Fernando Alonso Reveals the Secret to Solving Monaco’s Qualifying Nightmare
In the world of Formula 1, few tracks present as many challenges as the narrow, winding streets of Monaco. It's a place where traffic can make or break a driver’s weekend. Fernando Alonso, the seasoned Spanish driver, believes he has the answer to the gridlock issues that haunted him this year.
Alonso’s qualifying session at this year’s Monaco Grand Prix was cut short, leaving him to start further down the order than anticipated. The two-time world champion found himself eliminated at the first stage of qualifying, putting him in 16th position for the race. Despite a promising final run that could have seen him climb to 13th, Alonso was impeded by traffic at critical moments, ultimately leading to his premature exit.
Monaco’s Unique Challenges
Monaco's circuit is notorious for being difficult to navigate, even for the most skilled drivers. Alonso explains, “Traffic, obviously we were not maybe the car to be on pole but enough to be P7, 8.” In one incident, he lost precious tenths of a second at key points on the track due to slower cars getting in his way. “I found myself wrong place wrong moment, this is Monaco, difficult to get a clean lap,” he noted, adding that it’s almost impossible to avoid such bad timing in this iconic but cramped course.
The Split Groups Solution
So what’s Alonso’s proposed solution? He advocates for splitting qualifying into smaller groups, similar to the format used in Formula 2 and Formula 3. “Monaco is so exciting and so thrilling that lap that it would be nice to see everyone’s lap live as we miss a lot of great moments but yeah it is the way it is,” Alonso said. By dividing the qualifying sessions into smaller segments, drivers would have a better shot at unobstructed laps, thus reducing the chances of traffic-related mishaps.
Alonso isn’t the only driver to be impacted by the challenges of Monaco’s qualifying sessions. “This time it was for us the bad side of it, and Checo as well is P18, yeah, this is Monaco, you need to find your luck as well and we didn’t today.” The randomness of getting caught in traffic has even seen top contenders struggle, which brings to light the need for a more systematic approach.
A Frustrating Setback
The frustration for Alonso was palpable. He lamented, “It was the same for everyone as if I put those five-tenths into my lap I will be P1 in Q1, so I think no one maximised the pace in Q1.” His contention is that everyone suffers under the current system, which stifles true performance potential. “It was just do a 98% lap and get through, but we didn’t manage today, a shame, but nothing we can do,” he admitted regretfully.
The Way Forward
Looking ahead, Alonso’s main goal is damage limitation. With the Monaco circuit offering minimal chances for overtaking, his priority shifts to preserving the car. “Not crash, try to keep the car in one piece,” he said pragmatically. Given that teams are constantly working to update their cars, preserving parts until they get to the next race in Canada is crucial.
Alonso’s suggestion to adopt a split-qualifying format in Monaco is gaining traction, not just for his own benefit but for the sport as a whole. It could bring an end to the luck-based outcomes that currently plague qualifying at this historic venue.
Whether the sport’s governing bodies listen to Alonso and make changes remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: the debate around how to handle Monaco’s unique challenges is far from over.