Hamilton on Ferrari's Monaco competitiveness
Lewis Hamilton says Ferrari are unlikely to be the quickest at Monaco but expects them to be competitive, with the SF-26 stronger in low-speed corners and power less of a factor around the Circuit de Monaco. Hamilton said: "I would say this track would be better for us than some of the others. Because the straight lines we had, for example, in Montreal, we lose quite a lot of time, and obviously here we would lose a lot less. I don't think power is necessarily going to be so much of an issue. Our car is good at low speeds, so I think we will be competitive. I don't necessarily think we will be the quickest, especially with Mercedes' upgrade at the last race, but I think we will be competitive."
Lewis Hamilton delivers verdict on Ferrari Monaco glory chances
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Leclerc on Monaco Q1 traffic with 22-car grid
Charles Leclerc says the expanded 22-car Formula 1 grid will make traffic “a problem” in Q1 at Monaco because the circuit is so short. Leclerc said: "I mean, 22 cars on such a short track I think will be quite tricky. Especially because with these cars, [although it's] a bit less now, still whenever you are three or four seconds [apart] on tracks like this, you lose a bit of time. So it's going to be tricky. It's the same for everybody and we'll have to adapt to it but it's not ideal for Q1, I think."
F1's larger 22-car field will be “a problem” for qualifying in Monaco
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Antonelli on Mercedes allowing him and Russell to race freely
Andrea Kimi Antonelli says Mercedes still wants him and George Russell to race freely, despite Toto Wolff suggesting he may need to put a "handbrake" on their battles after they clashed several times at the Canadian Grand Prix. Antonelli said: "We reviewed all the episodes of the race, and basically, the end of the discussion was you can race each other freely, as long there's respect, and as long as you don't put yourself in situations that could damage one of you or both of you. So the team doesn't want to put any rules... the team wants us to race freely... you can't really put a leash on a driver that is fighting for wins and the championship."
'You can't put a leash on a driver' - Antonelli responds to Mercedes team order threats
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Antonelli on early 2026 title talk
Kimi Antonelli says it is “very, very early” to talk about the 2026 Formula 1 title being his to lose after his Mercedes team-mate George Russell suggested Antonelli is now in pole position for the championship. Antonelli said: "No, to be fair, I don't really give way to that line, because it's so early in the season, still 17 more races left and it's still very, very early to think or talk about the championship. I try to do my best, whenever I go in the car, I try to maximise the result, and then we'll see where we end up at the end of the season. But I also think it's difficult to think about losing something when you don't even have it. I didn't win the championship. How can I lose something that I didn't even achieve?"
Kimi Antonelli brushes off George Russell F1 title pressure: 'How can it be mine to lose?'
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Hamilton on ignoring Ferrari Monaco favourite hype
Lewis Hamilton says he is not listening to the hype around Ferrari being tipped as favourites for the Monaco Grand Prix and insists the team is focused on taking lessons from previous rounds. Hamilton said: "I'm not listening to any of the hype. I'm just trying to take the learnings from each weekend and try to move forwards. There are no certainties in F1. [The podium in Canada] didn't leave us with any certainties."
Hamilton responds to Ferrari favourites tag in Monaco
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Gasly on Briatore's leadership at Alpine
Pierre Gasly says acting Alpine team principal Flavio Briatore’s leadership has “set the tone” for the team, with Alpine fifth in the standings after five rounds of the 2026 season. Gasly said: "I think Flavio [Briatore]'s leadership is great and set the tone for the entire team. We always have to question what we do, what we do well and what we have to improve. I think we have the right mindset. We managed to score points with both cars last week. Overall, there is a lot of green flags but we still have to work out how to do even better."
Pierre Gasly credits Flavio Briatore for ‘setting the tone' with Alpine F1 resurgence
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Sainz on Williams' difficult start to the 2026 season
Carlos Sainz says Williams’ disappointing start to the 2026 Formula 1 season tested his faith in the team’s project after he scored two grand prix podiums with Williams in 2025. Sainz said: "Tested my faith? For sure. When you go from scoring podiums at the end of last year to suddenly being where we were two seconds and a half off the pace at the beginning of the year, two seconds is a big test of faith or a big shock to the system. And I was the first one to say to James [team principal James Vowles] and to the management that it was not expected."
Sainz started to doubt Williams project after poor start to 2026
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McLaren joins Monaco tech trend with intricate winglet
Hamilton on working well with Leclerc at Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton says he and Charles Leclerc work well together and are pushing Ferrari forward after Leclerc signed a new contract extension with the team ahead of his home Monaco Grand Prix. Hamilton said: "I think we work well together and we collaborate well, together with the team. We are pushing the team collectively, with Fred and all the amazing players in the background, all the engineers working so hard on the car. I think we work really well."
Lewis Hamilton reacts to Charles Leclerc's Ferrari F1 renewal
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Leclerc on believing Vasseur can return Ferrari to the top
Charles Leclerc said he signed a new contract to stay at Ferrari because he believes team principal Frederic Vasseur can take the team back to the top, having turned down offers to leave. Leclerc said: "I'm very onboard with his vision and I really believe in Fred. We have a long-term vision – not too long because obviously we all want to win as quickly as possible – but as soon as possible to be back on top. I'm onboard with this vision and I believe in this vision."
“I really believe in Fred”: Leclerc explains why he extended his deal to stay at Ferrari
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Bearman on Ferrari as his long-term target
Haas driver Ollie Bearman says joining Ferrari remains his long-term target after Charles Leclerc signed a new multi-year deal with the team. Bearman said: "First of all, it's really cool to see Charles renewing. He's been there a long time and had a lot of success there, and obviously very hungry for more. Of course, that's my target one day [to join Ferrari], but at the moment I'm focused on my job here at Haas and also enjoying it."
Bearman admits Ferrari move remains ‘my target one day'
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F1 - 2026 Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday Press Conference Transcript
Norris and Leclerc summoned over late press conference
Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc have been summoned to the Monaco Grand Prix stewards on Friday morning for an unusual breach of the sporting regulations after arriving late to the official FIA press conference on Thursday. Both drivers were found to be in breach of Article B10.1.1a, with Leclerc due at 10:00 local time and Norris at 10:10. Previously, late attendance at the press conference has either gone unpunished or resulted in a reprimand.
Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc summoned over unusual Monaco rules breach
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Sainz on split-group Q1 qualifying at Monaco
Carlos Sainz says he does not understand why Formula 1 has not introduced split groups in Q1 for Monaco Grand Prix qualifying, adding that the idea repeatedly comes up in the drivers’ briefing but is then dropped. Sainz said: "Yeah, I still don't understand why we don't do split groups in Q1. I've suggested it multiple times. It wouldn't affect the pecking order at all if you go 11 teams and 11 teams and you divide the teammates or something and just the bottom three don't go through. I don't understand why we don't do that."
Carlos Sainz bemoans disregard of F1 drivers' crucial Monaco GP suggestion
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Verstappen on Monaco bumps and kerbs test for Red Bull
Max Verstappen says the Monaco Grand Prix can bring “surprises” for Red Bull as he waits to see how their car feels on the circuit’s bumps and kerbs. Verstappen said: "It will depend on a lot of things, but I don't know how the car is going to feel tomorrow. Monaco can always give you some surprises, but realistically, from my side, we've been okay in the low-speed but at the same time, here, you need to be good on the bumps and the kerbs, which is where we're not that great. We'll have to see how it will evolve throughout the weekend."
Verstappen prepared for ‘surprises' at Monaco GP
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Albon on Williams targeting title contention by 2030
Alex Albon says Williams can be world-title challengers by 2030 under team principal James Vowles, even though the team feels its 2026 struggles this season have set it back. Albon said: "I think 2030 is, yeah. I think James is a realistic person, I think he doesn't try to fluff anything up. Obviously we would appreciate if that was a little bit earlier than what it is. I think we've noticed this year that we're a bit further back than where we want to [be], and maybe it has set us back a little bit more, but I do believe in him when he says that."
Albon gives his verdict on Vowles' 2030 title plan
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Norris on becoming McLaren's most-started F1 driver
Lando Norris says he is proud to have become the McLaren driver with the most Formula 1 race starts, as the team prepares to mark its 1000th grand prix weekend at the Monaco Grand Prix. Norris said: "I don't think at any point I ever thought I'd be the driver in McLaren with the most race starts for them – that's a pretty awesome stat to think of. To be honest, normally I hate stats in general and I hate when people say them, but this is one that I'm just proud of, for sure."
Norris proud to achieve ‘awesome' McLaren record
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Leclerc on continuing to use Ferrari's simulator
Charles Leclerc says he will keep using Ferrari’s simulator for his race preparation, after team-mate Lewis Hamilton said he was going “old school” and would stop using it. Leclerc said: "It doesn't affect my preparation at all. At the end, I think we all have our preferences. For me, the simulator has been working very well. This is what I've done since arriving in Formula One, and I'm not going to change that. It's been a very powerful tool for me."
Charles Leclerc rejects Lewis Hamilton's ‘old school’ Ferrari experiment
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Norris on Ferrari's downforce trade-off for Monaco
Lando Norris said Ferrari’s lack of straight-line speed comes from running “a lot of downforce and a lot of drag”, which he believes will give them an advantage at the Monaco Grand Prix. Norris said: "It's true that the Ferraris are not the quickest in the straights but that's also because they have a lot of downforce and a lot of drag. It's kind of their own punishment they give themselves, which gives them some advantage and that advantage will definitely show this weekend."
Norris digs at self-inflicted Ferrari weakness that is a Monaco strength
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Verstappen on FIA decision over 60/40 power-unit split
Max Verstappen says he trusts the FIA to make the right decision on whether Formula 1 should move to a 60/40 power-unit split next season, favouring a greater internal combustion engine contribution. Verstappen said: "I fully believe and trust that, on the FIA side, they will make the right call for motorsport and F1 in general in the future, so I leave that up to them. What has already been very good this year is that we have been involved in the discussions, and they've been a lot more open. Actually having meetings with them was great. I think that's exactly what we need to do in the future as well."
Max Verstappen offers FIA full backing as major decision looms
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Leclerc on signing new Ferrari deal because he believes in project
Charles Leclerc says he signed a new multi-year Ferrari contract because he loves the team and believes in its project, after Ferrari confirmed the extension ahead of this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc said: "It's not that I had a timeline in my head, but why it was very clear. I love the team, I think that's pretty obvious from the outside. It's been eight years with the Formula 1 team, 10 years with Ferrari as a whole. They've been one of the first people to believe in me and to help me get to where I am today. I believe in the project most of all."
Why Leclerc pledged his F1 future to Ferrari - despite other options
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Perez on needing the right circumstances to show talent
Sergio Perez says a driver needs “the right circumstances” for their talent to show in Formula 1, as he clarified comments that he was “one of the best” ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix. Perez said: "When you look at my last six months at Red Bull, you wouldn't think that I'm one of the best out there but when you understand the circumstances at that point, and the people that understand performance at the end of the day. When you see the level of performance I'm putting with my team, you realise that I'm one of the best out there and, at the end of the day, you require the right circumstances for your talent to be able to show it."
Perez explains more after 'one of the best' in F1 comments
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Russell on Antonelli's championship lead heading to Monaco
George Russell says the world championship is Kimi Antonelli's "to lose" as he heads to the Monaco Grand Prix 43 points behind his Mercedes team-mate after retiring from the Canadian Grand Prix with an engine failure while leading. Russell said: "If I look at it from my competitor's position, you're kind of in a position now that you've got such a buffer, it feels like you can only keep it or you can only lose it. It's his to lose. My mindset is to enjoy every single race, try and win every single race, the same as I've done this whole season. I'm going to fight the same, I'm not going to change my mentality at all."
Title Antonelli's to lose, says team-mate Russell
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Leclerc on Ferrari's Monaco hopes and Mercedes benchmark
Charles Leclerc says Monaco is the one track he would “bet” on Ferrari, but he still expects Mercedes to be the team to beat this weekend. Leclerc said: "No [I don't agree with the Ferrari favourite tag]. I think we are in a better place. If there's one track I will bet on us, it's probably Monaco. However, I still believe that Mercedes have had a significant advantage since the beginning of the year. So I think they will be very, very strong... But Mercedes, I think, will still remain the team to beat."
Charles Leclerc: Monaco the track to bet on Ferrari, but Mercedes still favourite
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