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FIA Driver's Press Conference Group - Spain: Fernando Alonso, George Russell, Yuki Tsunoda

The Spanish Grand Prix drivers' press conference group 2 featured Fernando Alonso, George Russell, and Yuki Tsunoda discussing their expectations for the upcoming race and reflecting on recent performances.

Barcelona Race Expectations

Alonso highlighted the significance of racing at his home Grand Prix, noting that Barcelona will provide clearer insights about Aston Martin's recent upgrades. He explained that while Imola showed progress, Barcelona's "more normal weekend" would better reveal their true performance level.

Russell expressed confidence that Mercedes could return to fighting for the top five positions after two difficult races. He mentioned that Mercedes had been consistently in the top five before Imola and expects to potentially fight for a podium, though acknowledging that their race pace in hot conditions lags behind McLaren's.

Tsunoda discussed his ongoing process of building confidence in the Red Bull car, explaining that he's still adapting and learning how the car behaves in different conditions.

Recent Technical Developments

Alonso shared valuable insights from working trackside with Adrian Newey in Monaco, noting that Newey's presence elevated the team's performance as "everyone was more focused" and attentive to details. He mentioned that correlation issues between Aston Martin's new simulator and track performance need to be addressed.

Russell mentioned that the changes to front wings will require some relearning for all teams, but doesn't expect these to significantly change the competitive order. He also noted that Barcelona's use of the hardest tire compounds might benefit Mercedes compared to recent races.

Monaco Grand Prix Reflections

Alonso defended the Monaco race format, noting that while Sunday races receive criticism, the excitement and adrenaline of qualifying make it a unique event in the championship. He pointed out that Monaco has always presented limited overtaking opportunities.

Russell explained his aggressive overtaking move in Monaco came from frustration at being stuck behind another car, stating "I was just getting tired of staring out the back of a Williams rear wing for 50 laps." and that it wasn't "part of the new George Russell being a rebel cutting the track."

Aston Martin's Future Focus

Alonso clarified that while Aston Martin's main focus is on the 2026 regulations, the team remains committed to developing the 2025 car to build momentum and validate their development tools. He acknowledged that significant position changes are unlikely until 2026.

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FIA Driver's Press Conference Group 1 - Spain: Carlos Sainz, Ollie Bearman, Lando Norris

Carlos Sainz, Lando Norris, and Ollie Bearman participated in the pre-race press conference ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix. Discussions covered the upcoming race at Barcelona, technical regulations, and reflections on the season so far.

Home Race for Sainz

Sainz expressed excitement about competing in his home Grand Prix with a sold-out crowd, noting the positive atmosphere and support from Spanish fans. While acknowledging that Barcelona's layout isn't ideal for the Williams FW47, which struggles with medium-speed, long-duration corners, Sainz remains optimistic about showing improved performance compared to previous years.

Technical Directive Impact

Sainz and Norris addressed the FIA's new technical directive affecting front wings. Sainz predicted minimal impact, estimating "not more than one-tenth swing up or down" for teams, though acknowledging this could mean grid positions in the tight midfield. Both Sainz and Norris indicated that teams have sufficient tools and preparation to adapt to the changes without major disruption.

Norris on Monaco Victory

Norris reflected on his Monaco Grand Prix win, describing it as his proudest Formula 1 victory to date, as it is a race all drivers want to win at least once in their careers. He shared his experience attending the Prince's Ball as the race winner and discussed the unique pressure of Monaco qualifying, which he called "the best laps of the year" despite displaying calmness during the session.

Barcelona Circuit Perspectives

Bearman described Barcelona as "a really cool track" where drivers have historically completed many laps during testing. He noted the improved driving experience with the redesigned Sector 3. While Bearman won the F2 feature race here previously, he expressed uncertainty about replicating that success given the unpredictable performance of his current car.

Season Progress Assessment

When asked about his performance through the first third of the season, Norris identified qualifying consistency as his main area for improvement, while expressing satisfaction with "95%" of his Sunday performances. Sainz reported satisfaction with his adaptation to Williams, highlighting their improved competitiveness despite not accumulating points reflective of their performance potential.

Monaco Racing Format

Sainz suggested that drivers should collectively develop ideas to improve racing at tracks like Monaco, noting how easily drivers can manipulate race pace while maintaining position. He advocated for driver inclusion in the decision-making process alongside FOM and FIA to benefit the sport.

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Monaco Grand Prix 2025: The Race That Broke the Grid into Three

Monaco doesn’t usually deliver races to remember — but this year, the street circuit became a strategic battlefield. Between Verstappen’s gamble, Norris’ resilience, Leclerc’s home-soaked determination, and a grid shaken by team tactics, this was anything but your typical Monaco Grand Prix. Here’s what happened beneath the glitz — and beyond the noise.

Lap 1 — Launches, Lockups and Early Drama

Despite missing out on pole by just 0.109s to Norris, Leclerc had the stronger launch off the line. The pair charged toward Turn 1, locked in a race for P1. When Norris locked up both front wheels under braking, a plume of smoke shot into the air — and for a moment, it looked like Leclerc might snatch the lead. But on exit, Norris held firm and clung onto P1.

Behind them, Verstappen chose caution over combat. Perhaps recalling how little room Piastri has offered him in recent wheel-to-wheel battles (see: Jeddah), he backed out of the fight and slotted into P4, leaving Piastri to claim P3.

Further back, the action came thick and fast. Fans seated at the famous Casino Hairpin in Turn 6 were treated to a bold move from Bortoleto, who muscled past Antonelli for P14 — an impressive feat on a track where overtakes, especially at the hairpin, are rare and risky. But it didn’t last. Just two corners later, in Turn 8, Bortoleto went into the barrier, and Antonelli retook the position. The incident triggered the first yellow flag of the race. Though Bortoleto rejoined the race, the Virtual Safety Car was deployed to clear debris from the track. Bearman in P20, Gasly in P17, and Tsunoda in P12 capitalised immediately, diving into the pits to tick off the first of two mandatory stops.

Lap 9 to 19 – Tsunoda Gets Tapped, Lawson Splits the Grid

Gasly’s contact with Tsunoda at the end of lap 8 triggered the second yellow flag of the race. His front-left wheel clipped Tsunoda’s rear-right, snapping the suspension and leaving Gasly without brakes — as he reported over radio. Unable to stop the car, he coasted into the pit lane and retired, inadvertently shutting down any chance for others to use the yellow flag to pit.

But the bigger story was already unfolding further up the road.

By Lap 13, Lawson had built a 12s buffer behind Ocon. While not the largest gap between cars on the grid (that belonged to Bortoleto and Hulkenberg, separated by nearly 13s), Lawson’s gap stood out. Most others were running within 0.4s to 4s of the car ahead. This wasn’t a coincidence — it was the start of a strategic ripple effect that would go on to divide the race.

With Lawson backing up the pack behind him, his teammate Hadjar (running P7) was free to pit with minimal time loss. A stop that typically costs 19 seconds only cost Hadjar about 6s. He boxed from P7 and rejoined in P8. Hamilton, Alonso, and Ocon — running P5 through P7 — followed suit on the next lap, diving into the pit lane without losing track position. All thanks to the breathing room Lawson had engineered.

By Lap 20, the grid had split into three unofficial race groups: the frontrunners in P1–P4 running their own pace; the undercut beneficiaries in P5–P8 cushioned in Lawson’s gap; and the rest of the field stacked up behind Lawson, forced into a traffic train.

Midrace Shakeup — Pit Stops and Position Plays

With the field split by pit strategies, Norris — then race leader — was the first of the frontrunners to dive in, rejoining the track in P4 just behind Verstappen. The move handed the lead temporarily to Leclerc as Piastri was next to pit. The aim was clear: overcut Leclerc before the Monegasque could pit.

But the execution didn’t stick the landing.

Though no exact delay was listed, Piastri’s stop was visibly slow — long enough for him to vent his frustration over team radio. He rejoined the race behind Norris, with a noticeable gap between them.

On the very next lap, Leclerc responded.

His Ferrari crew delivered a flawless 2.0-second stop — the fastest of the race — and it paid immediate dividends. Leclerc exited the pit lane and slotted between the two McLarens, reclaiming track position over Piastri and re-establishing himself in P3.

Lap 38 — The Unluckiest Driver Strikes Again

Fernando Alonso was on track for a storybook finish: P6 in Monaco, his highest result since Baku 2024, and his first points of the season. But the moment smoke began trailing from his car, any hope of rewriting his luck vanished. He was instructed to retire the car, and ever the sportsman, Alonso quietly pulled into a slipway to avoid disrupting the race.

His retirement didn’t just end a points run — it echoed his bitter comment after Imola, when he called himself “the unluckiest driver” on the grid. Monaco, it seems, just backed him up.

Lap 44 to 49 — Team Games, Lawson’s Confusion & Russell’s Costly Shortcut

With a coordinated plan, Williams executed a bit of team strategy: Albon in P9 and Sainz in P10 swapped places on Lap 44, giving Sainz clean air to clear his mandatory stops while Albon held up the chasing pack. Once Sainz was done, they would switch back.

But not everyone was clued in. When Sainz began backing the pack up, Liam Lawson radioed in to ask why Sainz was doing that. Ironically, it was for the same reason Lawson had done earlier in the season — a bit of classic strategic clogging.

Now for the drama.

By Lap 49, Russell cut the Nouvelle Chicane while overtaking Albon for P10 — and was immediately under review. Russell claimed he had to bail out to avoid contact after Albon braked earlier than expected. But replays and onboard footage showed no such threat. On Lap 50, he was instructed to give Albon the place back, or there’d be a penalty.

Instead, Russell responded: “I’ll take the penalty.”

This casual defiance — combined with the lack of evidence supporting him — led the stewards to conclude the move was intentional. To send a message, they went beyond the standard 5 or 10-second penalty and handed him a pit lane drive-through penalty. At Monaco, that’s a 20-second time loss, minimum. And it had to be served within three laps, or the penalty would double.

In the end, the shortcut cost him more than a single position — it cost him points, and a whole lot of time.

Lap 50 to 63 — Gaps, Games & the Verstappen Safety Car Gambit

With Norris, Leclerc, Verstappen and Piastri leading the race, it was Piastri who blinked first — pitting and comfortably retaining P4. Leclerc followed at the start of Lap 50 and rejoined in P3, ahead of Piastri. Meanwhile, Norris was instructed to carve out a pit window wide enough to retain P2 once he rejoined the race.

He did exactly that. By the time Norris boxed a few laps later, he had built a 14s buffer — enough to rejoin ahead of Leclerc, slotting into P2 behind Verstappen. Crucially, Verstappen still hadn’t served his second mandatory stop.

In the midfield, drama repeated itself at the Nouvelle Chicane. On Lap 53, Antonelli overtook Albon and claimed P10 by cutting the same corner that got Russell into trouble. This time, track footage showed Antonelli’s rear wheel grazing the wall at the chicane entry, forcing him off track to avoid losing the car. He immediately gave the position back to Albon, and the stewards had no reason for any further action.

By Lap 56, the field had fractured into deeper, distinct segments. But the real canyon was behind Lawson — a 43s gap to Sainz in P9, isolating the top eight entirely. Verstappen, still holding P1, hadn’t boxed again. It became clear Red Bull were gambling on a late safety car. If deployed, it would neutralise the race pace and minimize the time Verstappen lost in the pits — potentially preserving a podium. The hope was that he'd pit and rejoin in P3 with the assistance of the safety car, to avoid pitting without it, which would put him in P4.

Then came the heat.

By Lap 63, Verstappen led Norris by around 1.5 to 2 seconds. Behind them, Leclerc had closed in on Norris — the gap flickering between 0.5 and 1 second. Verstappen later insisted he hadn’t backed Norris into Leclerc on purpose, claiming he was just managing tyres. But the effect was the same: Norris spent the closing laps fending off a fired-up Leclerc, desperate to take at least P2 in his home race.

Caught in Verstappen’s dirty air and with Leclerc breathing down his neck, Norris radioed his team asking for Piastri’s whereabouts — hoping his teammate could put pressure on Leclerc from behind and relieve some of the heat. At that point, Piastri was 4s adrift and told only to stay close, in case any opportunities opened up.

Leclerc, for his part, radioed in that Norris was “making many mistakes” — but frustratingly, he couldn’t make any of them count.

To the End — A Momentous Victory & Fastest Lap to Boot

With just three laps to go, Piastri closed in on the leading trio. Although he was less than a second behind Leclerc in P3, Leclerc’s focus remained firmly fixed on Norris ahead.

By the end of Lap 77, Verstappen finally served his long-delayed second pit stop — a necessary move to avoid disqualification. This effectively unleashed Norris, who claimed the lead.

As the final lap began, the top three — Norris, Leclerc, and Piastri — were separated by just half a second. Norris, now race leader, put his foot down and started pulling away. At Turn 1, he already held an 0.8s advantage over Leclerc.

By the time they reached the Nouvelle Chicane (Turns 10 and 11), Norris had extended his lead to 2.4s. Crossing the finish line, that gap had grown to an impressive 3s — sealed with the fastest lap of the race as the cherry on top.

In the aftermath, it was notable that cars P9 through P17 were lapped twice, with Antonelli, finishing P18, having been lapped three times.

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