Drivers 'too nice' when asked about Monaco changes - Alonso

Fernando Alonso says Formula 1 drivers are "too nice" successful politely fielding questions astir whether nan Monaco Grand Prix needs changing.

Several drivers person criticised nan norm alteration that was introduced for nan arena past play that required drivers to make 2 pit stops at Monaco.

The Aston Martin driver, a two-time world champion and double victor successful Monaco, said: "There is this changeless talk of really bad is something, alternatively of really bully is something.

"This is Monaco. Maybe location is simply a mates of ideas betwixt each progressive successful nan athletics we tin deliberation of for Monaco, but I don't deliberation location is immoderate request to deliberation of anything.

"It is only because location is simply a batch of contented now to beryllium created and drivers we are excessively bully truthful we reply each question.

"If 40 years agone you inquire [Ayrton] Senna and [Alain] Prost astir Monaco aft 1 week and they are fighting for nan championship, they will beryllium little polite than we are."

Alonso, nan astir knowledgeable driver successful F1 history, said that successful Monaco "you spot 1 overtake each 10 years".

He added: "I americium ever a small spot amazed astir nan antagonistic comments from Monaco connected Monday.

"Don't interest adjacent twelvemonth we will spell to Monaco and connected Wednesday we will beryllium truthful excited, and connected Friday we each opportunity it's nan champion way of nan play and we each want to triumph Monaco, and past connected Saturday we are each super-excited and nan adrenalin connected those laps is unique. And past connected Sunday we will beryllium disappointed erstwhile again. It is what it is."

Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GDPA) president Alex Wurz posted connected Instagram this week some changes to nan track, external he believed could make racing amended there, including moving nan harbour beforehand chicane and reprofiling nan Loews and Rascasse corners a little.

Mercedes driver George Russell, a head of nan GPDA, said nan changes "would decidedly not make it worse", but added: "Monaco has ever been nan same. I don't person nan answer. Part of maine thinks we should conscionable judge Monaco for what it is.

"F1 is amended for having Monaco connected nan calendar. Qualifying is exciting, nan title is boring but it makes america admit immoderate of nan different races."

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who won successful Monaco successful 2024 and was 2nd this season, said: "Do we request to make perfectly each imaginable effort to make it amended connected nan Sunday? Definitely.

"But Monaco has ever been for illustration that. Monaco has ever been nan benignant of title wherever nan Sunday not overmuch is happening aliases a batch little compared to different races.

"The qualifying successful Monaco is unbelievable, and that's what makes Monaco truthful special."

Alonso is nether statement to Aston Martin until nan extremity of adjacent season, by which clip he will beryllium 45.

He said successful an question and reply pinch BBC Sport astatine nan extremity of past play of 2026 that "probably - aliases astatine slightest to commencement - it will beryllium my past play successful F1".

But connected media time earlier nan Spanish Grand Prix, he said he was still emotion competitory and motivated.

"I request to spot really adjacent twelvemonth starts and really motivated I am," Alonso said.

"Every twelvemonth location is simply a different temper into nan season, a different emotion connected really you perform, really competitory you feel, really motivated you are to support your fittingness astatine nan precocious level, individual situation, each these things play a domiciled successful immoderate important decisions successful life.

"I cognize a very important determination will travel successful nan adjacent early [about] erstwhile I extremity racing.

"I first drove a go-kart erstwhile I was 3 years old. I americium now 43. I person been a steering instrumentality successful my hands for 40 years, I cognize 1 twelvemonth I will person to extremity and it's an important determination I will deliberation carefully. I stopped F1 successful 2018 and I came backmost because I needed. The adjacent 1 that I return it has to beryllium 100% sure."

Alonso has yet to people a constituent this season, and is connected his adjacent worst commencement to a play ever.

Apart from a clang successful nan bedewed successful Australia, erstwhile he was nan first to travel crossed a ample magnitude of gravel thrown connected to nan way by Pierre Gasly's Alpine successful beforehand of him, this is mostly because his car has grounded successful nan fewer races successful which nan Aston Martin has been competitory capable to title successful nan apical 10.

For example, his motor grounded erstwhile he was moving sixth successful Monaco past weekend.

In qualifying, he is nine-one up of team-mate Lance Stroll astatine an mean advantage of 0.297secs.

Alonso added: "You request to consciousness it erstwhile it's clip [to retire]. And I don't consciousness it yet.

"I jump successful nan car tomorrow and Sunday and I americium truthful happy to beryllium location and motivated and performing well.

"If we support patient and successful bully conditions, nan stopwatch will show maine I don't consciousness accelerated capable but truthful acold I americium happy pinch that.

"Even if nan results are not bully astatine nan moment, I americium truthful motivated to spell to nan adjacent title and effort to flooded and nan and title person a amended race. All these things are very live now but location is nary guarantee that will beryllium forever."