernando Alonso to out-brake rivals into corners and then jump back on the power early. With those contrasting traits, the tight Monaco lap was thought to be the green team’s best chance of topping the leaderboard. Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR23 Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images How the Q3 thriller ... Keep reading

Hamilton's Mercedes F1 future "never a millimetre in doubt" amid Ferrari rumours

With the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix cancelled owing to extreme flooding in the region, attention was turned last week by reported claims that Ferrari had made an offer to Hamilton for the 2024 season. While Hamilton’s current Mercedes contract is coming to an end and Ferrari would always consider the driver if he was ever available, the Briton has long since pledged his loyalty to the Silver ... Keep reading

What the GPS data reveals about how Alonso lost Monaco F1 pole

Aston Martin has shone with the ability of Fernando Alonso to out-brake rivals into corners and then jump back on the power early. With those contrasting traits, the tight Monaco lap was thought to be the green team’s best chance of topping the leaderboard. How the Q3 thriller unfolded After qualifying in the principality, Aston hasn’t done that. But the battle came down to the wire ... Keep reading

2023 F1 Monaco Grand Prix – How to watch, start time & more

Red Bull's Max Verstappen will start the race from pole position after a stunning final sector effort in qualifying. He will be joined on the front row by Aston Martin's star driver Fernando Alonso, who looked set for pole until Verstappen's late heroics demoted him to second on the grid. Esteban Ocon will line up a strong third for Alpine ahead of the top Ferrari of Carlos Sainz, with Lewis ... Keep reading

F1 Monaco GP: Verstappen beats Alonso to pole by 0.084s; Perez last

The Dutchman overcame a two-tenth deficit to Alonso in the final sector to make a last-gasp swoop for the fastest time, his resulting 1m11.365s cementing his first pole position in qualifying at the Monte Carlo circuit. Verstappen had set a banker with a 1m12.102s at the start of the session, but the lap was immediately outclassed by Alonso, who grabbed a 1m11.706s to raise the bar considerably ... Keep reading

F1 qualifying results: Max Verstappen takes Monaco GP pole

Verstappen will start ahead of Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) and Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) after the one-hour qualifying session, which is split into three segments with five cars each being knocked out in Q1 and Q2 before the top-10 shootout of Q3. Besides the thrilling ending to Q3, where pole changed hands four times in the final two minutes, the big shock was last year’s race winner ... Keep reading

F1 Monaco Grand Prix – Start time, starting grid, how to watch, & more

Red Bull driver Verstappen surged to his third pole of 2023 by just 0.084s with a remarkable late effort to usurp Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, who had until the dying moments of the session looked set to claim his first pole since Hockenheim 2012.  At the circuit where pole position has more value than any other, due to the difficulty of overtaking at the Principality, Verstappen had ... Keep reading

Leclerc handed F1 Monaco GP grid penalty for impeding Norris

The Ferrari driver appeared to slow in the tunnel section as Norris’ rapid McLaren approached from behind on a flying lap in Q3, forcing him to take evasive action. Leclerc had been set to line up third for his home race, but will now drop to sixth. Norris will start 10th for Sunday’s race. The FIA stewards said Leclerc “had finished his final lap of Q3 and was in the Turn 4 through ... Keep reading

Verstappen: Alonso performances a reward of self-belief, commitment to F1

The Red Bull driver made a successful swoop for pole in the dying stages of Q3 to deny Alonso the chance of a first F1 pole since 2012, using the final corners to overturn a deficit of two tenths accrued in the opening pair of sectors. Thanks to the vastly improved form of the Aston Martin team in 2023, Alonso has been able to consistently run at the front after years of struggling with ... Keep reading

Leclerc handed F1 Monaco GP grid penalty for impeding Norris

The Ferrari driver appeared to slow in the tunnel as Norris' rapid McLaren approached from behind on a flying lap, forcing him to take evasive action. Leclerc had been set to line up third for his home race, but will now drop to sixth. Norris will start 10th for Sunday's race. The FIA stewards said Leclerc "had finished his final lap of Q3 and was in the Turn 4 through Turn 10 complex ... Keep reading

Verstappen: Alonso performances a reward of self-belief, commitment to F1

The Red Bull driver made a successful swoop for pole in the dying stages of Q3 to deny Alonso the chance of a first F1 pole since 2012, using the final corners to overturn a deficit of two tenths accrued in the opening pair of sectors. Thanks to the vastly improved form of the Aston Martin team in 2023, Alonso has been able to consistently run at the front after years of struggling with ... Keep reading

Hamilton set-up tweak "made life harder" in Monaco F1 qualifying

Hamilton, who crashed in FP3, got out of Q1 at the last minute with his final run, and the same thing happened as he made it out of Q2 with his last lap. In the final segment, he earned sixth on the grid, with the potential to move up a place if third-placed Charles Leclerc receives a penalty for impeding Lando Norris. Hamilton also acknowledged that the upgrades Mercedes introduced this ... Keep reading

Ocon witnessed "fall of hell" after claiming provisional Monaco F1 pole

Ocon stunned the paddock when he set a 1m11.553s effort with just a handful of minutes remaining in Q3 to take provisional pole. Explaining the decision to run early in the final phase of qualifying, Ocon said: "We got done exactly in Miami for that. "We left it late, we got done with the red flag for Charles [Leclerc] at the end and we wanted to avoid that. "We wanted to go earlier with ... Keep reading

Alonso took "uncomfortable" risks in hunt for F1 Monaco GP pole

The two-time champion headed a thrilling Q3 session at two points, but was pipped on both occasions by Max Verstappen as the Red Bull driver's prowess in the final sector decided pole in his favour. After his first flying lap in Q3, Alonso felt that he "drove like an animal" to briefly head the session, but had to dig deeper in his second run in his bid to overturn Verstappen. He reckoned ... Keep reading

Perez: "I cannot believe what I've done" in Monaco F1 qualifying crash

On his second qualifying lap of Q1, Perez lost the rear of the car turning into Sainte Devote, slapping the left-rear corner of his Red Bull RB19 into the barriers. Perez's accident brought out the red flag and caused sizeable damage to his car. "Unbelievable day. I cannot believe what I what I've done," Perez responded to the costly incident. "It just caught me by surprise, just getting ... Keep reading

Alonso took "uncomfortable" risks in hunt for Monaco GP F1 pole

The two-time champion headed a thrilling Q3 session at two points, but was pipped on both occasions by Max Verstappen as the Red Bull driver's prowess in the final sector decided pole in his favour. After his first flying lap in Q3, Alonso felt that he "drove like an animal" to briefly head the session, but had to dig deeper in his second run in his bid to overturn Verstappen. He reckoned ... Keep reading

Perez: "I cannot believe what I've done" in Monaco F1 qualifying crash

On his second qualifying lap of Q1 Perez lost the rear of the car turning into Sainte Devote, slapping the left-rear corner of his Red Bull RB19 into the barriers. Perez's accident brought out the red flag and caused sizeable damage to his car. "Unbelievable day. I cannot believe what I what I've done," Perez responded to the costly incident. "It just caught me by surprise, just getting ... Keep reading

F1 qualifying results: Max Verstappen takes Monaco GP pole

Verstappen will start ahead of Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) and Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) after the one-hour qualifying session, which is split into three segments with five cars each being knocked out in Q1 and Q2 before the top-10 shootout of Q3. Besides the thrilling ending to Q3, where pole changed hands four times in the final two minutes, the big shock was last year’s race winner ... Keep reading

Verstappen "clipped a few barriers" on frantic Monaco F1 pole run

Red Bull's championship leader was down in fifth after the first barrage of Q3 runs. Amid scintillating pole bids by Esteban Ocon, Charles Leclerc and Alonso, Verstappen then had the last word as the chequered flag dropped. Despite two personal bests he was still trailing Aston Martin driver Alonso heading into the final sector, but with a stunning recovery his 1m11.365s effort pipped the ... Keep reading

Verstappen "clipped a few barriers" on frantic Monaco F1 pole run

Red Bull's championship leader was down in fifth after the first barrage of Q3 runs. Amid scintillating pole bids by Esteban Ocon, Charles Leclerc and Alonso, Verstappen then had the last word as the chequered flag dropped. Despite two personal bests, he was still trailing Aston Martin driver Alonso heading into the final sector, but with a stunning recovery, his 1m11.365s effort pipped the ... Keep reading

F1 Monaco GP: Verstappen edges Alonso to thrilling pole after Perez crash

The Dutchman overcame a two-tenth deficit to Alonso in the final sector to make a last-gasp swoop for the fastest time, his resulting 1m11.365s cementing his first pole position in qualifying at the Monte Carlo circuit. Verstappen had set a banker with a 1m12.102s at the start of the session, but the lap was immediately outclassed by Alonso, who grabbed a 1m11.706s to raise the bar considerably ... Keep reading

F1 qualifying results: Max Verstappen takes Monaco GP pole

Verstappen will start ahead of Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) and Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) after the one-hour qualifying session, which is split into three segments with five cars each being knocked out in Q1 and Q2 before the top-10 shootout of Q3. Besides the thrilling ending to Q3, where pole changed hands four times in the final two minutes, the big shock was last year’s race winner ... Keep reading

F1 Monaco GP: Verstappen beats Alonso to pole by 0.084s; Perez last

The Dutchman overcame a two-tenth deficit to Alonso in the final sector to make a last-gasp swoop for the fastest time, his resulting 1m11.365s cementing his first pole position in qualifying at the Monte Carlo circuit. Verstappen had set a banker with a 1m12.102s at the start of the session, but the lap was immediately outclassed by Alonso, who grabbed a 1m11.706s to raise the bar considerably ... Keep reading

F1 qualifying results: Max Verstappen takes Monaco GP pole

Verstappen will start ahead of Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) and Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) after the one-hour qualifying session, which is split into three segments with five cars each being knocked out in Q1 and Q2 before the top-10 shootout of Q3. Besides the thrilling ending to Q3, where pole changed hands four times in the final two minutes, the big shock was last year’s race winner ... Keep reading

F1 team bosses weigh in on customer chances in 2026

Before the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, Honda announced it would return to F1 as a fully-fledged engine manufacturer by supplying works power units to Aston Martin from 2026, when F1 moves to new engine regulations with a higher degree of electrification and sustainable fuels. Honda is the last of the six manufacturers that registered for the new engine cycle to commit to a programme, which ... Keep reading

F1 team bosses weigh in on customer chances in 2026

Before the Monaco Grand Prix, weekend Honda announced it would return to F1 as a fully-fledged engine manufacturer by supplying works power units to Aston Martin from 2026, when F1 moves to new engine regulations with a higher degree of electrification and sustainable fuels. Honda is the last of the six manufacturers that registered for the new engine cycle to commit to a programme, which ... Keep reading

Horner: Monaco F1 track must be adapted for "long-term viability"

First held in 1929, the famous street race has made efforts to modernise via the construction of a new pit facility, while for 2023 it has notably relinquished control of its oft-maligned TV broadcast production and handed over sponsorship and advertising after past conflicts with F1's own partners. However, the circuit layout has largely remained unchanged. This has left the emphasis to shift ... Keep reading

Horner: Monaco F1 track must be adapted for "long-term viability"

First held in 1929, the famous street race has made efforts to modernise via the construction of a new pit facility while for 2023, it has notably relinquished control of its oft-maligned TV broadcast production and handed over sponsorship and advertising after past conflicts with F1’s own partners. However, the circuit layout has largely remained unchanged. This has left the emphasis to ... Keep reading

F1 Monaco GP: Verstappen heads Red Bull 1-2 in FP3, Hamilton crashes

Sergio Perez posted the first representative laptime with a 1m15.641s to go top, managing to avoid a stopped Esteban Ocon in the tunnel as the Alpine driver reported a loss of power. The Frenchman returned his car to the pits after a swift reset at the steering wheel, but this forced him to spend the next 20 minutes in the garage. Pierre Gasly found a glimmer of hope for Alpine by going quicker ... Keep reading

F1 Monaco GP: Verstappen fastest in FP3 as Hamilton causes red flag

Sergio Perez posted the first representative laptime with a 1m15.641s to go top, managing to avoid a stopped Esteban Ocon in the tunnel as the Alpine driver reported a loss of power. The Frenchman returned his car to the pits after a swift reset at the steering wheel, but this forced him to spend the next 20 minutes in the garage. Pierre Gasly found a glimmer of hope for Alpine by going quicker ... Keep reading

Williams F1 team to be rebuilt "from the foundations" - Vowles

Former Mercedes chief strategist Vowles joined the Grove outfit as team principal, with his official starting date listed as 20 February. He has used his brief tenure so far to evaluate the 10th-placed outfit, which is currently without a full-time technical director to lead its in-season car development. Vowles reckons the nine-time constructors' champion, bought by American investment firm ... Keep reading

Williams F1 team to be rebuilt "from the foundations" - Vowles

Former Mercedes chief strategist Vowles joined the Grove outfit as team principal this year, with his official starting date listed as 20 February. He has used his brief tenure so far to evaluate the 10th-placed outfit, which is currently without a full-time technical director to lead its in-season car development. Vowles reckons the nine-time constructors' champion, bought by American ... Keep reading

Losail upgraded as Qatar promises F1 race will be annual “World Cup”

Qatar stepped in at a late stage during the COVID-hit 2021 season to fill a hole in the calendar left by the cancellation of other events. The country subsequently signed a 10-year deal with F1 to start in 2023, with 2022 skipped to avoid any clash with the FIFA World Cup. After the initial F1 event had to deal with the compromises created by small pit garages that were designed for MotoGP ... Keep reading

Losail circuit upgraded ahead of inaugural F1 race

Qatar stepped in at a late stage during the COVID-hit 2021 season to fill a hole in the calendar left by the cancellation of other events. The country subsequently signed a 10-year deal with F1 to start in 2023, with 2022 skipped to avoid any clash with the FIFA World Cup. After the initial F1 event had to deal with the compromises created by small pit garages that were designed for MotoGP ... Keep reading

The latest F1 upgrades spotted in Monaco

And, while it is still early in the weekend, Valtteri Bottas’ eighth place slot in FP2 has at least offered an early indication that its changes could have shifted it up a gear in the ultra-tight midfield battle. The revisions are quite extensive, as there’s also some high downforce, circuit specific updates that are loaded on to the car to deal with the exacting demands of the Monte Carlo ... Keep reading