Friday’s free practice for the Formula 1 Monaco GP was marked by strong criticism from Fernando Alonso regarding the Aston Martin car’s behavior. After finishing FP2 in only 20th position, more than two seconds behind the best time of the day, the Spaniard described the current cars in the category as the worst he has ever driven on the streets of the Principality.
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The British team’s performance increased concern for the rest of the weekend. In addition to the difficulties faced by Alonso, Lance Stroll recorded the slowest lap of the session, even falling behind the Cadillac rookies at the close of Friday’s activities.
Commenting on the car’s problems, the two-time champion stated that the team has not yet found a solution for the limitations presented. According to him, the main deficiency is in the front end, especially in medium-speed corners.
“We are not happy with the grip on the front axle. We are losing a lot of front grip in the middle of the corners,” Alonso stated. The Spaniard also highlighted that the car suffers from persistent understeer that the team cannot correct: “It seems we have this chronic understeer that we cannot solve.”
Aston Martin made some setup changes during the day and planned further alterations for the night, in an attempt to improve the car’s behavior. Even so, Alonso admitted that the situation remains complicated at this point in the weekend.
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The Spanish driver also pointed out consistency problems in downshifts and gear changes, as well as energy recovery on corner entry: “In Monaco, it is crucial to be precise and have confidence in the corners. At the moment, the way the car downshifts and the speed at which you approach corners is too inconsistent. It’s not easy to drive,” he added.
For 2026, Formula 1 cars became lighter and smaller, in addition to featuring aerodynamic changes that increase downforce on circuits like Monaco. However, these alterations did not improve Alonso’s driving experience on the narrow streets of the Principality.
Asked if the Monegasque track is the best place to drive the current generation of cars, the Spaniard was direct in his answer: “I don’t think so. This is probably the worst generation of cars I have ever driven in Monaco,” concluded the Aston Martin driver.
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