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- October 12, 202619°
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- October 12, 202619°
New rules challenge teams in Monaco
On the first day of the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix, Aston Martin's gear issue, developments with Leclerc and Hamilton at Ferrari, Bottas's statements about Cadillac, and mo...
On the first day of the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix, teams tried to prepare for the track's unusual challenges with new technical regulations. The narrow street layout, low-speed corners, and limited margin for error set the main topics from the very first day of the weekend.
Gear synchronization concern at Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso said that if the team's recent random downshifting problem recurs in Monaco, it could even jeopardize the race. Alonso emphasized that in such a case, there could be loss of control at braking points and a risk of the car hitting the wall.
Lance Stroll explained that the gear synchronization breaks down every time the car speed drops below approximately 40 km/h. Stroll noted that this problem could reoccur every lap at Loews Hairpin. This section, one of the slowest corners in Monaco, has become one of the most critical points of the weekend for Aston Martin.
Leclerc explained why he continued with Ferrari
Charles Leclerc explained the two main reasons behind his new contract with Ferrari. The Monegasque driver said he made this decision because he loves the team and believes in the project.
Leclerc expressed that he has a strong relationship with team principal Fred Vasseur and believes that Vasseur is the person who can bring Ferrari back to the top. He said Ferrari holds an important place in his career and reminded that it was one of the teams that first trusted him and played a role in getting him to where he is today.
Leclerc did not go into details about the target times and success conditions in the contract. However, he said there were other options at the door, but Ferrari was always his first choice.
Bottas strongly denied Cadillac rumors
Valtteri Bottas strongly rejected rumors about his future at Cadillac. Bottas stated that such claims are not new and that some rumors are completely fabricated.
Bottas said the purpose of these comments might be to generate headlines and clicks. He added that the Cadillac side knows his situation and fully supports him.
Despite finishing behind teammate Sergio Perez during the weekend in Canada, Bottas argued that the gap could not be explained by performance alone. He noted that they saw some issues with the power unit and car setup and said they need to work on quality, assembly, and part compatibility. He added that this is understandable since they are a new team.
Special rear wing solutions for Monaco
Monaco's high downforce demand led some teams to unusual rear wing solutions. FIA's decision to disable active aero this weekend opened the way for teams to develop different solutions instead of movable wing systems.
Mercedes, McLaren, and Red Bull stood out with more complex new flap solutions. Audi, Racing Bulls, Ferrari, and Cadillac made simpler additions on the upper flap. Although these solutions are said to provide a few tenths of a second gain, they are not expected to change the overall ranking.
Hamilton strengthens his harmony at Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton said the 2026 season at Ferrari is going much better than 2025. Hamilton attributed part of this to the fact that the challenging downforce-characteristic cars are now a thing of the past, and also highlighted the significant role of behind-the-scenes work within Ferrari.
Hamilton said the new relationship structure he established with the team gave him more confidence. Referring to race engineer Carlos Santi as "my Italian Bono," Hamilton noted that the engineering side works much better compared to last year.
Hamilton also said that driver and engineer harmony is not always easy to establish, but now a much more efficient process has developed on his side. He stated that this change is also reflected in the performance data obtained from the car.
Alpine investigates Gasly's balance issue
Alpine is investigating the sudden balance problems Pierre Gasly experienced in the last two Formula 1 races. The team is also expected to try a different setup this weekend.
This issue on Gasly's side became even more important on a track like Monaco, where the margin for error is low. The team's search for a solution became one of the notable technical topics of the weekend.
The first day in Monaco showed a picture where not only the drivers but also the teams fought a fine-tuning battle. Although the technical experiments created by the new rules do not completely change the existing performance differences, they showed that the weekend is open to even the smallest details.
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